Engineering Lab Manager

About the role

GridPoint is a technology leader focused on accelerating the transition to a sustainable future through its intelligent energy network. The Engineering Lab Manager role involves managing and operating the company's engineering and warehouse environments in Roanoke, VA, supporting the Hardware Engineering and QA teams.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day operations of the Engineering Lab: maintain equipment, manage inventory, and ensure all systems are calibrated and available for the engineering and QA teams
• Maintain and expand the customer-site replication testing wall, ensuring it accurately reflects current GridPoint product configurations for validation and regression testing
• Operate the internal SMT prototype line and coordinate with external quick-turn prototype vendors to support hardware build needs
• Manage lab safety, organization, and documentation standards
• Support the warehouse RMA workflow: receive, test, diagnose, and disposition returned GridPoint equipment using RMA test systems
• Maintain and support firmware upgrade operations on production hardware using upgrade test fixtures prior to outbound shipment
• Perform initial incoming product inspection on newly received GridPoint hardware, verifying physical condition, completeness, and baseline functionality before routing to engineering or inventory
• Collaborate closely with Embedded Test Engineers, Hardware Engineers, and QA Engineers to plan and execute test programs
• Plan and manage lab and warehouse workloads across concurrent projects, coordinating with engineering and QA teams to prioritize tasks and meet delivery commitments
• Track and communicate status of active builds, test campaigns, RMA processing, and firmware upgrade operations to engineering leadership
• Coordinate with external vendors including quick-turn prototype houses, equipment suppliers, and repair services as needed
• Escalate resource conflicts, schedule risks, or equipment issues proactively to minimize impact on engineering timelines

Requirements

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Technology, Electrical Engineering, or related field — or equivalent hands-on experience
• 5+ years of experience in an electronics lab, embedded test, or hardware engineering environment
• Solid understanding of electronic schematics and PCB design basics
• Hands-on experience with standard lab equipment: oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, power supplies, thermal chambers, and logic analyzers
• Experience with functional testing of embedded hardware and firmware products
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities and communicate schedule status clearly
• Self-motivated with strong organizational and documentation habits

Qualifications

• Preferred: experience with IoT or energy management hardware products
• Familiarity with firmware flashing tools and production programming workflows
• Prior experience mentoring or leading a small technical team
• Comfort working across lab, warehouse, and cross-functional engineering environments
• Experience with RMA processing, test fixture design, or EOL test systems
• Proficiency with SMT rework and prototype assembly

Benefits

Annual Salary Range: $100,000 to $140,000