Contract Vehicle Test Engineer Jobs – Coventry, Warwickshire & West Midlands | 6+ Month Contract | Vehicle Testing, Development, & Validation

Contract Vehicle Test Engineer

6+ Month Contract (Inside IR35)

Commutable from Coventry, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, & West Midlands

Vehicle Testing | Validation | Automotive Engineering | Specialist Vehicles

Are you an experienced Vehicle Test Engineer, Automotive Test Engineer, or Development Engineer looking for an exciting contract opportunity working on advanced vehicle technology?

This Contract Vehicle Test Engineer job offers the opportunity to join a specialist engineering business developing and building innovative vehicles within a low-volume, prototype, and development environment. Working on cutting-edge vehicle technology, you will play a key role in vehicle testing, validation, engineering investigations, and customer demonstrations, helping ensure vehicles meet the highest standards of performance, reliability, and customer readiness.

Based within commuting distance of Coventry, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Leicestershire and the West Midlands, this initial 6+ month contract (assessed as Inside IR35) is ideal for engineers who enjoy hands-on vehicle testing, technical problem solving, and working on varied engineering projects where no two days are the same.

About the Company:

This growing engineering business specialises in the design, development, testing, and build of specialist vehicles, delivering innovative engineering solutions for demanding customer applications. Operating within a low-volume development environment, the company combines vehicle engineering expertise with practical testing and validation capability to support the delivery of advanced vehicle technologies.

Engineers work across the full vehicle development lifecycle, collaborating closely with design, development, manufacturing, and customer teams to ensure vehicles are thoroughly tested, validated, and ready for operational use.

The organisation offers a collaborative engineering culture where technical expertise, innovation, and continuous improvement are highly valued.

The Role – Contract Vehicle Test Engineer:

As a Contract Vehicle Test Engineer, you will become an integral member of a multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for supporting vehicle development programmes through structured testing, validation, and engineering investigation activities.

The role combines practical vehicle testing with engineering analysis, diagnostics, customer support, and technical reporting, providing excellent variety and exposure to advanced vehicle technologies.

Working closely with design engineers, development engineers, and vehicle build teams, you will help ensure vehicles perform to specification while supporting ongoing product development and customer acceptance activities.

This is an excellent opportunity for a Vehicle Test Engineer, Automotive Validation Engineer, Development Test Engineer, or Automotive Engineer seeking a technically varied contract within an innovative engineering environment.

Key Responsibilities:

As a Contract Vehicle Test Engineer, your responsibilities will include:

Conducting vehicle testing in accordance with approved engineering test plans
Supporting vehicle validation and regression testing for new vehicle systems and engineering developments
Recording, analysing, and reporting vehicle test results and technical findings
Preparing vehicles for engineering testing, validation programmes, and customer trials
Carrying out vehicle inspections and basic maintenance throughout test programmes
Identifying, documenting, and helping resolve technical issues identified during testing
Supporting customer demonstrations, acceptance trials, and vehicle handovers
Working closely with engineering design, development, and build teams throughout vehicle development programmes

This role offers a diverse mix of practical engineering, technical investigation, customer interaction, and vehicle development work.

Your Background – Vehicle Test Engineer / Validation Engineer / Automotive Engineer:

We are interested in hearing from candidates with previous experience in roles such as:

Vehicle Test Engineer
Automotive Test Engineer
Vehicle Validation Engineer
Development Test Engineer
Automotive Engineer
Test & Validation Engineer
Vehicle Development Engineer
Prototype Vehicle Engineer

You will ideally have practical experience within vehicle testing, validation, or automotive engineering environments.

Skills & Experience Required:

The successful Contract Vehicle Test Engineer is likely to possess experience in several of the following areas:

Previous experience within vehicle testing, automotive engineering, or engineering validation
Good understanding of vehicle testing methodologies and structured engineering test programmes
Experience using vehicle diagnostics, fault-finding equipment, or data logging systems
Ability to analyse, interpret, and document technical test results
Strong practical engineering and problem-solving skills
Ability to read and interpret:

o Engineering drawings

o Technical manuals

o Test procedures

o Engineering documentation

Experience supporting engineering investigations and validation activities
Excellent communication and technical report writing skills
Experience supporting customers during testing, demonstrations, or acceptance activities
Experience with autonomous vehicles, hybrid vehicle technologies, or advanced vehicle systems would be advantageous, although not essential.
Candidates from industries including automotive, specialist vehicles, defence, military vehicles, off-highway machinery, motorsport, or vehicle development are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications:

To be considered for this Vehicle Test Engineer contract, you should ideally possess:

Relevant engineering qualification including:

o Engineering Apprenticeship

o HNC

o HND

o Degree in an engineering discipline

Full UK Driving Licence
Eligibility to obtain SC Security Clearance
Previous experience within automotive, defence, military, specialist vehicle, off-highway, or motorsport sectors would be highly advantageous

Why Apply?

This contract provides an excellent opportunity to work on innovative vehicle technology within a highly skilled engineering environment.

If you enjoy practical engineering, vehicle development, testing, and working closely with customers and multidisciplinary engineering teams, this role offers exceptional technical variety.

What's on Offer?

Initial 6+ month contract
Contract assessed as Inside IR35
Opportunity to work on advanced specialist vehicle technologies
Highly varied role combining:

o Vehicle testing

o Engineering validation

o Diagnostics

o Customer support

o Technical reporting

Collaborative engineering environment
Exposure to cutting-edge vehicle development programmes
Opportunity to support innovative engineering projects within a growing business

For engineers searching for Contract Vehicle Test Engineer jobs in Coventry, Automotive Test Engineer contracts, or Vehicle Validation Engineer opportunities in the Midlands, this is an excellent opportunity to join a forward-thinking engineering team.

Location:

This Contract Vehicle Test Engineer role is based within commuting distance of Coventry, Warwickshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, and the West Midlands, with convenient access from:

Coventry
Warwick
Leamington Spa
Rugby
Nuneaton
Solihull
Birmingham
Hinckley
Leicester
Daventry
Stratford-upon-Avon
Kenilworth
Bedworth
West Midlands
Warwickshire

The location offers excellent accessibility for engineers working across the Midlands automotive, defence, and specialist vehicle sectors.

Apply for this Contract Vehicle Test Engineer Role:

If you are an experienced Vehicle Test Engineer, Automotive Test Engineer, Validation Engineer, or Vehicle Development Engineer looking for a technically challenging contract where you can work on advanced vehicle technologies, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Apply today to discuss this exciting Contract Vehicle Test Engineer opportunity based near Coventry, Warwickshire.