Senior Mechanical Workshop Technician

Salary: Grade 6 (£29,605-£34,980)

Contract Type: Full Time (1FTE), Open Ended/Permanent - Two positions available

Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday) for all full time staff. Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

Detailed Description

Reporting to the workshop supervisor the successful candidate should have previous experience gained in a busy engineering research, teaching or commercial environment and possess a proven track record of problem solving.

The role holders' main responsibilities will be to provide high quality technical support for research and teaching activities in the school of EPS working as part of the Mechanical Workshop team.

Fulfilment of duties will require the role holder to possess time served knowledge of various standard machining techniques and processes. CNC manufacturing techniques along with a proven track record of problem solving and decision making. Further experience in the production / fabrication of rigs and process equipment would also be an advantage.

The post includes the day-to-day responsibility for all aspects related to health and safety of staff and students within the workshop areas.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Operate machinery including standard mills, lathes, CNC milling machines, CNC lathes, laser cutters, grinders, welding equipment, hydraulic presses, drills, 3D printers, and tooling to manufacture components to a high standard for teaching and research projects with minimum supervision.
• Provide support in machining techniques and processes to undergraduate students during labs, also answering any questions they have about any of the processes.
• Assist in training sessions which will allow students to use the workshop machinery/equipment safely and correctly. This will include lathes, milling machines and drill presses.
• Provide technical support to staff and students on the design of equipment, offering ideas and solutions where possible.
• To identify and rectify any problems with experimental equipment and/or rigs.
• Working from the drawings and CAD files provided by members of the research groups to undertake the manufacture of equipment for use in research and teaching projects.
• Maintain and service equipment in the workshop, inform workshop supervisor of stock levels.
• To engage in a process of continuous learning and development, acquiring new skills.
• To always keep work areas tidy and in good order.
• To always work with due care and diligence according to the requirements of Health and Safety, quality and other standards and directions relevant to the assigned task. To instruct on the safe use of equipment and to complete COSHH and risk assessments as required and adhere to these throughout working practice.
• To work closely with other technical staff and share specialist knowledge when relevant.
• To record working time on job sheets and complete any other necessary administrative duties for the effective running of the workshop e.g., maintain records of equipment.
• To participate in the school PDR process and undertake training, as necessary.
• Any other tasks that are commensurate with grading of the post.

Education, Qualifications and Experience.

Essential criteria:

• Educated to SCQF Level 7-8, HNC/HND or equivalent in mechanical engineering.
Completion of a recognised mechanical workshop apprenticeship plus ideally 2-3 years
• ' post-qualification work experience.
• Substantial experience of working with CNC machines.
• knowledge of CAD drawing facilities and mechanical design skills including coding, and programming CNC machines.
• Experience of a broad spectrum of machine tool use including lathes, milling machines and drilling machines.
• Experience of problem solving.
• Good understanding of health & safety regulations and procedures and experience of Risk Assessment etc...
• Able to work effectively as an individual and as a member of a team planning, team communication, and organisational skills.
• Some manual handling will be involved requiring fitness and physical effort.

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of teaching and managing a class of students, including strong interpersonal skills, pedagogic knowledge, and an ability to provide clear feedback and advice.
• Experience of laser cutting, 3D printing, small hand tools etc.
• Experience of risk assessment, COSHH, Safe Systems of Work and lasers.
• An aptitude for IT.

Hours of Work

Fulltime - Monday : Friday, hours as required.

The Role holder will be expected to be flexible in the hours worked normally 8:30am to 4:15pm Monday to Friday working on average 35 hours per week. Occasional work at weekends may be required for Open Days, student events etc. The GRID building is a new concept in student training and variation to working practices will evolve over the coming semesters to allow the best student training contact for teaching development.

About the Team

Two senior mechanical workshop technicians are required to provide support for teaching and research as part of a large team of technical staff (5 technicians plus 2 Modern Apprentices). The mechanical workshop has a range of machinery including conventional workshop equipment (lathes, mills etc.) CNC machines, 3D printers and other tooling. The role holder is required to aid design, construct, adapt, repair, and maintain precision mechanical devices, electro-mechanical and optical equipment. You will also assist with the setting up and running of training classes for undergraduate and post graduate students and have a range of other duties within the Workshop.

You will have 2-3 years post apprentice experience in a workshop environment - not necessarily in a teaching or research context : have a good attention to detail and experience with a broad range of materials and manufacturing processes. You should also possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to interact positively with a broad range of people.

The School of Engineering & Physical Sciences has an international teaching and research reputation and close connection with the professional and industrial world of science, engineering, and technology.

We deliver teaching across 6 programmes: Chemistry; Physics; Electrical, Electronic & Computer Engineering; Chemical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering and Brewing & Distilling. In the 2016 National Student Survey Heriot-Watt University was ranked 35th in the UK and joint 3rd in Scotland with the University of Glasgow. 90% of our students were satisfied overall with their course in over half of the University's subject areas. At subject area level the school ranked in the top 10 UK universities for Chemistry, and we were 1st in Scotland for Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering and 2nd in Scotland for Chemical Engineering.

Our research ranges from fundamental sciences through to engineering applications, all of which are supported by strong external funding. We have around 150 full-time academic staff who drive this research activity and are based in 5 research institutes: the Institute of Chemical Sciences, the Institute of Photonics & Quantum Sciences, the Institute of Mechanical, Process & Energy Engineering, the Institute of Sensors, Signals & Systems and the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Bio Physics & Bio Engineering. REF2014 named Heriot-Watt in the top 25% of UK universities, with 82% of our research ranked as world-leading or internationally excellent. Heriot-Watt ranked 9th university in the UK and 1st in Scotland for research impact.

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted on an ongoing basis and applications will be reviewed until the positions are filled.

Please must submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV

For further enquires please contact John Mason (Senior Technical Services Manager), Heriot-Watt University: email J.Mason@hw.ac.uk or telephone 0131 451 4074.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

At Heriot-Watt University we understand that being diverse makes us better which is why we support a culture of respect and equal opportunity, and value diversity at the heart of what we do. We want to increase the diversity of our workplace to underpin a dynamic and creative environment.

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

This role may not meet the minimum requirements set by UKVI to enable sponsorship of migrant workers; therefore, we cannot progress applications from candidates who require sponsorship to work in the UK. For further information on this please visit the UK Visas and Immigration website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas