CNC Precision Manufacturing Machinist

Location: Thorpe St. Andrew

Science and Technology Facilities Council Salary:
Band D (S1) £46,444 per annum

Hours:

Full-Time (We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants) Contract Type:
Open-Ended

Location:

Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell, Oxfordshire Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers, technicians, and business support team explore the unknown and turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. Whether it is sending probes into space or finding new ways to treat cancer, everyone here plays a vital role in making a positive difference to society.

Come and discover how much you can achieve when you are surrounded by world-leading experts, encouraged to constantly learn, and empowered to explore your curiosity. Your work will contribute directly to scientific instruments and spacecraft hardware developed for major international space missions, including projects for the European Space Agency, as well as world-leading scientific facilities in the UK and overseas.

The Precision Development Facility in RAL Space manufactures components for instruments operating in space today, alongside hardware for future Earth observation, planetary science and astrophysics missions. The novel processes and the intricacy of the work performed can be likened to techniques deployed in fine watchmaking. The difference is that the components produced here are destined for spacecraft and scientific instruments operating at the frontiers of human knowledge.

About the Role You will work full-time on site in the RAL Space Precision Development Facility to produce small runs of specialist components, often unique in design and manufactured to micron-level tolerances in a modern temperature-controlled environment. The role is suited to CNC machinists who wish to apply their precision manufacturing skills to spaceflight hardware and world-leading scientific instrumentation. Equipment available ranges from manual Hardinge lathes and jig borers, DMG CMX
600V's and DMG DMU
50 CNC mills, to specialist machinery including a 5-axis KERN Micro HD and KERN Pyramid Nano CNC milling machines and a Sodi-Tech ALC
400G wire EDM. You will play a crucial role as part of a small team, providing rapid-turnaround manufacturing support in the manufacture of critical spaceflight and ground-based hardware, taking personal responsibility to ensure work is performed to meet or exceed customers' expectations on quality. The work emphasises technical excellence, craftsmanship and problem solving rather than high-volume production. A prerequisite is attention to detail and dexterity in handling precision components as well as an ability to seek improvement and accept change.

Key Responsibilities
· Manufacturing high-quality components on CNC and manual machines in metallic and non-metallic materials.
· Producing, proving and adjusting CAM program files to achieve the required part geometry and dimensional control.
· Liaise and support RAL Space engineers, scientists and technicians to provide essential close support manufacturing requirements.
· Manage requirements for maintenance of manual and CNC machinery.
· Compliance with processes associated with populating manufacturing documentation in accordance with the Facility ISO
9001 Quality Management System. Shortlisting Criteria (Please note the criteria below will be assessed at Shortlisting or Interview stage as indicated)
· Quality of cover letter or CV which addresses your experience in the key criteria about this opportunity (S).
· A recognised apprenticeship in engineering, with at least a BTEC level 3 qualification in an engineering discipline.…