TL;DR
Key Takeaways
- 18-month Graduate Programme in Optical Engineering.
- Starting salary of £34,000 per annum, plus bonuses.
- Gain experience in product life cycle phases, from introduction to novel concepts.
- Requires a minimum 2:1 Master's degree or higher in a relevant field.
- Based in Edinburgh, with hybrid working encouraged.
About the Role
This is an 18-month Graduate Programme focused on Optical Engineering, offering hands-on experience with cutting-edge defence and security systems.
What You'll Do
- Manage your own development towards Optical Engineer level over 18 months.
- Gain experience in different product life cycle phases:
- New product introduction: Learn core concepts for manufacturing rate increase, model existing designs, perform root-cause analysis, and use metrology.
- Detailed product design: Develop or improve existing designs and support the transfer of optical models into detailed optical and system requirements.
- Novel concepts: Develop future technologies and improvements for existing products.
- Learn to communicate technical concepts across various disciplines.
- Support optical procurement and product teams with drawings and tolerancing.
- Develop and conduct experiments to prove design capability.
- Perform technical reviews to assess technical capability limits.
- Conduct optical tests to lower technical risks of novel EO-Systems and solutions.
What You'll Bring
- A minimum of a 2:1 master’s degree or higher (EngD or PhD).
- Relevant experience in photonics (e.g., summer placements, internships, research projects).
- Experience with technical writing and project planning.
- Strong analytical, modelling, and laboratory skills.
- Evidence of successful teamwork.
- Enthusiasm for photonics and developing technical capabilities.
- Desirable: Experience with modelling tools such as Ansys Zemax Optics Studio, Matlab, LabVIEW, and COMSOL (or equivalent).
Security Clearance
- Roles are subject to UK Government Security requirements (BPSS).
- Successful applicants will need to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record declaration, and employment/education history verification for the past five years.
- Some roles require National Security Vetting (NSV) at SC or DV level, which may have additional residency requirements.
Benefits
- Starting salary of £34,000 per annum.
- £1,000 welcome bonus.
- £1,000 exit bonus upon successful completion of the programme.
- Potential Temporary Accommodation Allowance (TAA).
- Generous leave with up to 12 additional flexi-days per year.
- Award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
- Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks.
- Annual bonus scheme.
- Annual Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
- Flexible benefits package (up to £500 annually) including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, and gym memberships.
Location
- Primary Location: Edinburgh
- Hybrid working encouraged (at least three days per week on site).