Mechanical Technician: Hydraulics & Pneumatics

Location: Cumbernauld with occasional travel to Loanhead

Job Code: E-TS-MECHTECH01

Salary: £32,000

About the Company

Skyrora is the UK’s leading New-Space small satellite launch vehicle engineering company based in Edinburgh. Skyrora’s mission is to provide a versatile and dedicated sovereign launch capability to serve the world-leading satellite manufacturers local to the UK and Europe. Leading the UK’s effort to create a sustainable and environmentally conscious launch vehicle, Skyrora combines world-leading innovative engineering solutions to construct our launch vehicles and develop our liquid propulsion technologies, minimising the impact of operations on the immediate environment in the process.

Small and Micro satellites are being used more and more in everyday life, with the manufacturing rate increasing year by year. They assist us by tracking forest fires, providing communications to remote places and capturing high-definition images of the Earth, to name a few. There is currently a lack of launch opportunities for small satellites, and it is Skyrora’s goal to open access to space to unlock the potential for all.

We design and build our launch vehicles in house and aim to launch from the UK with Skyrora XL, a 3-stage liquid launch vehicle. We have built the UK’s largest test engine facility. This ground-breaking testing infrastructure will aid the testing of engines on our orbital Skyrora XL launch vehicle, allowing Skyrora to both become the first British company to launch from British soil and deliver sovereign UK launch capability at scale in the long term. In our engine development, we performed over 120 liquid engine tests in 2020 alone. Globally, we have recently secured over £3M in ESA funding, to accelerate our development activities.

Teamwork is at the core of Skyrora's values as we face new challenges every day. Every member of Skyrora’s diverse team demonstrates entrepreneurial flexibility to cooperate and establish sustainable solutions for all the challenges thrown at us; from creating the legal landscape enabling space flight in the UK to overcoming societal challenges such as COVID-19.

Why not challenge yourself in trying to get the UK back to space?

About the Role

As Skyrora push forward on our journey to orbit, we are rapidly expanding our teams to maintain our current pace of development. Skyrora requires an experienced Mechanical Technician to assist in the operation and maintenance of various hydraulic and pneumatic systems within our Cumbernauld facility. In this role the candidate would be a key player in ensuring our systems are safe and operational and would be driving our engine testing and launch campaigns forward. You will be presented with challenging technical problems and be required to work alongside a dedicated team to solve these issues and keep our campaigns on schedule. As such you will need to be resilient, respond to challenges and consistently perform to the highest standard.

As part of the Skyrora team, you will have the opportunity to work in a fast-paced and hands-on work environment. You will be utilising your experience and technical knowledge to work on pressure equipment, diagnose and fix problems within a variety of systems as well as communicate effectively with other personnel to ensure safety standards at our facilities are kept at the highest level and improved wherever possible.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a truly dynamic and exciting industry. We are looking for individuals who are highly dedicated to their work and who take pride in consistently pushing the boundaries of what is achievable. Apply now to play your part in our journey to orbit.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

  • Working with a team of experienced technicians and engineers at our dedicated rocket manufacturing facility
  • Diagnose and perform root cause analysis
  • Fabricate and install pressure systems to given specifications and drawings/models
  • Maintain pressure equipment both proactively and reactively to ensure full functionality of systems
  • Configure pressure systems for tests
  • Constantly monitor and seek to improve safety standards and processes on site
  • Specify and recommend pneumatic and hydraulic components
  • Produce documentation relevant to fabrication, manufacture and purchasing in line with our company policies
  • Facility upkeep where required, with key focus on FOD prevention and maintaining 6S standards

Essential Experience & Skills

  • Accredited apprenticeship or HND in Mechanical Engineering or another relevant field / sufficient industry experience
  • MIG Welding
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in a similar role or industrial environment
  • General fabrication for mild steel structures, support equipment and any other equipment as required
  • Understanding of safe systems of work
  • Experience in identifying faults and diagnosis with respect to high pressure hydraulic and pneumatic systems
  • Operation of pressure equipment and pneumatic systems
  • Working with hazardous substances
  • Experience with maintenance of pressure equipment
  • Installation of new pneumatic systems
  • Experience working with critical systems

Desirable Experience & Skills

  • Experience or valid UK forklift qualification
  • Working at height and in confined spaces

Additional Requirements

  • Valid passport, including right to work in the UK
  • Full driving licence
  • Must be willing to work in a dynamic teamwork-oriented environment
  • Must be willing to perform a variety of low skilled roles to sustain the function of the facility
  • Must be willing to work outside normal working hours to meet critical company deadlines when required

To apply, please send your CV and Cover Letter to [email protected] with the subject header displaying the job code E-TS-MECHTECH01.