Graduate / Junior Mechanical Engineer – Hands-On R&D / Product Development
Salary: £28,000 – £38,000 DOE
Location: Orwell, Cambridge
From Concept to Creation – Hands-On Mechanical Engineering
Are you a mechanically minded graduate or apprentice-trained engineer who loves getting your hands dirty and actually building things?
Perhaps you enjoy restoring cars, building robots, fabricating components or working on your own engineering projects.
If you're passionate about practical engineering, we want to hear from you!
We're expanding our R&D team at Accora, offering an exciting opportunity to combine mechanical design with hands-on engineering, taking innovative products from initial concept through to fully functioning prototypes.
What You'll Be Doing
- Develop new products from initial concepts through to working prototypes.
- Utilise Solidworks for mechanical components, mechanisms and assemblies.
- Get hands-on in the workshop, building, assembling, modifying and testing designs.
- Work with sheet metal, fabrication equipment, welders, CNC machines, mills, lathes and hand tools.
- Solve practical engineering challenges through testing and experimentation.
- Work alongside experienced engineers, developing both design and practical workshop skills.
Requirements
Who We're Looking For
We're looking for graduates or apprentice-trained engineers with a genuine passion for practical, hands-on mechanical engineering.
Qualifications are valuable, but we're equally interested in what you've actually built, repaired, modified or created.
We're particularly keen to hear from people who can demonstrate practical engineering experience through:
- Car or motorcycle restoration – Rebuilding, repairing or modifying vehicles and components.
- Fabrication and welding – Sheet metal, MIG/TIG welding, cutting, forming or general metalworking.
- Personal engineering projects – Building robots, go-karts, machinery or other mechanical creations.
- Workshop experience – Using lathes, mills, CNC machines, hand tools or fabrication equipment.
- University projects – Formula Student, prototyping or practical design-and-build projects.
- Apprenticeships or employment – Mechanical assembly, machining or fabrication.
Essential Skills & Attributes
- A mechanically focused degree, engineering apprenticeship or relevant junior engineering background.
- Demonstrable hands-on mechanical experience through work, education, hobbies or personal projects.
- Confidence using hand tools and a good understanding of mechanical principles.
- A practical, logical approach to problem-solving.
- A positive, proactive attitude and genuine enthusiasm to learn and develop.
Additional Skills We'd Love to Hear About
- Mechanical linkages, moving mechanisms and assemblies.
- Sheet metal fabrication, welding or machining.
- CNC equipment, milling, turning or workshop machinery.
- SolidWorks or other 3D CAD software.
- Prototyping, testing and design for manufacture.
We offer full in-house training and development.
Your practical mindset, mechanical aptitude and willingness to learn are what matter most.
Please make sure your CV highlights your practical engineering experience.
Other Requirements
- Must have the right to work in the UK without requiring visa sponsorship, now or in the future.
- Due to our site location, a valid UK driving licence and access to your own transport are preferred.
Benefits
Why Join Accora?
Accora designs and develops innovative assistive medical equipment that improves the safety, independence and comfort of people who need additional support due to age, disability or injury.
You'll join a growing, collaborative R&D team where you'll have the opportunity to see your ideas progress from initial concepts through to real, working products.
It's an opportunity to develop your mechanical design, fabrication, prototyping and product development skills while working on products that genuinely make a difference.
What You'll Get
- £28,000 – £38,000 salary depending on experience.
- 25 days' holiday plus public holidays.
- Private medical healthcare cover.
- Interesting engineering projects from concept through to completion.
- Career progression within a growing company that promotes from within.
- A supportive team environment that values your ideas and input.
Ready to Turn Your Ideas Into Reality?