Development Technician Apprenticeship

J C Bamford Excavators Ltd; Foston; On-site; GBP 16,000 - 19,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading machinery manufacturer in the UK is offering a Quality Technician Apprenticeship. This role involves testing engines, maintaining product reliability, and supporting design development. Ideal candidates should have at least four GCSEs, including Maths and English. The apprenticeship provides hands-on experience, career development, and benefits like 33 days of holiday, access to medical schemes, and an onsite gym.

Benefits

33 days' holiday

Stakeholder pension scheme

Private medical scheme with Bupa

Access to onsite gym

In-house doctor and dentist

JCB Rewards Hub

Cycle to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Minimum of four GCSEs including Maths, English, and a relevant scientific/technical subject at C/4 or above.
• Hands-on approach to understanding and solving complex problems.

Responsibilities

• Testing engines using state-of-the-art test beds.
• Maintaining product accuracy and reliability.
• Supporting development of product designs.
• Commissioning and operating test rigs.
• Documenting test data to support engineers.
• Identifying trends in test data.
• Ensuring safety in the test facility.
• Liaising with internal and external teams.

Skills

Problem-solving

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Education

Four GCSEs including Maths, English, and a relevant scientific/technical subject

Job description

Start Date -

September 2026, typically for 36 months

Starting Salary -

Circa £16,000

Minimum Entry Criteria -

You’ll need at least four GCSEs or equivalent, including Maths, English and a relevant scientific/technical subject at C/4 or above.

Unfortuantly, JCB is unable to offer visa sponsorship or immigration support for its Early Careers Schemes, either now or in the future. This includes individuals currently on sponsored visas.

This will be suited to you if…

You’re looking for a hands‑on role where you can understand complex problems and how to fix them to make sure the machines, we get out to our customers are of the World‑class standard we would expect.

What does a Quality Technician Apprenticeship Scheme involve day to day?

• Testing engines using state‑of‑the‑art test beds and emissions equipment.
• Maintaining JCB products and emissions equipment to ensure accuracy and reliability.
• Supporting the development of new and existing product designs.
• Commissioning, building, and operating test rigs.
• Collecting and documenting accurate test and development data to support engineers.
• Observing test activities and identifying trends or phenomena that may not be obvious in raw data.
• Ensuring safety for yourself, colleagues, and all equipment in the test facility.
• Liaising with internal and external departments during projects.
• Performing servicing, calibration, and checks to keep instrumentation ready for precise data collection.
• Sharing learning and supporting colleagues, including monitoring unattended test cells.

What comes next?

1. We’ll be reviewing applications against the essential criteria then shortlisting and sending out links to our online assessments in November 2025 - January 2026 (we’d recommend you keep a look out for emails at this point as you’ll hear from us either way).
2. Once you’ve fully completed your online assessment, we’ll review it and provide you with an update within a few weeks. Please note, if you’ve not completed your online assessment then we won’t take your application further (we’ll send you a few reminders to make sure you don’t forget). If you've been progressed, you’ll be sent an invite to attend one of our in‑person Assessment Centres.
3. In‑person Assessment Centres will take place from January to April 2026 (we’ll send you all the details you need).
4. Following your Assessment Centre, whether you’ve been successful or not, our promise to you is that you’ll receive a call with feedback.
5. If successful, congratulations! We’ll now take you through the onboarding process, which will include a familiarisation day.
6. Welcome to JCB – our Early Careers cohorts ordinarily start in early September.

What’s in it for you?

This is your chance to join a company that’s not only picking up awards for its Early Careers schemes but also opens up opportunities for the long term. On a JCB Early Careers Scheme you’ll join a company that’s known for developing its people, and somewhere that offers a career for life. As standard, you’ll get 33 days’ holiday, and access to our stakeholder pension scheme, you can also opt into our Private Medical scheme with Bupa. Not only that, but you’ll also benefit from access to our onsite gym, in‑house doctor and dentist. There’s also a JCB Rewards Hub, which gives you discounts at many high street fashion and food retailers. And if you feel like biking to work? There’s our Cycle to Work Scheme. As part of your scheme, you’ll be involved in a professional outdoor development programme in the Lake District. We also encourage our cohorts to network and get involved in our “NextGen” society.

We value diversity and welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We’re committed to ensuring our recruitment process is fair and inclusive. If you face any accessibility challenges with your online application and require additional support, you have the option of speaking to a member of our Resourcing team who can support you to complete an application in an alternative format. If you would benefit from this support, please email [e-mail], and a member of the team will be in touch.