Engineer - Time Scale

National Physical Laboratory (NPL); Teddington; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is seeking a Time Scale Engineer to join the Time & Frequency department in the United Kingdom. This role supports a landmark national timing initiative funded to strengthen critical digital infrastructure and trusted timekeeping for essential services.

You will work on calibration, measurements, and hardware lifecycle support, helping to maintain a secure and robust time distribution system that underpins telecommunications, online services, and transport

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or Science or equivalent experience.
• Rigorous problem-solving approach and ability to develop solutions.
• Good task management with ability to shift priorities.

Responsibilities

• Build domain knowledge to support cross-functional teams.
• Perform calibration and measurement activities in laboratories.
• Support through-life management of hardware assets; including equipment procurement.
• Contribute to engineering artefacts (compliance reports, obsolescence planning).
• Test & integration of new equipment (e.g., time interval counters).
• Maintain accurate records and information management.
• Ad-hoc data processing/analysis to review time scale performance.

Skills

Engineering degree

Problem solving

Task management

Education

Engineering or Science degree

Job description

Ourworld-leading Time & Frequency department seek a Time Scale Engineer.

About the Role

This is an exceptional opportunity to join the global authority in precision timing at a defining moment for UK digital infrastructure.

Backed by a government investment of £180 million in the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme, we are developing a world-first resilient time distribution capability that will provide industry with a robust complement to satellite systems (such as GPS) – which are increasingly vulnerable to disruption from solar storms, jamming and spoofing. This will underpin essential services, including

• Telecommunications
• Online banking
• Emergency response
• Transport networks
• Wider digital and data-driven operations

Together, these services form the backbone of modern society - and you will help ensure they remain secure, reliable and robust even if global navigation satellite systems fail.

Key responsibilities

• Building domain-specific knowledge to support cross-functional teams
• Performing calibration and measurement activities in our laboratories
• Supporting through-life management of hardware assets; including
• Specifying and procuring equipment
• Contributing to engineering artefacts (e.g., compiling compliance reports or supporting obsolescence planning)
• Testing & integration of new equipment (e.g., time interval counters)
• Maintaining accurate records and contributing to information management
• Ad-hoc data processing / analysis to review the performance of the time scale and constituent components.

About You

Reporting to a Senior Engineer, you’ll enjoy a central role in the design and implementation of critical infrastructure that will underpin the future of timekeeping for the UK.

Essential skills

• A degree in a relevant field of Engineering or Science (or equivalent experience)
• A rigorous approach to problem solving and the ability to develop solutions to difficult problems
• Good task management with the ability to shift focus based on changing priorities

Advantageous

• Experience in Time Scales, Atomic Clocks, or Time and Frequency measurement
• Experience working in engineering or research and development environments
• Experience working in a laboratory setting
• Scripting (e.g., using Python or Bash)

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance. However, to work in this role in the Time & Frequency department, you will need to have an SC clearance with no restrictions, or you must have the ability to obtain an SC clearance.

About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.