Hands-On Mechanical Engineer - Hydraulics for Heat Pumps

Octopus Energy; Slough; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 101,000; Full time

Job summary

Octopus Energy's R&D team in Slough is developing the next generation of heat pump systems and hydraulic products that surround them. We're looking for a hands-on R&D Engineer to join the team on a full time basis to help design, build, test and iterate hardware that works alongside heat pumps.

This is a practical, workshop-floor role as much as a design one. You won't just specify components - you'll be plumbing rigs, commissioning systems, instrumenting test loops and getting real data out

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering (or a closely related discipline).
• Minimum 5 years' relevant experience in an R&D, product development or test environment.
• Demonstrable heat pump knowledge and understanding of hydraulic systems (flow, temp, ΔT, modulation).
• Strong hands-on experience building, plumbing, commissioning and fault-finding systems.
• Experience working with hydraulic systems: pumps, valves, heat exchangers, tanks, pipework.
• CAD proficiency for designing rig components and prototype parts.
• Able to work independently on-site in Slough in a fast-paced R&D environment.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and commission hydraulic test rigs and prototype products that integrate with heat pumps.
• Carry out hands-on assembly and plumbing of water-side and refrigerant-adjacent systems - pipework, fittings, pumps, valves, sensors and controls.
• Instrument rigs with temperature, flow and pressure measurement, and run structured test campaigns to characterise both systems and components performance.
• Diagnose and troubleshoot hydraulic, thermal and mechanical issues on live systems, and feed findings back into the design.
• Work closely with the wider R&D team to iterate designs quickly, balancing performance, cost, manufacturability and serviceability.
• Produce clear documentation: test plans, build instructions, results write-ups and design records.

Skills

Heat pump knowledge

Hands-on engineering

Hydraulic systems

CAD proficiency

On-site work

Instrumentation & test data

Education

Mechanical Engineering degree

Job description

Octopus Energy's R&D team in Slough is developing the next generation of heat pump systems and hydraulic products that surround them. We're looking for a hands-on R&D Engineer to join the team on a full time basis to help design, build, test and iterate hardware that works alongside heat pumps.

This is a practical, workshop-floor role as much as a design one. You won't just specify components - you'll be plumbing rigs, commissioning systems, instrumenting test loops and getting real data out