Junior Applications Engineer

SF Recruitment; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering recruitment firm is seeking a motivated Junior Applications Engineer in East Midlands, UK. This role involves developing laser cutting applications, providing customer support, and commissioning machines in the factory. Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and up to 2 years of relevant experience. The position combines technical challenges with customer interactions and offers a unique opportunity to grow expertise in laser systems.

Qualifications

• 0 to 2 years of relevant engineering experience.
• Strong problem-solving aptitude.
• Enthusiasm for learning new systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop and improve laser cutting applications.
• Provide phone-based customer support.
• Commission new machines in the factory.

Skills

Problem-solving aptitude

Customer communication skills

Quick learning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Electrotechnical Engineering

Job description

Junior Applications Engineer
£30,000 - £35,000
Sandiacre

Role Overview

We are seeking a motivated engineer with an electrical / electromechanical engineering degree and up to 2 years' experience to join our team as a Laser Service & Applications Engineer. In this role you will split your time between:

• Developing and improving laser cutting applications
• Answering customer service calls and diagnosing problems remotely
• Working in our factory to commission new laser machines and support production and process development
• Gaining deep product knowledge across legacy and modern laser systems and helping advance our product line
• Occasionally visiting customer sites to repair, maintain and commission laser machines

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for developing and improving laser cutting applications
• Provide phone‑based customer support: receive service calls, diagnose issues, guide customers, and determine when a field visit is required
• When required, travel to customer sites to conduct on‑site repairs, maintenance, upgrades and commissioning of laser equipment
• Commission new machines in the factory: setup, calibration, acceptance testing, handover to production
• Learn and document the differences between legacy laser systems and new‑generation machines, their physical design, control systems and maintenance regimes
• Collaborate with production and manufacturing teams to support process development for both current and future product lines
• Actively contribute to product advancement through feedback, testing and continuous improvement initiatives
• Interface with customers to understand their application needs and provide technical support and advice
• Assist in developing installation, operation and maintenance procedures and technical documentation
• Work with cross‑functional teams (engineering, manufacturing, service, sales) to drive continuous improvement of service offerings and product usability

Required Qualifications & Traits

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Electrotechnical Engineering (or equivalent)
• 0 to 2 years of relevant engineering experience
• Strong problem‑solving aptitude: you genuinely enjoy fixing things as a hobby, tinkering, taking machines apart and understanding them
• Quick learner who enjoys solving problems and diving into machine systems
• Comfortable speaking with customers: good interpersonal and communication skills, able to explain technical issues in an understandable way
• Willingness to travel to customer sites and work in production environments
• Enthusiasm for learning both the physical/mechanical side and the electrical / PLC side of laser systems

Desired Traits

• Proactive, curious and hands‑on: you not only fix things in your free time, but you also want to be an "engineer" outside work too
• Customer-friendly: you enjoy engaging with customers to understand their issues and help them resolve problems
• Process‑oriented mindset: you see opportunities to improve how machines are commissioned, maintained, or upgraded
• A committed team player who works well across functions and shares knowledge

Why Join Us?

You will join a team where the service function is evolving and a strong product‑knowledge engineer is needed. You will build deep expertise across a range of laser systems, from older machines in the field to the latest generation models in the factory. The mix of customer‑facing service support, on‑site field work and production commissioning gives you a varied and challenging role-ideal for someone who loves machines and solving things.