Operator / Machinist

Ganymede Solutions; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Sick pay

Generous and flexible leave

Salary sacrifice benefits

Training and development opportunities

Job summary

Ganymede Solutions in Ipswich is seeking an Operator / Machinist to join our rail engineering team. You will operate and maintain wheel lathe machinery, machining locomotive and wagon wheelsets, with full training provided.

This permanent role offers a 3 on, 3 off rotation, 12-hour day and night shifts, a competitive salary of £43,187 including shift allowance, pension, sick pay, and long-term career progression into supervisor roles.

Qualifications

• Hands-on machining experience with lathes, CNC, or mechanical fitting.
• No wheel lathe experience required; full training provided.
• Safety-conscious with a willingness to learn the specialist process.

Responsibilities

• Operate specialist wheel lathe machinery.
• Machining locomotive and wagon wheelsets.
• Carrying out mechanical fitting and machining activities.
• Maintain equipment and ensure work is completed safely and to the required standard.
• Work as part of a small, hands-on engineering team.
• Complete internal and external industry training.
• Develop skills to operate the wheel lathe independently.

Skills

Machining operations

CNC machining

Lathe operation

Mechanical fitting

Tool setting

Safety conscious

Willingness to learn

Tools

Wheel lathe equipment

Job description

Operator / Machinist

Ipswich | £43,187 including shift allowance | 3 on, 3 off | Permanent

Looking to put your machining skills into a specialist engineering role?

If you have hands‑on experience with machining, lathes, CNC or mechanical fitting and you’re looking for a stable permanent position where you can develop specialist skills, this could be an excellent opportunity to build a long‑term career within the rail engineering sector.

You’ll join an established engineering team at a busy rail maintenance depot, operating and maintaining specialist wheel lathe equipment used to machine locomotive and wagon wheelsets.

You don’t need previous wheel lathe experience. Full training will be provided, giving you the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge and become fully competent to operate the equipment independently.

The role

You’ll be responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of specialist wheel lathe machinery, machining and maintaining wheelsets used across a fleet of locomotives and wagons.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Operating specialist wheel lathe machinery
• Machining locomotive and wagon wheelsets
• Carrying out mechanical fitting and machining activities
• Maintaining equipment and ensuring work is completed safely and to the required standard
• Working as part of a small, hands‑on engineering team
• Completing internal and external industry training
• Developing your skills to become fully competent to operate the wheel lathe independently

What we’re looking for

You don’t necessarily need previous wheel lathe experience. If you’ve worked in a hands‑on machining, mechanical fitting or heavy machine operating environment, your existing skills could transfer well into this position.

Relevant experience could include:

• CNC machining
• Lathe operation
• Mechanical fitting
• Tool setting
• Heavy machinery or machine operation

More important than having direct wheel lathe experience is having good hands‑on engineering skills, a strong safety attitude and the willingness to learn a specialist machining process.

What you’ll get

• £43,187 salary including shift allowance
• 3 days on / 3 days off shift pattern
• Rotating 12-hour day and night shifts
• £1,000-£1,500 module bonuses available per module, usually from around 6 months
• Full industry and depot safety training
• Further development and progression opportunities
• Potential progression into Loco Fitter or Wheel Lathe Supervisor positions
• Pension scheme
• Sick pay
• Generous and flexible leave arrangements
• Access to a range of salary sacrifice benefits

A role you can build a career around

This is a permanent position for someone who is looking for stability and wants to develop their skills over the long term.

You’ll be joining a practical engineering environment where you’ll have the opportunity to learn a specialist skillset that isn’t readily available in every machining role.

The role does involve working a 3 on / 3 off 24/7 shift pattern, including both days and nights, so it’s important that this works for you before applying.

Interested?

If you’re a Machinist, CNC Operator, Lathe Operator, Mechanical Fitter or experienced Machine Operator and you’re interested in developing specialist skills within the rail engineering sector, we’d like to hear from you.

You don’t need previous wheel lathe experience. Your existing machining or mechanical experience could be the starting point for your next career move.