Press Brake Technician

Unipart; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days leave

Pension

Life assurance

EAP

Wellbeing support

Cycle to work

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Volunteering days

Job summary

Unipart is hiring a Press Brake Technician on site in the West Midlands to set up, program, inspect, and operate press brakes in line with engineering drawings and quality standards.

You will select tooling, calculate bend allowances, perform first-piece and in-process checks, troubleshoot production issues, and help maintain records while following health and safety procedures every day.

Qualifications

• Technical training in engineering, manufacturing, or metal fabrication.
• Proven experience as a Press Brake Technician, Setter, Programmer, or advanced Press Brake Operator.
• Strong understanding of sheet metal fabrication processes and forming techniques.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and technical specs.
• Competence with precision measuring tools (calipers, micrometers, protractors).
• Good maths, geometry, mechanics, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience programming press brakes (Amada, Trumpf, Bystronic, Accurpress).
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing/5S principles.
• Ability to mentor other operators when required.

Responsibilities

• Set up, program, and operate manual press brake machines safely and efficiently.
• Interpret engineering drawings, CAD drawings, blueprints, and work instructions to produce accurate components.
• Select, install, and align tooling, punches, and dies for each job.
• Calculate bend allowances, bend deductions, and material springback for correct forming.
• Carry out first-piece and in-process inspections using precision measuring tools.
• Troubleshoot machine, tooling, and material issues to minimise downtime and maintain quality.
• Optimise machine settings to improve efficiency, repeatability, and product quality.
• Carry out routine maintenance checks and coordinate repairs where required.
• Maintain accurate production, inspection, and quality records.
• Follow all health and safety, quality, and housekeeping procedures.

Skills

Engineering training

Press brake experience

Sheet metal fabrication

Engineering drawings

Precision measuring

Mathematics

Programming presses

Lean/5S

Mentoring

Job description

On site

Find out more about this role by reading the information below.

Salary £30600 per annum

• 33 days' annual leave (including bank holidays)
• pension, life assurance, Employee Assistance Programme, wellbeing support, and a flexible benefits package including a cycle to work scheme, health and dental insurance and two paid volunteering days per year

Purpose

The Press Brake Technician is responsible for setting up, programming, operating, and troubleshooting press brake machines to fabricate metal parts in line with engineering drawings, work instructions, and quality standards.

About The Role

• Set up, program, and operate manual press brake machines safely and efficiently.
• Interpret engineering drawings, CAD drawings, blueprints, and work instructions to produce accurate components.
• Select, install, and align appropriate tooling, punches, and dies for each job.
• Calculate bend allowances, bend deductions, and material springback to ensure correct forming.
• Carry out first-piece and in-process inspections using precision measuring tools.
• Troubleshoot machine, tooling, and material issues to minimise downtime and maintain quality.
• Optimise machine settings to improve efficiency, repeatability, and product quality.
• Carry out routine maintenance checks and coordinate repairs where required.
• Maintain accurate production, inspection, and quality records.
• Follow all health and safety, quality, and housekeeping procedures at all times.

About You

• Technical training in engineering, manufacturing, or metal fabrication.
• Proven experience as a Press Brake Technician, Setter, Programmer, or advanced Press Brake Operator.
• Strong understanding of sheet metal fabrication processes and forming techniques.
• Ability to read and interpret complex engineering drawings and technical specifications.
• Competence using precision measuring tools, including calipers, micrometers, and protractors.
• Good practical skills in maths, geometry, mechanics, and problem-solving.

Preferred Skills

• Experience programming press brake machines such as Amada, Trumpf, Bystronic, Accurpress, or similar.
• Experience working with a range of materials, including steel, aluminium, and stainless steel.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or 5S principles.
• Ability to support, train, or mentor other operators when required.

About Unipart

We are a supply chain performance improvement partner. We Design, Make, Move, and Improve components in our customers’ supply chains, keeping their operations and assets moving and working better, for longer. Through our commitment to continuously driving operational efficiencies, we improve performance - saving time, cost, and carbon. Our ambition is to be the driving force behind efficient, resilient, and sustainable supply chains.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We believe that a great workplace is one where you can bring your whole self to work. Our recruitment process is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and based entirely on merit. We define merit through a combination of technical skills and the core behaviours that help our people thrive at Unipart. We welcome applications from everyone, regardless of background or circumstances. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity that exceeds our statutory obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and subsequent legislation. Whether it’s your age, disability, neurodiversity, gender identity, family status, or any other characteristic that makes you ‘you’ - it is your talent and potential that we value most. Adjustments for you: We want you to perform at your best. If you require any reasonable adjustments or have specific accessibility needs at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know. We are here to support you.

You may have experience of the following: Press Brake Setter, Press Brake Operator, Press Brake Programmer, CNC Press Brake Operator, Press Brake Setter/Operator, Sheet Metal Fabricator, Metal Forming Technician, Sheet Metal Setter/Operator, CNC Sheet Metal Operator, Fabrication Technician