R&D Engineer - Fabrication

Coates Recruitment; Orwell; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent long-term career progression

Opportunity to develop further into R&

Extensive training and development

Job summary

Accora in Orwell, Cambridge is seeking an experienced Fabricator turned into an R&D Engineer to fabricate bespoke prototypes and develop new products. You will weld, cut, form, modify and assemble components in-house, turning early-stage concepts into tangible hardware.

Collaborating with Design and R&D engineers, you will iterate prototypes through testing, improve performance, and support products through development toward manufacture in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Fabrication and welding experience required.
• Apprenticeship or equivalent qualification preferred.
• Experience with prototype development advantageous.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings.

Responsibilities

• Fabricate and build bespoke prototypes and new product concepts.
• Weld, cut, form, modify and assemble components in-house.
• Work alongside Design and R&D Engineers to turn concepts into physical products.
• Modify and improve prototypes through testing and development.
• Solve practical engineering problems in a fast-moving project environment.
• Support products through development towards manufacture.

Skills

Fabrication

Welding

Reading drawings

Problem solving

Education

Apprenticeship or engineering qualification

Job description

Role: R&D Engineer - Fabrication / Prototype Development
Location: Orwell, Cambridge
Salary: circa. £40,000 - £55,000 depending on experience

Fabricator by trade? Want to move into R&D and product development?

Coates Recruitment is working with Accora, a rapidly growing manufacturer of innovative medical equipment, to recruit an experienced Fabricator into their expanding R&D team.

This is not a traditional production fabrication role.

We need someone who is a Fabricator by trade, ideally apprentice trained, who can bring strong hands‑on fabrication skills into a fast‑paced R&D environment, building, modifying and developing bespoke prototypes and new products.

If you enjoy working from an idea or early‑stage design and actually building, testing and improving it, this could be a brilliant next step.

The Role

• Fabricate and build bespoke prototypes and new product concepts
• Weld, cut, form, modify and assemble components in‑house
• Work alongside Design and R&D Engineers to turn concepts into physical products
• Modify and improve prototypes through testing and development
• Solve practical engineering problems in a fast‑moving project environment
• Support products through development towards manufacture

The Person

You must be a Fabricator by trade.

• Strong fabrication and welding experience
• Ideally an apprenticeship or recognised fabrication/engineering qualification
• Experience working on bespoke, one‑off or low‑volume products
• Ability to work from engineering drawings and turn designs into finished builds
• Strong practical problem‑solving skills
• Experience within prototype development or product development would be a major advantage

We're looking for the person who knows how to make things, modify things and solve problems practically.

What's On Offer

• Circa. £40,000 - £55,000 depending on experience
• Excellent long‑term career progression
• Opportunity to develop further into R&D and product development
• Extensive training and development
• Good holiday allowance + public holidays
• Join a growing, well‑invested R&D team
• Work on innovative products that genuinely improve people's lives

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Fabricator who wants to take their trade skills beyond traditional production work and become a key part of a genuine R&D and new product development environment.