R&D Engineer - Fabrication / Prototype Development

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

Benefits offered by this job

Career progression

Training and development

Holiday allowance

Job summary

Accora in Cambridge is seeking an experienced Fabricator to join its expanding R&D team. This role focuses on building, modifying and developing bespoke prototypes and new products, moving ideas from concept to physical reality.

You will fabricate and assemble components in-house, weld and cut as needed, and work alongside Design and R&D engineers to turn concepts into testable, manufacturable solutions. Apprenticeship-trained fabricators with strong hands-on problem solving in prototype

Qualifications

• Strong fabrication and welding experience.
• Apprenticeship or recognised fabrication/engineering qualification.
• Experience with 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 in prototype development is advantageous.

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

Prototype development

Drawings interpretation

Engineering problem-solving

Education

Apprenticeship or equivalent fabrication qualification

Job description

Job Details

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? Accora is a rapidly growing manufacturer of innovative medical equipment, and we're looking for an experienced Fabricator to join our 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

Working within Accora's R&D team, you'll:

• 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're a Fabricator by trade. We're looking for someone with:

• 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

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.