Scientific Instrument Engineer

Fera Science Ltd.; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Flexible hours

On-site gym

Restaurant on-site

Free parking

Pension & life assurance

Volunteer day

LTIP

Job summary

Fera Science Ltd. is seeking a Scientific Instrument Engineer in York to provide expert troubleshooting, maintenance, and qualification support for LC-MS, GC-MS and IC-MS systems, ensuring maximum uptime and data integrity across our laboratories.

You will work with scientists and external service engineers to coordinate repairs, drive improvements, and ensure compliance with quality standards in a regulated environment. Strong experience in Waters, Agilent and Thermo platforms is essential.

Qualifications

• A BSc (or equivalent experience) in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biomedical Science, Engineering, or a related scientific/technical discipline.
• A strong understanding of chromatography and mass spectrometry principles, with the ability to diagnose complex technical issues and implement effective solutions.
• Proven experience troubleshooting, maintaining, and repairing LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, IC-MS/MS and similar instrumentation, specifically Waters, Agilent and Thermo platforms.
• The ability to build strong working relationships and communicate effectively with scientists, operational teams, quality professionals, and external suppliers.
• A proactive mindset, with a passion for innovation and identifying opportunities to improve processes, instrumentation performance, and service delivery.
• Experience working within a laboratory or scientific environment, with an understanding of quality standards, compliance requirements, and data integrity principles.

Responsibilities

• Providing expert troubleshooting, maintenance, repair, and qualification support for LC-MS, GC-MS and IC-MS instrumentation, ensuring maximum uptime and performance across our laboratories.
• Diagnosing complex technical issues and implementing effective solutions to minimise disruption to scientific activities and customer delivery.
• Working closely with scientists, laboratory teams, quality colleagues, and external service engineers to coordinate repairs, maintenance activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Supporting instrument compliance, data integrity, and adherence to quality standards within a regulated scientific environment.
• Identifying opportunities to improve processes, enhance instrument performance, and introduce innovative technical solutions that deliver operational efficiencies.
• Developing business cases and contributing to proposals for new equipment, technologies, and laboratory improvement projects.
• Providing technical guidance, training and mentoring to colleagues, helping to build capability and promote scientific excellence across the organisation.
• Acting as a subject matter expert for chromatography and mass spectrometry instrumentation, supporting the successful delivery of analytical services to internal and external customers.

Skills

LC-MS

GC-MS

IC-MS

Mass spectrometry

Instrument maintenance

Troubleshooting

Quality & compliance

Education

BSc in Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry/Engineering

Tools

Waters platforms

Agilent platforms

Thermo platforms

Job description

Join us as a Scientific Instrument Engineer and make an invaluable contribution to our Food Safety & Biosecurity!

As an instrument engineer you will be providing expert troubleshooting, maintenance, repair, and qualification support for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and ion chromatography-mass spectrometry (IC-MS) systems, along with other similar instrumentation. Ensuring maximum instrument uptime, data integrity, and compliance with relevant quality and regulatory standards through primarily Waters, Agilent and Thermo products.

What you’ll be doing:

• Providing expert troubleshooting, maintenance, repair, and qualification support for LC-MS, GC-MS and IC-MS instrumentation, ensuring maximum uptime and performance across our laboratories.
• Diagnosing complex technical issues and implementing effective solutions to minimise disruption to scientific activities and customer delivery.
• Working closely with scientists, laboratory teams, quality colleagues, and external service engineers to coordinate repairs, maintenance activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Supporting instrument compliance, data integrity, and adherence to quality standards within a regulated scientific environment.
• Identifying opportunities to improve processes, enhance instrument performance, and introduce innovative technical solutions that deliver operational efficiencies.
• Developing business cases and contributing to proposals for new equipment, technologies, and laboratory improvement projects.
• Providing technical guidance, training and mentoring to colleagues, helping to build capability and promote scientific excellence across the organisation.
• Acting as a subject matter expert for chromatography and mass spectrometry instrumentation, supporting the successful delivery of analytical services to internal and external customers.

What we’re looking for:

• A BSc (or equivalent experience) in Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biomedical Science, Engineering, or a related scientific/technical discipline.
• A strong understanding of chromatography and mass spectrometry principles, with the ability to diagnose complex technical issues and implement effective solutions.
• Proven experience troubleshooting, maintaining, and repairing LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, IC-MS/MS and similar instrumentation, specifically Waters, Agilent and Thermo platforms.
• The ability to build strong working relationships and communicate effectively with scientists, operational teams, quality professionals, and external suppliers.
• A proactive mindset, with a passion for innovation and identifying opportunities to improve processes, instrumentation performance, and service delivery.
• Experience working within a laboratory or scientific environment, with an understanding of quality standards, compliance requirements, and data integrity principles.

What’s in it for you?

• 25 days’ holiday (rising to 29) with the opportunity to buy & sell extra leave.
• Flexible working hours, on-site gym, restaurant, free parking and a discounted on-site nursery.
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice
• Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks’ fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks…and plenty more.
• Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle - from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology
• Fera operates a LTIP ( Long Term Incentive Plan) under which all employees are awarded points towards shares in the Employee Benefits Trust on an annual basis. The Employee Benefits Trust holds shares on behalf of our employee, at the point of an equity event the shares will realise a cash value.

We’re an equal opportunity employer, which means we recruit and develop people based on their merit and passion. We’re committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format or if you’d like to discuss other changes or support you might need going forward, please email at [e-mail] and we’ll get back to you.