Senior Electronics Technician

SPT Labtech; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Generous pension plan

Annual discretionary bonus

Job summary

SPT Labtech in Melbourn near Cambridge is seeking a Senior Electronics Technician to support R&D development. This hands-on, on-site role focuses on prototyping, testing and debugging across new instrument platforms and production-ready builds.

You will work within multidisciplinary teams spanning electronics, software and mechanical engineering, providing mentorship and guidance while delivering high-quality builds and documentation.

Qualifications

• Excellent hands-on electronics skills including soldering (through-hole and SMD) and prototyping.
• Experience with cable/loom fabrication and build of prototypes or evaluation systems.
• Strong knowledge of test equipment and structured debugging/fault-finding methods.
• Experience working with embedded systems in an R&D or product development context.
• Ability to read schematics and chase faults to root cause; work with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Build, rework and repair prototype systems and evaluation builds with high workmanship standards.
• Use oscilloscopes, multimeters, bench power supplies, logic analysers and other equipment to verify designs and diagnose faults.
• Support embedded systems bring-up, integration and test alongside software and design engineers.
• Produce and maintain clear technical documentation and test records.
• Provide feedback to design engineers on testability, manufacturability, and component selection.
• Coach junior technicians and apprentices in day-to-day build and test work.
• Maintain and calibrate lab test equipment for ongoing test and evaluation work.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of engineering processes and tooling.

Skills

Soldering & prototyping

Cable/loom fabrication

Test equipment knowledge

Embedded systems experience

Reading schematics

Communication

R&D electronics experience

Independent worker

Education

HNC/HND or NVQ Level 3 in electronics

Tools

Altium

Job description

SPT Labtech is looking for a Senior Electronics Technician to support development work within our R&D group at Melbourn, near Cambridge. This is a hands‑on bench role at the heart of new product development: soldering, wiring and loom fabrication, building and reworking prototypes, and supporting test and debug as designs mature. You'll be the go‑to Electronics Technician for our development engineers, trusted to work independently, take ownership of complex builds, and deliver work of consistently high quality that designs can be judged against. If you take real pride in your workmanship and want to see your builds become production instruments, this could be the role for you.

About us:

Based in Cambridge,SPT Labtechmakes products that transform the way scientists work. For decades, our expert scientists, engineers and business innovators have provided scientists with world‑leading, innovative solutions for liquid handling, sample preparation, and sample management that help accelerate research and make a real difference to human health. We work collaboratively with our customers, building trusted relationships that enable us to deliver exceptional, personalised experiences designed for real‑world challenges in the lab.

Want to be part of a team that's truly making a difference?

Description

This is a hands‑on, on‑site role, providing prototyping, test and debug support across new product development and existing instrument platforms. The successful candidate will act as an integral member of multidisciplinary teams spanning electronics, software and mechanical engineering, building, testing and troubleshooting precision laboratory instrumentation from prototype through to production. As a senior technician within the team, the successful candidate will be expected to exemplify best practice in their own work and to provide technical guidance and mentorship to less experienced colleagues.

What you will be doing

• Building, reworking and repairing prototype systems and evaluation builds, including cable and wiring harness fabrication, to a high standard of workmanship.
• Using test and measurement equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, bench power supplies, logic analysers, and similar) to verify designs, diagnose faults and support root‑cause investigations.
• Supporting embedded systems bring‑up, integration and test alongside software and design engineers.
• Producing and maintaining clear technical documentation and test records.
• Feeding back to design engineers on testability, manufacturability and component selection.
• Coaching junior technicians and apprentices in day‑to‑day build and test work.
• Maintaining and calibrating lab test equipment to support ongoing test and evaluation work.
• Contributing to continuous improvement of engineering processes, tooling, and ESD/safety practice.

About you:

You'll be a meticulous, hands‑on technician with the technical breadth and curiosity to work fluently across a design, from schematic through to a working prototype. You don't need to be a design engineer, but you should be comfortable reading a schematic, chasing a fault to its root cause, or challenging a design choice that makes the hardware harder to build or test than it needs to be. What matters is genuine practical depth combined with the care and precision to get it right first time.

• Excellent hands‑on electronics skills: soldering (through‑hole and SMD), prototyping, and cable/loom fabrication.
• Good knowledge of test equipment and structured debugging / fault‑finding methods.
• Experience working with embedded systems.
• Good knowledge of electronics fundamentals (analogue and digital).
• Substantial, proven experience in an R&D or product development electronics role, with the depth to work independently and take ownership of complex builds.
• Relevant qualification (e.g. HNC/HND, NVQ Level 3, or equivalent) in electronics/electrical engineering, or equivalent hands‑on experience.
• Clear and effective communicator, able to work closely with design engineers and cross‑functional teams.

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience with scientific instrumentation or laboratory automation products.
• Working knowledge of product safety standards such as IEC 61010.
• Experience with system‑level test, debug and setup on complete instruments.
• Knowledge of schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as Altium.
• Electrical knowledge and experience, e.g. mains‑voltage wiring and safety.

Our commitment to you

We offer a competitive salary package and comprehensive, valued benefits, including private medical insurance, a generous pension plan, and an annual discretionary bonus.

We embrace diversity and inclusivity, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability, or family status. We prioritise supporting our employees' diverse needs as we strive for excellence together.