ZPM Launchpad

Zero Point Motion; Bristol; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Relocation support

Fast-track development and mentorship

Access to company benefits

Private Health Insurance

Office snacks

Pension

Job summary

An innovative technology company is offering the ZPM Launchpad, a three-month program for graduates and early career engineers in Bristol, UK. Participants will gain deep technical knowledge in photonics, MEMS, and electronics while developing practical skills hands-on. Graduates who complete the program will be considered for permanent positions with opportunities for growth. The program emphasizes mentorship, competitive salaries, and company ownership options, aimed at fostering talent in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Strong mathematical and physical foundations.
• Fluency in coding, particularly with shared projects.
• Ability to solve practical engineering problems.
• Willingness to operate in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Capability to enhance design beyond satisfactory outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Develop design skills in photonics and MEMS.
• Learn hands-on fabrication, assembly, and testing.
• Engage in startup operations to create viable products.

Skills

Strong in maths and physics

Fluent in coding & automation

Practical problem-solving

Curiosity and eagerness to learn

Fluency in written and verbal English

Education

Recent graduate or early career professional

Tools

3D printers

Precision tools

Job description

ZPM Launchpad Where graduates and early career engineers build the next silicon era

Light. Motion. Perception. Every revolution in technology starts with a new way to feel the world. Transistors let silicon compute. Now, we’re teaching it to sense – with light. At Zero Point Motion, we use light instead of electrons to measure motion with extraordinary precision - creating chips that will replace those inside today’s cars and phones and power tomorrow’s autonomous robots, smart glasses, and intelligent homes.

By fusing photonics and MEMS on a silicon chip, we’re building a new class of sensor that operates at the speed and accuracy of light.

ZPM Launchpad is a three-month programme for technical graduates, early-career engineers, and candidates with 2-3 years of experience transitioning from a different domain.

Our work sits at the intersection of cutting‑edge technology and an early‑stage startup environment. Because of this, we’ve created Launchpad to support engineers in building context, depth, and impact quickly.

Launchpad has two routes depending on prior experience:

• ZPM Launchpad - Graduate
• ZPM Launchpad - Residency

While the routes differ, both are designed around a common goal: enabling participants to deliver impactful work at ZPM’s pace within a short period of time. Rather than aiming for broad exposure across all disciplines, Launchpad focuses on helping participants develop meaningful depth in a specific technical area, while gaining sufficient context across our core technologies - photonics, MEMS, electronics, process, and lab - and how we work as a technical team.

Candidates who successfully complete Launchpad will be considered for a permanent, full‑time role at the end of the programme with significant opportunity for growth.

What you’ll learn

Deep understanding of our core technologies and teams:

• Photonics: Design and simulate light‑guiding circuits on silicon
• MEMS: Model and engineer miniature mechanical structures that move in response to forces
• Electronics: Master circuit design, signal processing, and integration with photonic and MEMS devices
• Process and lab: Work hands‑on with fabrication, assembly, and testing. Learn the precision processes that bring devices from wafer to system
• Start‑up operations: Learn how deep‑tech ideas become real products and what it takes to build a company from scratch

We’re looking for graduates and who:

• Are strong in maths and physics, and see equations as tools for shaping reality
• Are fluent in coding & automation – bonus points if you have a personal GitHub, build log or hands‑on lab builders
• Are practical problem‑solvers who love 3D printers, precision tools, and elegant hardware
• Are curious, practical, and want to learn fast in a start‑up environment
• Care deeply about design and have the instinct to fix what’s merely “good enough”
• Are fluent in written and verbal English

You bring the energy and the drive to learn. We’ll provide the understanding, tools, and environment to make real impact in one of the most exciting areas of technology today.

Why Join ZPM

• Competitive salary and relocation support
• Fast‑track development and mentorship
• Ownership in the company you help build - you’ll get company options
• Access to company benefits and perks – Private Health Insurance, office snacks, pension etc

PMI and company options available once you successfully complete the programme.

Programme Details

• Duration: 3 months (full‑time initial contract, with transition to permanent on successful completion)
• Cohort size: 2–4
• Location: Bristol, UK
• Applications close: Ongoing applications with fast track options, as well as start dates at various periods of the year
• Application process:
  • Submit your CV and a short portfolio which demonstrates relevant projects or experience
  • 30 min call with the CEO
  • Tech challenge and onsite (fast track) or Assessment day