Mode Labs
NPI Manufacturing Engineer
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Help build the manufacturing capability behind the next generation of opto-chemical sensors.
Mode Labs is developing autonomous opto-chemical sensing systems for remote environmental monitoring. We are looking for a driven, collaborative engineer to help industrialise our first commercial sensor platform and help deliver it into customers' hands.
THE ROLE
As our first NPI Engineer, you will work closely with R&D and engineering colleagues to take evolving designs from prototype through pilot builds and into repeatable, controlled production. You will take ownership of defined manufacturing processes, tooling, documentation, and test activities, while coordinating pilot-build work and supporting the product’s transfer into production.
This is a varied, hands-on role spanning product build and test, process development, tooling, and manufacturing data. You will own defined work packages and play a central part in establishing a safe, repeatable, and scalable production capability.
WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING
NPI and Industrialisation
- Coordinate pilot and pre-production build activities, capturing issues, actions, and learning between build iterations.
- Provide practical design-for-manufacture, design-for-assembly, and design-for-test input across optical, mechanical, electronic, fluidic, and sensing-chemistry interfaces.
- Review designs, bills of materials, specifications, and production documentation with engineering colleagues, identifying manufacturing issues and documentation gaps.
Manufacturing Process and Quality
- Develop, document, and release assembly, inspection, calibration, and end-of-line test processes.
- Design or specify tooling, jigs, fixtures, and test equipment required for repeatable production.
- Establish appropriate process controls, acceptance criteria, traceability, and production records.
- Investigate build and test failures using structured root-cause analysis, implementing effective corrective actions with engineering and quality colleagues.
Suppliers and Delivery
- Work with suppliers and manufacturing partners on process development, component quality, supplier readiness, and manufacturing transfer.
- Support engineering change control, ensuring changes are implemented accurately in production documentation, tooling, inventory, and supplier processes.
- Maintain safe, organized, and appropriate production environments, including cleanliness or contamination controls where required.
- Support the on-time delivery of high-quality products while contributing to a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
During your first 12 months, you will have:
- Developed strong hands-on knowledge of the product's assembly, calibration, and test processes.
- Contributed effectively to pilot and pre-production builds and delivery of finished products.
- Produced and maintained clear work instructions, test procedures, and build records for assigned processes.
- Delivered practical tooling, fixture, or test improvements that improve repeatability and ease of manufacture.
- Helped put traceability and manufacturing data collection into routine use.
- Used build data and structured problem solving to deliver measurable improvements in yield, repeatability, cycle time, or quality.
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ABOUT YOU
You will thrive in a small, passionate team and enjoy turning evolving designs into practical, reliable production processes. You are comfortable moving between hands-on build work, data-led problem solving, technical documentation, and cross-functional collaboration, and you are keen to grow your NPI experience.
You may have an HND, degree, or apprenticeship in a relevant engineering or scientific discipline, or an equivalent path through practical industry experience.
Essential Experience
- Typically two or more years' relevant experience in manufacturing, production engineering, or the build and test of a complex technical product; equivalent apprenticeship or substantial practical experience will be considered.
- Hands-on experience assembling, testing, and troubleshooting complex technical products.
- Experience creating or improving manufacturing processes, work instructions, fixtures, or test methods.
- Experience defining and improving assembly, calibration, inspection, or test processes.
- Experience designing, specifying, or manufacturing tooling, jigs, fixtures, or test equipment.
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and CAD data; familiarity with mechanical CAD tools such as SolidWorks or eDrawings.
- Ability to produce clear work instructions, test procedures, build records, and manufacturing reports.
- Ability to take responsibility for a defined work package, organize priorities, and communicate progress clearly.
- Ability to balance evolving design with the need to finalize production drawings for manufacture.
Desirable Experience
- Exposure to NPI, pilot builds, or the transfer of a multidisciplinary hardware product into controlled production.
- Experience working with suppliers, subcontractors, or contract manufacturing partners.
- Familiarity with engineering change control, non-conformance management, or corrective-action processes.
- Optical systems, fluidic systems, sensor chemistry, or precision-instrument manufacture.
- Electronics or electro-mechanical assemblies, including wiring or soldering to recognized IPC or industry standards.
- Manufacturing quality tools such as PFMEA, control plans, measurement-system analysis, process capability, or design of experiments.
- Willingness to travel if necessary to visit sub-contractors and suppliers throughout the UK and sometimes overseas.
Eligibility: The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate the right to work in the UK.
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WHAT WE OFFER
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Salary: Salary will be dependent on skills and experience. We anticipate:
- £35,000 – £40,000 for applicants with experience working within a technical environment with the essential experience required.
- £40,000 - £45,000 for applicants who bring broader relevant experience.
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Benefits:
- Employee share-option scheme.
- 25 days paid leave plus bank holidays.
- Company pension contributions matched up to 5%.
- Group life & legacy cover.
- Annual discretionary training allowance.
- One paid charity volunteering day per year.
- Travel-to-work loan and cycle-to-work salary sacrifice schemes.
- Flexible working arrangements where practical.
This role is advertised as full-time, although 0.8 FTE will be considered. Flexible or hybrid arrangements may be possible; however, because the role includes hands-on build, test, and production work, regular on-site presence in Oxfordshire will be required.
HOW TO APPLY
Please apply via the application link, submitting your CV and a short statement explaining why you would be a strong fit for the role.
Closing date: Open until filled. Applications will be reviewed as received.
Preferred start: By November 2026.
Interview Process: Shortlisted candidates will complete an initial telephone or video call followed by an in-person interview. The interview may include a short technical exercise or presentation based on relevant previous experience; details will be provided in advance.
Disclaimer: Whilst we will aim to get back to everyone who applies, we are a small company and may not be able to provide feedback to all applicants. We apologize for this inconvenience.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
We are an equal opportunities employer and commit to encouraging equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace whilst creating an environment which promotes dignity and respect for all. We post our job descriptions across a wide range of recruitment platforms to enable us to attract the most diverse range of candidates we possibly can.
ADJUSTMENTS & PROVISIONS
We want our recruitment process to be accessible. If you need a reasonable adjustment at any stage, please contact us and tell us what would help. You do not need to disclose a diagnosis to request an adjustment.
ABOUT MODE LABS
Mode Labs is a customer-driven technology company developing the next generation of autonomous chemical sensing systems for environmental monitoring. Based in Oxford, UK, the company was founded in 2024 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford's Chemistry and Materials departments.
Our vision is to bring chemical understanding outside the laboratory, delivering clear measurement data where it is needed most: precision sensing, anytime, anywhere. Our mission is to protect the environment and human health by monitoring and reporting changes to our ecosystems.
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