Specialist Plant Mechanic – Vacuum Excavators
Location: Boston, PE22 (Workshop & Mobile Role)
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: Minimum earnings of approximately £50,000 per year
About the Role
Vac-Con Ltd is the UK’s largest independent vacuum excavator service provider, supporting major utility, civil engineering and plant hire companies across the UK. Due to continued growth, we are looking to recruit an experienced mechanic or engineer to join our team at our Boston headquarters and retrain as a Vacuum Excavator Service Technician.
This is a permanent, full-time position offering structured, hands-on training in a highly specialised area of plant engineering. Whether your background is in plant, HGV, agricultural, military or general mechanical engineering, we’ll provide the training needed to become an expert in vacuum excavation equipment.
During your first 8 weeks, you’ll be based at our Butterwick headquarters, working alongside experienced engineers to learn our servicing standards, diagnostic procedures and vacuum excavator systems. Once fully trained, you’ll work both from our Boston workshop and as a mobile service engineer, attending customer sites across the UK in a fully equipped company service van.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to develop specialist skills, earn excellent overtime and build a long-term career with a company that’s leading the way in vacuum excavator after-sales support.
About Vac-Con Ltd
Vac-Con Ltd is the UK’s largest independent specialist in the maintenance, repair and refurbishment of vacuum excavators. Operating from our headquarters in Boston, Lincolnshire, and our growing depot in Sheffield, we provide nationwide support to some of the UK’s largest utility, civil engineering and plant hire businesses.
We’re proud of our reputation for delivering exceptional workmanship, technical expertise and customer service. Every engineer is trusted to work to the highest standards, supported by industry-leading processes, modern technology and a team that genuinely looks out for one another.
As our business continues to grow, we’re investing in our people, our equipment and our facilities. If you’re looking for a career rather than just another engineering job, Vac-Con Ltd offers the opportunity to become part of a specialist team with genuine prospects for progression and long-term development.
What You’ll Be Doing
As a Specialist Vacuum Excavator Service Engineer, you’ll be responsible for maintaining and repairing a modern fleet of specialist equipment to the highest possible standard.
Your duties will include:
- Carrying out detailed electronic inspections using our digital job management system.
- Producing accurate reports supported by clear photographs for every inspection, service and repair.
- Completing scheduled servicing in line with company procedures, ensuring every task is carried out thoroughly and documented correctly.
- Diagnosing and repairing hydraulic, electrical and mechanical faults.
- Carrying out everything from routine maintenance and breakdown repairs to complete machine refurbishments and overhauls.
- Working both in our fully equipped workshop and on customer sites throughout the UK.
- Managing vehicle stock, consumables and workshop equipment.
- Providing excellent customer service and representing Vac-Con Ltd professionally at all times.
Attention to detail is essential. Every inspection, service and repair is recorded electronically with photographs, giving our customers complete confidence in the quality of our work.
What We’re Looking ForEssential
- Full UK Driving Licence
- Level 2 NVQ (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering, Plant Maintenance, Agricultural Engineering, HGV, Military Engineering or a related engineering discipline
- Own professional tools
- Strong mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills
- Excellent written English and report-writing ability
- Confident using smartphones, tablets and mobile applications
- Ability to produce clear, accurate photographic records
- Willingness to travel nationwide and stay away from home when required
- Professional appearance and excellent customer-facing skills
Desirable
- Hydraulic fault finding
- Electrical fault finding
- Mechanical diagnostics
- Welding experience
- Fabrication and metalwork experience
Hours & Working Pattern
This is a field service engineering role, not a standard workshop position. While your contracted hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm with a one-hour unpaid lunch break, flexibility is essential.
Our engineers support customers across the UK, meaning early starts, later finishes and occasional overnight stays are a normal part of the role. Travel time forms part of your working day, and start and finish times will vary depending on customer locations, workload and operational requirements.
This role will suit someone who enjoys working independently, travelling nationwide and being part of a responsive engineering team.
Pay & Overtime
- Hourly paid with wages paid every 4 weeks
- Min Annual earnings of approximately £50,000
- Overtime paid at 1.5x after 45 hours worked
- Saturday overtime paid at 1.5x
- Sunday overtime paid at 2x
There are excellent opportunities to significantly increase your earnings through overtime, and engineers who are flexible and willing to travel will benefit from consistent additional hours throughout the year.
Benefits
- Fully equipped company service van
- Company phone
- Specialist industry training and ongoing development
- Company pension
- 28 days paid holiday (including bank holidays)
- Long-term career progression within a growing company
- Supportive, close-knit engineering team
- Opportunity to become an industry specialist in a niche and growing sector
Why Join Vac-Con Ltd?
We’re not looking for someone who simply wants another mechanic’s job, we’re looking for someone who wants to build a long-term career.
Vacuum excavators are specialist machines that require specialist engineers. We’ll invest heavily in your training, provide modern equipment, and support you in developing skills that are highly valued within the industry.
If you’re a motivated engineer who takes pride in producing high-quality work, enjoys problem-solving, and wants to be part of a company that’s setting the standard for after sales support in the vacuum excavation industry, we’d love to hear from you.
Pay: From £50,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company car
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Experience:
- Technical: 3 years (required)
Language:
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
- NVQ Level 2 or higher (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
