Job Overview
The Senior Technician (Fabrication, Welding & Assembly) is a skilled, hands-on role at the heart of the shop floor. The post holder will be a highly capable and experienced tradesperson, working across fabrication, welding, carpentry, and general assembly tasks to produce high-quality components, assemblies, and finished products for defence programmes.
As a senior member of the team, the post holder is expected to work with a high degree of independence and technical judgement, consistently producing work to the required standard without close supervision. They will act as a point of reference for less experienced colleagues, sharing knowledge and practical skills on the job, and will support the Manufacturing Team Leader in maintaining the productivity, quality, and safe working culture of the team.
This is a craft role at its core — the right person takes genuine pride in their workmanship, brings versatility across multiple disciplines, and understands the importance of quality, accuracy, and right-first-time production in a defence manufacturing environment.
Key Responsibilities
1. Fabrication & Welding
Carry out a full range of structural and precision fabrication tasks including cutting, marking out, forming, fitting, and assembling metallic components and structures to engineering drawings and specifications.
Perform welding operations across required processes — including MIG, TIG, and MMA — to the required quality standards, weld procedures, and acceptance criteria.
Interpret and work confidently from engineering drawings, weld symbols, weld procedure specifications, and work instructions, producing work that is accurate, repeatable, and traceable.
Prepare joint fit-ups and weld preparations to the correct tolerances, ensuring weld quality is set up correctly from the outset.
Conduct visual checks on own welded output prior to formal inspection, identifying and addressing any visible defects before presenting work for sign-off by the Team Leader.
Select and use appropriate welding consumables, materials, and equipment for each task in line with approved procedures and material specifications.
Maintain welding equipment, torches, and associated tooling in good working order, reporting faults and maintenance requirements to the Team Leader promptly.
2. Carpentry & Timber-Based Assembly
Carry out workshop carpentry tasks to support the production of defence programme deliverables, including the fabrication of wooden cases, packing crates, transit boxes, mounting frames, internal fitments, and bespoke structural or protective timber assemblies.
Work from drawings, sketches, or verbal instructions to produce timber assemblies that are accurately dimensioned, structurally sound, and finished to the required standard.
Select appropriate timber materials, fixings, and adhesives for each application, ensuring suitability for the intended purpose including any load-bearing, protective, or environmental requirements.
Operate and maintain carpentry hand tools and power tools safely and competently, including saws, planes, routers, drills, and sanders.
Finish timber assemblies as required — including sanding, sealing, painting, or lining — to achieve the specified standard.
Ensure timber-based assemblies meet any relevant programme requirements for weight, dimensions, environmental protection, or handling, liaising with the Engineering Manager or Team Leader where requirements are unclear.
3. General Assembly
Carry out general assembly tasks across a range of defence programme deliverables, including the mechanical assembly of components, sub-assemblies, and complete units to engineering drawings and work instructions.
Install mechanical fixings, fasteners, inserts, brackets, and fittings accurately and to the specified torque values and assembly sequences where applicable.
Handle and assemble components with care, applying appropriate handling and protection procedures to avoid damage to finished surfaces, coatings, or sensitive parts.
Support the integration of fabricated metallic and timber assemblies with other programme elements, assisting the Electrical & Systems Integration team where multi-discipline assembly work is required.
Carry out basic fitting and adjustment tasks including drilling, tapping, reaming, and grinding as required to achieve correct fit and assembly.
Check completed assemblies against drawings and work instructions before presenting for inspection, ensuring all features are present, correctly positioned, and to the required standard.
4. Quality & Documentation
Take personal responsibility for the quality of all work produced, conducting self-checks at each stage of fabrication, welding, carpentry, and assembly before presenting work for inspection or sign-off.
Follow all quality procedures, work instructions, and inspection requirements in line with the company’s ISO 9001 quality management system.
Complete all required production documentation accurately and on time, including job cards, material traceability records, and any programme-specific quality records.
Report any non-conformances, drawing queries, material issues, or quality concerns immediately to the Team Leader, supporting root cause investigation and corrective action as required.
Never pass on work known to be non-conforming — if in doubt, stop and ask.
5. Health, Safety & Housekeeping
Work safely at all times in accordance with the company’s health and safety policies, risk assessments, and method statements relevant to fabrication, welding, carpentry, and assembly activities.
Use the correct PPE for each task including welding masks, gloves, respiratory protection, hearing protection, eye protection, and safety footwear, replacing worn or damaged PPE promptly.
Be aware of and actively manage the specific hazards associated with welding and fabrication work including fume, UV radiation, heat, fire, and compressed gases, and those associated with carpentry including dust, noise, and power tool hazards.
Maintain a clean, tidy, and safe personal work area at all times, applying 5S principles and ensuring swarf, offcuts, waste materials, and tools are managed and stored correctly.
Report all accidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions to the Team Leader immediately.
6. Supporting the Team
Act as a practical reference point and informal mentor for less experienced technicians within the team, sharing knowledge, demonstrating techniques, and supporting their development on the job.
Support the Manufacturing Team Leader with the day-to-day running of production as required, including assisting with task allocation, checking junior colleagues’ work, and flagging issues with order progress.
Approach every task with a positive, can-do attitude — prepared to turn a hand to whatever the programme requires and to support colleagues across the shop floor where needed.
Contribute to a respectful, professional, and productive team environment, treating all colleagues fairly and leading by example in conduct and commitment.
Person Specification
Essential Qualifications & Experience
Demonstrable practical experience as a skilled fabricator and welder, with a proven track record of producing high-quality welded assemblies to engineering drawings and weld procedure specifications.
Competent in MIG and MMA welding as a minimum, with TIG welding experience desirable.
Proven experience in workshop carpentry and timber assembly, including the production of cases, crates, frames, and bespoke timber structures to drawings or instructions.
Experience in general mechanical assembly within a manufacturing or engineering environment.
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, weld symbols, and work instructions accurately.
Experience working within a quality-managed environment with an understanding of inspection, documentation, and non-conformance requirements.
A self-reliant, technically capable individual who consistently produces good work without close supervision.
Forklift Truck or counterbalance Licence
Strong commitment to health and safety with a good understanding of fabrication, welding, and carpentry-specific hazards.
Desirable Qualifications
Relevant trade apprenticeship, NVQ Level 2/3, or equivalent qualification in fabrication, welding, or a related engineering discipline.
Coded welder qualification to BS EN ISO 9606 or equivalent in one or more processes and material groups.
City & Guilds or equivalent carpentry/joinery qualification.
IOSH Working Safely or equivalent health and safety qualification.
First Aid at Work certificate or willingness to obtain.
Experience working within a defence or highly regulated manufacturing environment.
Key Competencies
Craft Pride — Takes genuine pride in the quality of their work and holds themselves to a high standard of workmanship across all three disciplines.
Versatility — Comfortable and capable across fabrication, welding, carpentry, and general assembly — willing to apply skills wherever the programme needs them.
Self-Reliance — Works with confidence and independence, applying technical judgement without needing constant direction.
Attention to Detail — Checks own work thoroughly at every stage and understands that accuracy in defence manufacturing is not optional.
Team Player — Supports colleagues, shares knowledge generously, and contributes to a positive and productive shop floor culture.
Safety Conscious — Understands and actively manages the specific hazards of their work environment and sets a good example for others.
Reliability — Consistently delivers on commitments, turns up ready to work, and can be trusted to get on with the job.
Positive Attitude — Approaches every task with energy and willingness, including tasks outside their primary specialism.
Key Working Relationships
Internal: Manufacturing Team Leader (Fabrication & Welding), Manufacturing Team Leader (Electrical & Systems Integration), Operations Director, Engineering Manager, Fellow Technicians.
Pay: £30,000.00-£38,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
