Graduate Automotive Engineer (Vehicle Lighting)
Location: Oldbury, West Midlands (on site)
Job type: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £12.71 to £14.50 per hour, dependent on experience and technical background, with a pay review on successful completion of probation
About us
KYCS is a specialist headlight workshop covering repair, restoration, custom builds, and projector retrofits across a wide range of vehicle makes. We work for both retail customers and dealer trade accounts, so the standard of work and documentation is high and consistent.
About the role
This is a hands-on engineering role for a graduate (or final-year student) in automotive engineering or a closely related discipline. You'll apply the fundamentals from your degree, including 12V electrical theory, diagnostics, and methodical fault-finding, to real vehicle lighting work every day. Full training is provided on the specialist side of the job: opening and resealing headlights, projector retrofits, custom builds, and vehicle coding. We work in a very niche sector, so we don't expect you to have these skills on day one. What we need is the engineering foundation and the attitude to build on it.
The role is full-time (37.5 hours/week over 5 days). If you're a final-year student rather than a finished graduate, we can offer part-time hours around your studies, moving to full-time once you've completed your degree.
Why KYCS rather than a grad scheme
We're a small specialist team, and that works in your favour. There are no flat-rate targets or strict KPIs, and no layers of sign-off between you and interesting work. You'll be hands-on with real customer builds from day one rather than rotating through departments, with a documented skills matrix so your progression is visible and signed off as you go. Working hours are genuinely flexible, including around study. And if there's a product, technique, or idea you find interesting, bring it to the bench. Ideas here get built, not filed.
What you'll do
- Plan your day in our project management software, working from job cards assigned by our senior technician, and report progress daily
- Carry out headlight check-in, cleaning, preparation, and pre-job photography using our defined processes
- Build plug-and-play wiring looms: crimping, pinning, and soldering to OEM standard
- Install angel eyes and demon eyes onto brackets, with wiring, alignment, and functional testing
- Carry out lens replacements on a wide range of headlights
- Bench test completed work using our in-house tools and rigs
- Learn headlight opening, sealing, and projector retrofit work under supervision, progressing to independent work as you're signed off against our skills matrix
- Keep job cards, photos, and documentation up to date
What we're looking for
Required
- Completed or completing a degree in automotive engineering, or a related discipline such as electrical/electronic or mechanical engineering with an automotive focus, or have practical relevant experience
- Punctual, reliable, and hands-on, with good communication skills and pride in your work
- Genuine interest and knowledge in vehicles
- Solid grounding in 12V electrical theory, able to read wiring schematics and use a multimeter
- Basic soldering ability
- A methodical approach to fault-finding
- Willing to learn and to follow written processes with discipline
Desirable
- Experience modifying or customising your own vehicle
- Awareness of CAN and LIN bus fundamentals
- CAD experience
- 3D printing experience
- Any personal tinkering with headlights, retrofits, or vehicle lighting
Perks
- Usage of our commercial premises outside of core hours for your personal/family vehicles
- Paid attendance to all the major car shows
- Access to our dealer software/hardware and internal documents
- Access to our network of mechanics, specialists, breakers, and dealers with our trade discount
- Free usage of our services
- Large discount on our products
Additional pay
- Discretionary bonus
- Performance bonus
Benefits
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking and on-site parking
- Sick pay
Schedule
- 8 hour shift
- Weekend availability
Work location: In person
If you want to build real things for real customers from day one, and come out of your first working years with a specialist skill set very few engineers in the UK have, this is that job.
Pay: £12.71-£14.50 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
