Machinist / Mechanical Machine Operator

Machinist / Mechanical Machine Operator

Location: Southampton Sector: Mechanical Engineering / Workshop Refurbishment
Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent Salary: 40,000 - 45,000 per year Hours: 39 hours per week

Role Overview
The Machinist / Mechanical Machine Operator will support the business in delivering manual machining capabilities and other workshop activities/services to provide cost-effective, efficient and safe refurbishment to defined high standards on incoming customer orders. The role involves interpreting engineering drawings, setting up and operating manual machining equipment, working to precise specifications and supporting the wider workshop team through problem-solving, fault finding, diagnosis and reverse engineering where required.

Key Responsibilities

• Set up and operate manual lathes, mills, borers and other workshop equipment, carrying out daily checks and maintenance tasks as required.
• Interpret engineering drawings to guide machining processes and sequences for the refurbishment and repair of customer parts.
• Work to precise specifications and accurate tolerances using measuring tools such as callipers and micrometers.
• Support the wider workshop team by proposing, designing and making basic tooling modifications, undertaking fault finding, diagnosis and reverse engineering processes where necessary.
• Liaise with operations management on job planning, scheduling and processes, while maintaining accurate records.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of standard operating practices, SOPs, workshop processes and overall team performance.
• Maintain a clean, tidy and organised workplace in line with 5S methodology, Health & Safety standards, safety systems, risk assessments and statutory requirements.
• Carry out other tasks as requested to ensure the team meets and exceeds customer expectations.

Requirements

• Good communication skills, written, verbal and digital, with the ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Ability to handle conflicting and changing priorities, contributing to business decisions in relation to prioritisation of work based on customer/business demand
• Numeracy and strong ability to understand and interpret engineering drawings
• Ability to work accurately and independently, paying close attention to detail and quality in measurement methods
• Significant experience of working in a machine shop environment, with extensive hands-on use and set-up of manual machining equipment including lathes and milling machines, is essential
• Mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills to troubleshoot issues and suggest solutions
• Prior experience using welding machines and borers is advantageous
• School leaver minimum qualifications, plus Mechanical Engineering craft level 3 ONC/NVQ, or equivalent
• Time-served apprenticeship and Level 3 qualification, or experience/qualification in machining

What's on Offer

• Salary of 40,000 - 45,000 per year
• 20 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Pension Scheme
• Opportunity to work in a workshop-based mechanical machining and refurbishment environment
• Involvement in manual machining, repair, refurbishment and reverse engineering processes
• Opportunity to contribute to standard operating practices, continuous improvement and team development
• Role directly contributing to quality standards, timely job completion and business profitability