Mechanical Design Engineer Full Time

An introduction to LettUs Grow 

LettUs Grow is a fast-paced and environmentally conscious organisation based in the heart of Bristol. We design technology for indoor farms with the mission to reduce the waste and carbon footprint of fresh produce by enabling anyone, anywhere, to grow nutritious produce near its point of consumption.

We’ve developed innovative hardware and software solutions that combine efficient aeroponic technology with data collection, automation and operational insights for the farmers and growers of the future. We are scaling quickly to meet the growing demand for this trailblazing technology.

With a team of open, caring and ambitious peers, working in a technically-challenging and impact-driven industry, this is somewhere to really make your mark on society and help feed the next generation.

An introduction to the role:

As a Mechanical Design Engineer at LettUs Grow, you will be a crucial member of our DROP & GROW product development team, specifically focused on developing the next generation of our DROP & GROW container farms.

You can expect to be delegated responsibility at an early stage and will have a real opportunity to progress as the company scales. This role is ideal for an organised proactive, positive and reliable product development engineer who is keen to grow with an impact-led organisation.

We look forward to welcoming you to our diverse team of horticulturists, growers, engineers, marketeers and operational experts, to design and build the next generation of indoor farming technology together.

Salary band:

£25,000 – £35,000 dependent upon experience alongside a benefits package designed to foster your personal and professional development.

Application deadline:

Friday, March 25th, 2022.

Role responsibilities:

• Report directly to the Drop & Grow Project Lead on product designs, decisions and project progress.
• Contribute to the mechanical engineering design of our Drop & Grow product subsystems over the entire cradle to cradle lifecycle, including:
• Concept generation.
• Detailed design3D CAD (Solidworks)
• Prototyping and testing.
• Building and testing prototypes of parts of and whole DROP & GROW systems.
• Fast paced, methodical fault finding and problem solving.
• Design for manufacture & production systems.
• Producing detailed design packs and drawings.
• Developing product QA processes.
• Conduct product testing and support design certification (CE & UKCA).
• Maintenance & service design.
• Ongoing reviews of product performance in operation.
• End of life planning.
• Manage your own mechanical DROP & GROW subsystem development projects:
• Developing project plans.
• Understanding, tracking and reporting project timelines and costs.
• Communicating and documenting project progress, technical achievements and challenges in a timely manner and to a high standard.

Who are you?

• You’re an engineer with a passion for mechanical design and making products the most sustainable they can be.
• You’re excited by the opportunity to get involved in hands-on tasks in the workshop and on the farm as well as desk based design.
• At LettUs Grow we encourage asking questions and being open with each other. Employees may come to see what you’re working on and they may not have a technical background. You enjoy educating others and you always do so with patience and understanding.
• You are looking for a fast paced work environment, with opportunities for growth and development.
• You can be methodical and meticulous when needed.
• You’re an open, honest and helpful person. You treat people with respect.
• You’re an active listener and enjoy working with people from all walks of life.
• You’re passionate about sustainability and you care about the world around you.
• You’re driven, enthusiastic and give 100% to anything that comes your way.

What you need:

• Degree in mechanical engineering and/or experience in an engineering environment.
• Professional experience working in an engineering setting.
• A solid grasp of mechanical product development.
• Experience working practically, either in a professional or personal capacity.
• Proficiency using 3D CAD software (Solidworks preferred).
• Excellent technical communication skills both written and verbal.
• Experience in procurement, finding suppliers and managing supplier relationships.

Also desirable:

• Experience working with plastics and plastic life cycle.
• Experience in horticultural or agricultural engineering.
• Experience in systems engineering.
• Experience designing hydraulic (low pressure water) systems.
• Experience modelling simple air flows.

About LettUs Grow

The position is full-time (37.5 hours per week), based in central Bristol and will benefit from training and external mentoring. Salary will be competitive to match experience, with the benefit of employee share options scheme.

LettUs Grow Ltd is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Living Wage Employer. We encourage individuals from all walks of life to apply for our positions. At LettUs Grow we celebrate our differences and embrace what makes every human being unique.

Do you have any special requirements during the recruitment process? Just let us know. We’ll do our best to remove any barriers preventing you from applying for our opportunities!

LettUs Grow takes the safety of our employees very seriously and has implemented the necessary safety precautions in response to Covid-19. You will be given the necessary materials to work remotely as well as having access to our office, workshop and farm located in Bristol. This position will not be affected by any government issued lockdowns in response to the Coronavirus.

Life at LettUs Grow 

Everything we do is impact-driven. We want to make a substantial positive change, not just through our products, but also in how we operate as a team. We are ambitious, responsible and caring, and bring these core-values into everything we do. This is clear in the way we approach challenges: we’re ambitious enough to run into a fair few, responsible enough to address them with innovative solutions and caring in our approach to solving them as a team, for the good of our planet and all the people that inhabit it.

You will be working from our open office where hotdesking is encouraged, within our world-class horticultural research facility and/or in our engineering workshops and production areas.

At LettUs Grow we offer:

• Flexible and remote working options. Whether your child is ill, you’re waiting for a package or you have some deep, focussed work to do, we all need some time away from the office.
• 25 days holiday a year (pro rata, plus UK public holidays), and we encourage you to use them all up! If you don’t, you can carry some over into next year.
• 20 day sick pay.
• Pension contribution.
• A dog friendly office.
• Training and professional development: training courses, resources and conferences that help you learn and grow in your role and for your future.
• A team of ambitious, open and impact-driven employees who are passionate about fostering an inclusive working environment.
• A newly refurbished, open-plan office environment and cutting edge research facility complete with skill-sharing workshops and a ping-pong table.
• The best coffee in town. We keep our team well fuelled with top notch coffee from a local supplier. Coffee, tea, oat milk and organic fruit are on the house!
• A subscription to Blinkist with access to an online library of non fiction reading and audiobook material.
• Cycle to work scheme and an office bike repair station. Everything you need to keep you on the road from tools and parts to spare lights and a lock.

Want to know more about what it’s like to work at LettUs Grow? Visit our careers page to hear from some of our current staff.