Job Description

Context and Background:

Clearwater Sensors Ltd, a green growth sector start-up founded in 2019, develops and manufactures environmental sensors including Lab on Chip based microfluidic analysers for water chemistry analysis. Examples of applications include improvement of UK water quality, and study of rivers, lakes, oceans and industrial processes. Clearwater Sensors Ltd. licensed in Intellectual Property from the University of Southampton and the National Oceanography Centre in 2020 and is now fully financed from strong sales. The team has also been successful at winning research funding grants (5 grants for Innovate UK and the European Union Horizon Europe programme). We seek a skilled multidisciplinary development / product development engineer able to help the company make innovations and improvements in our sensors, and the equipment we use to manufacture, test and calibrate them. The post will also help improve metrology standards, as well as assisting customers, R&D and production departments with developments, testing, servicing, and deploying the sensors in trials and field applications.

Examples of applications for the sensing technologies include measurements of nutrients or pH on autonomous underwater vehicles for scientific and carbon sequestration applications as well as nutrient and water quality monitoring for UK regulators and the water industry. The sensors are robust (e.g. depth rated to 6000 m using oil filled pressure balanced design). They use microfluidics and reagent based analytical methods, almost exclusively with colorimetric readout. We will give you in depth training on the products, analytical methods, principles of operation and our current manufacture, reliability, quality, test and calibration processes.

What CWS Ltd offer

We offer flexible working, training and support to help the best candidates fulfil this role.

Note: This role will require multidisciplinary skills in sensors, mechanical engineering, optics, fluidics and chemistry. It would benefit from knowledge in electronics and software.

Training will be provided for the right candidate as it is not expected that a candidate will possess all these attributes, experience or skills.

Duties include.

Design of new (multidisciplinary) products, setups and jigs for R&D and production including for internally and externally (EU, innovate UK) funded research and development projects

Assisting, and for some projects leading, New Product Introduction

Accurately testing, investigating and determining quality issues with sensors and their manufacture; and engineer / develop durable and cost-effective measures to prevent re-occurrence.

Performing design change testing and validation of improvement initiatives to support failure prevention and improve repeatability of build. Maintaining records and reasons for implementation.

Perform routine maintenance and calibration of complex multidisciplinary measurement systems, including safety checks, inspections and recording results.

To develop and gain a comprehensive understanding of CWS nutrient and wider environmental chemistry sensors with colorimetric or fluorometric assays.

Supporting management to maintain, develop and promote a safe, tidy, and constantly improving working environment including 5S principles, writing and adhering to risk assessments and COSHH, and assisting continuous improvement.

Working closely with the wider team including the head of product development, electronics & software, R&D and production teams for both development projects and optimising production of high-quality sensors.

Assist customer care team and customers with technical queries, and deployments

Assist sales team with technical sales, technical queries and follow-up

Assist the production team when required (e.g. assembly, testing, calibration of production sensors) which will aid knowledge of the product.

Key Accountabilities/Primary Responsibilities: % Time

Note: This is an indication of the typical work/time expectation, but not limited to this, as flexibility will be required.

Design of new products, setups and jigs 30%

New Product Introduction 15%

Quality investigations and developing solutions 20%

To develop a comprehensive understanding of CWS sensors and assays. 10%

Supporting management to maintain, develop and promote a safe, tidy, 15%

and constantly improving working environment.

Assist the wider team including customer care, sales and production 10%

The candidate will get the best from the role if they are able to:

Maintain an accurate, methodical and documented work practice

Integrate with and support a multidisciplinary team

Become expert in sensor analysis and assist others with this knowledge through training

Communicate openly with customers and use feedback to improve practice and products

Character and approach expectations of the role:

Very reliable, committed and able to work to timelines

Works in an organised and tidy fashion

Works in a safe manner abiding by COSHH and Health and Safety Guidelines

Takes personal responsibility for the work assigned to them.

Always looks for high quality, robust and novel solutions to optimise product and company competitiveness.

Willingly creates documentation and provides training on analytical approaches.

Keeps a detailed logbook documenting analytical contributions, procedures guides, and user manuals

Works with users to develop analytical and operational requirements.

Performs sound experiments / tests using data to demonstrate the suitability of the developed solution.

The post holder will be self-motivated and able to tackle complex problems independently as well as excelling in a multidisciplinary team. They will be enthusiastic to learn new skills in a range of engineering and science disciplines and willing to make the extra effort to ensure they quickly become an expert.

They will have excellent engineering design and analysis skills, as well as computer skills including Windows and MS Office as well as analytical software such as Matlab.

Expectations of all staff:

At all times comply with and ensure that duties are carried out in accordance with, relevant Clearwater Sensors ltd. business aims, contracts, service agreements, policies, procedures and guidance.

Promote and demonstrate a personal commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, teamwork, and working with respect.

Attend relevant training, maximise learning opportunities and maintain professional development by completing continuous professional development appropriate to the role.

Maintain a safe working environment by attending Health and Safety training as required and follow local codes of safe working practices and actively contribute to embedding a safety culture across Clearwater Sensors ltd.

Adopt and promote awareness of Clearwater Sensors ltd.'s ethical and environmental aims and other initiatives.

Carry out other duties within the scope, spirit and general purpose of the post and adopt a flexible approach to work.

As duties and responsibilities change this job description will be reviewed and revised in consultation with the post holder.

Undertake such other duties within the scope of the post as may be reasonably requested by your manager.

Personal Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge:

Essential

Degree or equivalent qualifications or equivalent experience in relevant discipline(s) including engineering (with significant design, analysis and process), metrology, chemical engineering, measurement systems engineering or related scientific or analytical discipline.

Desirable

Chartered engineering status

Skills and capabilities

Essential

Proven ability to design and engineer high quality multidisciplinary systems including design and analysis with:

Mechanical / systems engineering

Robust application of engineering design process

As well as engineering of

one or more of the following

:

Fluids

Optics

Measurement systems

Electronics and software

Proven ability to investigate, improve and manage quality / reliability using formalism as appropriate

Able to take initiative and to respond to customer queries

Ability to manage and deliver on multiple tasks within a R&D and production environment

Ability to plan own work and adapt your schedule to optimise the productivity of colleagues and the team as a whole.

Desirable:

Skills in the following:

3D CAD

Finite element analysis

Simulation of multidisciplinary systems (e.g. COMSOL)

Simulation of optics (e.g. Zemax)

5S; Six Sigma; Failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA, or FMEA) or other quality and reliability techniquesAnalytical Chemistry

Metrology

Environmental Chemistry

Deployment of systems in marine and terrestrial waters

Customer care

Technical sales

Capabilities in the following

Delivery of research projects (e.g. EU, UKRI or Innovate UK)

Technical writing (e.g. manuals, brochures, publications / papers)

Proposing new projects and gaining funding

Project management

Managing fieldwork and operations

Behaviours:

Ability to support a team through accurate, professional and adaptable work practices that optimise company outputs.

Ability to manage own time effectively

Ability to provide training and constructive feedback to colleagues

Other requirements

Essential

Ability to meet the requirements of UK 'right to work' legislation [1]

Desirable

Willingness to work off-site and outside of normal hours from time to time as required

Willingness to work at sea for short periods, very occasionally, this will require mandatory training in Personal Survival Techniques and the ability to pass an ENG1 medical examination?

[1] In accordance with Home Office guidance and the Asylum, Immigration and Nationality Act 2006 ClearWater Sensors Ltd. has a responsibility to ensure all employees are eligible to work in the UK. Prior to commencing employment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide documentary evidence to this effect. For those who do not have a right to work in the UK, ClearWater Sensors Ltd. will need to apply to become a sponsor and support a visa application: success is not guaranteed. See further information about UK immigration requirements and working in the UK on the Home Office website

www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

Benefits:

Additional leave

Bereavement leave Casual dress Company events Company pension Cycle to work scheme. Flexitime Free parking On-site parking Sick pay Transport links Some work from home.

Ability to commute/relocate:

Southampton, SO15 0HW: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Work Location: In person.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: 32,000.00-52,000.00 per year

Expected hours: 37.5 per week

Benefits:

Company pension Cycle to work scheme Employee discount Free parking On-site parking Sick pay
Schedule:

Monday to Friday Overtime
Experience:

effective team working: 2 years (required) MS word and Excel (e.g. pivot tables, automation, formulas): 2 years (required) developing engineered systems: 2 years (required) mechanical systems design and engineering: 2 years (required) engineering design process: 1 year (required)
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 27/06/2025
Reference ID: CW Sensors Development Engineer