Mechanical and Gas Technicians

What if your next technician role involved doing things that have never been done before? At Spadeadam, you’ll work hands-on with large-scale experimental facilities, tackling some of the biggest safety challenges facing energy and industry.

When the consequences are significant and confidence matters, industry often needs evidence. For 50 years, organisations from around the world have come to DNV’s Spadeadam R&D Centre to find those answers.
Spadeadam is one of the world’s leading major hazards R&D facilities. 

Our engineers, scientists and technical specialists design, build and operate unique experimental facilities that help industry understand some of its most challenging safety and resilience questions. From hydrogen and alternative fuels to high-pressure gas releases, fire and explosion hazards, pipeline safety and critical infrastructure resilience, the work undertaken here helps shape engineering practice, inform major investment decisions and improve safety around the world.

As our business continues to grow, we are looking for curious Gas or Mechanical Technicians to join our Major Hazards Research and Development team.

Our Opportunity:

This is not a conventional role. Many Technician roles focus on applying existing knowledge. At Spadeadam, you will help create it. Our teams develop one-of-a-kind experimental facilities and undertake world-leading research programmes designed to answer questions that cannot be resolved through standards, guidance or modelling alone. We generate the evidence that helps clients make decisions with confidence.

Our work spans some of the most important challenges facing the energy, industrial and critical infrastructure sectors. Projects may include hydrogen and alternative fuel safety, high-pressure gas release studies, full-scale fire and explosion research, pipeline safety and integrity, critical infrastructure resilience, hazardous area investigations, battery energy storage systems, industrial process safety and emerging energy technologies. Our expertise is also increasingly applied to energy security, infrastructure protection and defence-related programmes.

As a Gas Technician you’ll play a key role in the ongoing maintenance and enhancement of essential site infrastructure and be involved throughout the project lifecycle, from concept development and design through to construction, commissioning, testing and operation. One week you may be helping to develop a new hydrogen research facility; the next, you could be designing modifications to a high-pressure gas system, supporting the construction of a large-scale test rig or preparing for a full-scale explosion experiment.

No two projects are the same, and many involve challenges that have never previously been addressed at full scale.

What you’ll do:

• Design and construct large scale experimental test rigs, as well as gas storage and piping systems.
• Designing and implementing gas distribution systems.
• Performing regular maintenance and inspections.
• Ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
• Emergency response planning and procedures.
• Attend safety meetings such as HAZIDs and stay up to date with current test procedures.
• Communicate effectively with technical colleagues  
   

Our Technician roles offer an exceptional opportunity to develop rapidly within a highly capable multidisciplinary team. Working alongside experienced engineers and technical specialists, you will gain a broad range of practical experience across mechanical and gas assets including pipeline and pressure systems. You will be encouraged to broaden your technical knowledge and build the skills needed to progress your career. 

While the work is globally significant, the location offers something increasingly rare. Situated on the Cumbrian side of the border with Northumberland, Spadeadam provides access to some of the most spectacular landscapes in the United Kingdom. The Lake District, Northumberland National Park, Hadrian's Wall and the Solway Coast are all within easy reach.

Many colleagues choose to live in rural villages, market towns, Carlisle, Newcastle or southern Scotland, combining an exceptional quality of life with technically challenging and rewarding careers.

As our research, testing and engineering activities are highly practical and collaborative, this role is predominantly site-based at Spadeadam. Whilst occasional flexibility may be possible where project requirements allow, applicants should expect to spend the vast majority of their working time on site and this role is therefore likely to be best suited to someone within reasonable daily commuting distance of the facility.

Reward and Benefits:

We value all our people and the contributions they make to our business, so it’s important that our rewards make us all feel valued here. That’s why we offer a flexible reward and benefits package, allowing you to choose the things that matter most to you, including;

• Fantastic training, educational and development opportunities to grow and enhance your skills
• Non-contractual Profit Share Scheme
• Lifestyle benefits: 26 days annual leave + bank holidays, opportunity for up to 10 days unpaid leave, sabbatical leave, flexible working options
• Wellbeing benefits: (incl. Private Medical, Dental Insurance, Health Assessments, Gym allowance). Company contribution towards eye tests and glasses (for computer/laptop users), and Flu Vaccinations. Also, our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provides free and confidential support for issues including work, family, relationships, money and health 
• Financial Benefits: including a Pension Scheme with employer pension contributions up to 9%, Life Assurance and Income Protection
• Re-imbursement of relevant Professional Membership Fees (up to £570)
• Access to employee retail discount site for high street and on-line shopping

Above all, we are looking for practical technicians who enjoy collaborating on challenging problems and translating technical principles into real-world solutions. You should bring strong technical fundamentals, sound judgement, curiosity, clear communication and a commitment to helping deliver high-quality work safely and professionally.

We are particularly interested in candidates with practical experience in the gas industry, ideally with one or more of the following qualifications:

• City & Guilds 662-2 Level 3 Certificate for Service Engineers (GAS)
• Level 3 6006 NVQ Gas Services Installation & Maintenance
• Level 3 6012 NVQ Domestic Natural Gas Installation & Maintenance
• Level 3 6012 NVQ in Gas Emergency Service Operations
• Level 3 6013 NVQ Gas Installation and Maintenance

The following qualifications would also be advantageous:

• ACS Qualification Core Domestic Natural Gas Safety (CCN1)
• ACS Qualification CoNGLP1 PD

We also recognise that the right practical skills can be developed through a broader mechanical engineering background. If you don’t hold the gas-specific qualifications above, we would still welcome applications from experienced Mechanical Technicians with relevant qualifications such as:

• NVQ in General or Mechanical Engineering
• HNC in Gas Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

Additional requirements:

You will also require a full UK driving licence as our site is not accessible by public transport. In addition, due to the nature of our site in Cumbria, we may require you to obtain and maintain UK Security Clearance (we’ll assist with the application).