Product Development Support Technician in Basingstoke, Hampshire

This is a 9 month Fixed term contract. We are seeking a dedicated Product Support professional to join our R & D team. The successful candidate will provide technical assistance and troubleshooting support across various product lines, ensuring optimal performance and customer satisfaction. This role offers an excellent opportunity to work within a dynamic environment that values innovation, technical expertise, and collaborative problem-solving. The position involves engaging with complex systems and design tools, contributing to product development and maintenance activities.

The role supports product development through the build and test of prototype products, sub-systems, and components to verify their design. The support technician will build the required test rigs, define test methodologies, and the design of experiment under the guidance of design engineers where necessary. This role operates across the full product lifecycle on machine electrical/electronic control, mechanical and software systems to ensure that the vending equipment will perform as intended when in service.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the build of partial or complete prototype vending equipment and modification of existing vending equipment under the guidance of design engineers including the procurement of components and prototypes components as directed in line with project timelines.
• Test/verify the correct operation of either partial or complete electrical/electronic control, mechanical and software systems in prototype or current vending equipment.
• Input into DVPs and time manage testing activities in line with DVP feeding into workstream leader to ensure on time delivery of testing activities.
• Define the appropriate test methodology and DVPR required with guidance from a design engineer as needed ensuring they are scientifically sound, repeatable, and traceable.
• As necessary, build/implement the required test hardware as agreed with the design engineers to support design verification activities.
• Support and run any software required to drive and control test rigs.
• Ensure that the designated working area is kept clean and safe working practices are always followed and in compliance with the company’s health and safety policy and procedures.
• Maintain and store test rigs, prototype, product and components samples and manage storage inventory to ensure it is appropriate and supports clean and safe working practices in the designated working area.
• Log test data as required and author test reports detailing methodology, results, findings, observations, and recommendations to provide feedback to verify and/or improve design of product, system, or component under test.
• Store the output documentation (including any ‘due diligence’) generated as part of test work in line with agreed project and company practices.
• Provide technical test support to investigate and verify quality and design issues originating from electromechanical and electrical systems and produce the necessary documentation that arises to capture and communicate test outcomes.
• Collaborate with other departments and project members to achieve the delivery of equipment projects.

Lavazza Professional’s continued growth is dependent upon product innovation and product maintenance. This role operates across the product life cycle; in the Discover phase by performing design verification and investigative testing to drive technology developments to the requisite technology readiness levels; in the Translate phase supporting product development by enacting DVP testing as part of the technical workstream in the Equipment Development Process; in the Sustain phase performing design change verification testing as part of the equipment change process and investigative testing as required by customer, supplier and manufacturing quality feedback.

Education and Qualifications:

• HND/BTEC/Level 3 in mechanical, electronic, or related engineering subject.
• Member of industry body e.g. IET or IMechE.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Understanding of control theory, electronics, software, and mechanical systems.
• In depth knowledge of implementing test regimes on mechatronic systems (preferably coffee vending machines) in product development context.
• In depth knowledge of building rigs and prototype mechatronic assemblies along with managing the procurement of the relevant parts and assemblies.
• Good practical build skills such as soldering and mechanical construction.
• Knowledge of software (LabVIEW) used for controlling test rigs, process and experiments.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office Applications (Excel, Word, OneNote and Outlook) or equivalent.
• Fully competent in use of lab test equipment, and knowledge of legal standards/safety requirements (e.g. risk assessment) and their application when conducting tests, developing test equipment or working in the laboratory.

All applicants should be located within the UK due to the interview process. Unfortunately, we cannot offer sponsorship for this role. The successful candidate must provide background checks and may be asked to complete a DBS check.