Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Rehab Engineering Digital Manufacturing Technician

The closing date is 15 June 2025

Job summary

About the Role

The Rehabilitation Engineering Service (RES) provides essential clinical support to children and young adults with severe and complex physical disabilities. The service supports Chailey Heritage School and provides support to both clients locally and nationally where funding allows through patient outpatient clinics and other contracts. We work with many wheelchair services. Our service has recently undergone a digital transformation, investing in new manufacturing equipment, staff and digital processes, and we are seeking an innovative and skilled individual to help drive this progress forward.

This is a new and exciting technical role that combines digital manufacturing and practical hands-on fabrication Engineering. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop and implement new ideas that will enhance our service's effectiveness and support our long-term sustainability.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities

Utilise CAD/CAM, 3D scanning, and 3D printing to manufacture custom-made seating and postural management items, including foam-carved wheelchair seating systems.

Develop and refine Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacture (CAM) processes to improve service delivery and product quality.

Design, in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Engineers and Clinical Scientists and manufacture assistive technology devices for posture support, tailored for both personal use and commercial distribution.

Work with the Production Manager to enhance and monitor a progress-tracking for workshop jobs.

Supervise a small team of technical staff, ensuring high-quality provision.

Carry out regular safety checks on tools and machinery, facilitating repairs as needed.

Act as the Health & Safety lead for the workshop, ensuring compliance with regulations.

Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to conduct repairs, adjustments, and adaptations to assistive technology and postural equipment.

Provide technical support to Rehabilitation Engineers, Technicians, and clinical staff.

About us

Why Join Us?

More Than Just a Job - Make a Difference! This is your chance to apply your technical skills to transform lives. You'll be part of a passionate team dedicated to helping children and young adults with complex physical disabilities, using the latest innovations in assistive technology.

If you have the skills and enthusiasm to take on this exciting role, we would love to hear from you!

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Details

Date posted

04 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

150-CP1680-PC

Job locations

Rehabilitation Engineering Service (RES) Chailey Clinical Services (CCS)

Beggars Wood Road,

North Chailey, Near Lewes, East Sussex, East sussex

BN8 4JN


Job description

Job responsibilities

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us? Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing Varied environments: community hospitals, patients homes, and bases across Sussex Flexible working options:, flexi-time possible within core hrs of service Excellent training, development, and research opportunities Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our valuesCompassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellenceguide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Job description

Job responsibilities

We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex, with 6,000 staff serving 1.3 million people. We deliver essential care to adults and children, helping them manage their health, avoid hospital admissions, and reduce hospital stays.

Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community. We offer opportunities across medical, clinical, support, and corporate services.

Why work for us? Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, highlighting compassionate leadership and wellbeing Varied environments: community hospitals, patients homes, and bases across Sussex Flexible working options:, flexi-time possible within core hrs of service Excellent training, development, and research opportunities Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove, and Brighton Active EMBRACE, Disability & Wellbeing, LGBTQIA+, and Religion & Belief networks Level 3 Disability Confident Leader and Veteran Aware Trust Beautiful Sussex location near the South Downs and coast

Our valuesCompassionate Care, Working Together, Achieving Ambitions, Delivering Excellenceguide everything we do.

We embrace diversity and encourage applications from all backgrounds, particularly from ethnically diverse, disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. We aim to create an inclusive environment and support reasonable adjustments during recruitment.

This post may close early if sufficient applications are received.

Person Specification

Qulifications

Essential

  • HND in relevant engineering subject(C) with a postgraduate diploma or Equivalent qualification level + extensive in-depth experience in mechanical engineering manufacturing processes.
  • Digital Manufacturing Engineering & Design degree qualification (e.g. Advanced manufacturing design/manufacture) with practical experience of CAD/CAM and manufacturing in industry. Will consider other Mechanical Engineering degrees.

Desirable

  • Rehabilitation Engineering qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Specialist expertise underpinned by theoretical knowledge & experience in a range of manufacturing methods including CAD/CAM (computer aided design and manufacture) for fabrication in a small batch/ custom made environment.
  • Practical manufacturing expertise in mechanical engineering techniques and processes i.e. mills, lathes, welding and assembly work.
  • Minimum (of two years)' experience in paid work in an Engineering or Design-related capacity.
  • Provide a List of manufacturing machines and techniques you have experience with, how long for and to what level

Desirable

  • Experience in leading a small team or taking the lead in specific areas of development.
  • Rehabilitation engineering experience within a custom seating service
  • Experience of working flexibly to meet tight time scales
  • Experience of working with children and young people with disabilities
  • Experience in teaching junior members of staff

Skills, knowlage & Competence

Essential

  • High level of It skills including PC software packages e.g Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel. Computer Aided Design, Knowledge/understanding of 3D Printing and 3D Scanning and the use of software associated to operate these.
  • Specialist expertise underpinned by theoretical knowledge & experience in a range of manufacturing methods including CAD/CAM (computer aided design and manufacture) for fabrication in a small batch/ custom made environment.
  • Competent in the use of CAD & CAM, including the ability to understand and edit G-code, 3D scanning and mesh editing
  • Competent in CNC machining and able to set up and Milling Machines and multi-axis 3D Router machines.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of rehabilitation engineering, including techniques and processes
Person Specification

Qulifications

Essential

  • HND in relevant engineering subject(C) with a postgraduate diploma or Equivalent qualification level + extensive in-depth experience in mechanical engineering manufacturing processes.
  • Digital Manufacturing Engineering & Design degree qualification (e.g. Advanced manufacturing design/manufacture) with practical experience of CAD/CAM and manufacturing in industry. Will consider other Mechanical Engineering degrees.

Desirable

  • Rehabilitation Engineering qualification

Experience

Essential

  • Specialist expertise underpinned by theoretical knowledge & experience in a range of manufacturing methods including CAD/CAM (computer aided design and manufacture) for fabrication in a small batch/ custom made environment.
  • Practical manufacturing expertise in mechanical engineering techniques and processes i.e. mills, lathes, welding and assembly work.
  • Minimum (of two years)' experience in paid work in an Engineering or Design-related capacity.
  • Provide a List of manufacturing machines and techniques you have experience with, how long for and to what level

Desirable

  • Experience in leading a small team or taking the lead in specific areas of development.
  • Rehabilitation engineering experience within a custom seating service
  • Experience of working flexibly to meet tight time scales
  • Experience of working with children and young people with disabilities
  • Experience in teaching junior members of staff

Skills, knowlage & Competence

Essential

  • High level of It skills including PC software packages e.g Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel. Computer Aided Design, Knowledge/understanding of 3D Printing and 3D Scanning and the use of software associated to operate these.
  • Specialist expertise underpinned by theoretical knowledge & experience in a range of manufacturing methods including CAD/CAM (computer aided design and manufacture) for fabrication in a small batch/ custom made environment.
  • Competent in the use of CAD & CAM, including the ability to understand and edit G-code, 3D scanning and mesh editing
  • Competent in CNC machining and able to set up and Milling Machines and multi-axis 3D Router machines.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of rehabilitation engineering, including techniques and processes

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Rehabilitation Engineering Service (RES) Chailey Clinical Services (CCS)

Beggars Wood Road,

North Chailey, Near Lewes, East Sussex, East sussex

BN8 4JN


Employer's website

https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Rehabilitation Engineering Service (RES) Chailey Clinical Services (CCS)

Beggars Wood Road,

North Chailey, Near Lewes, East Sussex, East sussex

BN8 4JN


Employer's website

https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Rehabilitation engineering Manager

Joe searchdfield

joe.searchfield@nhs.net

01825722112

Details

Date posted

04 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

150-CP1680-PC

Job locations

Rehabilitation Engineering Service (RES) Chailey Clinical Services (CCS)

Beggars Wood Road,

North Chailey, Near Lewes, East Sussex, East sussex

BN8 4JN


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)