Automation & Product Development Engineer

We are looking for a practical and inventive Automation & Product Development Engineer to support the development of Boxbar’s current and future products.

This position will sit at the heart of our product development, prototyping and R&D activity. You will work across mechanical, electrical and automation disciplines, taking ideas from early-stage concepts through prototyping, testing, refinement and preparation for manufacture.

The role would suit someone with a mechanical, electrical, mechatronics or industrial-automation background who enjoys solving physical engineering problems. You may be developing an automated mechanism one day, building a test rig the next, investigating a product failure or working with suppliers to improve a design for manufacture.

This is not a desk-based design role. We need someone who enjoys building, testing, taking things apart, diagnosing problems and making products work more reliably.

Develop new automated and electromechanical products, features and subsystems.

Translate product ideas and operational requirements into practical engineering concepts.

Build functional prototypes and proof-of-concept systems.

Test, evaluate and refine prototypes through structured development cycles.

Investigate new technologies, components and engineering approaches that could improve Boxbar’s products.

Help assess the technical feasibility, cost and scalability of new product concepts.

Support products from initial concept through validation, pilot deployment and production readiness.

Design and integrate mechanical, electrical and automated systems.

Specify and select suitable sensors, actuators, motors, pumps, valves, switches, relays, control components and power supplies.

Develop mechanisms and assemblies capable of operating reliably in demanding hospitality and live-event environments.

Design or support the development of control panels, wiring systems and electrical assemblies.

Produce and maintain electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, technical drawings and engineering specifications.

Develop or modify PLC, microcontroller or other control-system logic where appropriate.

Ensure mechanical, electrical and software-controlled components work together as an integrated product.

Build prototypes, test rigs and experimental assemblies using workshop equipment and rapid-prototyping techniques.

Develop practical test plans covering performance, reliability, safety, usability and environmental conditions.

Carry out lifecycle, stress, failure-mode and repeatability testing.

Identify faults through structured root-cause analysis.

Diagnose mechanical, electrical, control and integration problems.

Record results clearly and turn test findings into design improvements.

Validate that products perform consistently before they are released into live environments.

Work with internal manufacturing teams and external suppliers to transition prototypes into repeatable production.

Improve designs for manufacturability, assembly, servicing, reliability and cost.

Create and maintain bills of materials, build instructions, test procedures and product documentation.

Support component sourcing, supplier evaluation and technical discussions with manufacturing partners.

Identify opportunities to reduce component cost, manufacturing time and product complexity without compromising quality.

Contribute to engineering change control and product-version management.

Review existing Boxbar products and recommend improvements based on performance data and operational feedback.

Work closely with Product, Software, Operations, Manufacturing, Installation and Client Success teams.

Collaborate with software engineers where physical products interface with Android applications, connected services or management platforms.

Gather feedback from technicians, operators, customers and event teams to understand how products perform in real-world use.

Communicate technical information clearly to both engineering and non-engineering colleagues.

Support project planning by providing realistic technical estimates, dependencies and risk assessments.

Represent Boxbar professionally when working with suppliers, partners and customers.

Support pilot installations and early-stage product deployments.

Attend selected venues or events to observe products operating in live conditions.

Investigate complex product failures and recommend permanent corrective actions.

Provide technical guidance and training to operational and service teams.

Help develop diagnostic procedures that allow issues to be resolved quickly and consistently.

Feed field performance and failure data back into the product-development process.

Design products with safety, serviceability, hygiene, reliability and regulatory compliance in mind.

Support risk assessments, design reviews and failure-mode analysis.

Contribute to UKCA, CE, electrical-safety, EMC and other relevant compliance activity.

Ensure technical documentation and product records are accurate and controlled.

Follow appropriate workshop, electrical and machinery-safety procedures.

Consider the specific requirements associated with beverage, fluid-handling and hospitality equipment.

You are a practical engineer who enjoys solving real-world problems and seeing ideas become physical products.

You will be:

Naturally curious, inventive and technically minded.

Comfortable moving between mechanical, electrical and automation challenges.

Hands-on and willing to build, wire, test, adjust and troubleshoot your own designs.

Methodical when diagnosing faults and validating solutions.

Comfortable working in an environment where product requirements can evolve quickly.

Able to balance speed, quality, reliability, cost and manufacturability.

Confident taking ownership while collaborating closely with others.

Comfortable working with incomplete information and creating clarity through testing.

Interested in technology that operates in hospitality, beverage and live-event environments.

Motivated by joining a scale-up where your work will directly influence the product roadmap.

Work directly on category-defining products with clear real-world applications.

Develop technology that combines automation, mechanical engineering, electrical systems and software.

Take ideas from an early concept through to physical deployment.

See your work used at major venues, events and hospitality environments.

Join a business where engineers have genuine ownership and influence.

Work on varied technical challenges rather than maintaining a single established production system.

Help shape Boxbar’s future products, R&D capability and engineering standards.