Degree Apprentice – Product Design Engineer

AVIRE TRADING LIMITED

Berkshire (SL6 7RJ)

Closes in 16 days (Monday 19 May 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 2 May 2025

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Summary

Avire is seeking an apprentice to join our small, high impact Product & Innovation Team. Avire is at the forefront of development of emergency communications systems and other safety-of-life products. Working in a highly collaborative international environment, you will work to build your knowledge and skills in product design engineering.

Wage

£26,500 a year

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Your salary will be reviewed annually in line with your development of the required knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs), rising to £35,000 - £40,000 (depending upon performance) over the duration of the programme.

Training course
Product design and development engineer (degree) (level 6)
Hours
With core hours of 09:30 - 15:30. Initially you will be expected to be on-site (when not attending college) Monday-Friday. In later years of the apprenticeship there may be an opportunity to work remotely on Monday & Friday.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 8 September 2025

Duration

4 years 2 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Avire is seeking an apprentice to join our small, high impact Product & Innovation Team. Avire is at the forefront of development of emergency communications systems and other safety-of-life products for the building services industry, with a particular focus on high-rise buildings. Your work will be critical to ensuring that building occupants, particularly less mobile occupants, and those with disabilities, are protected and able to communicate in the event of emergencies such as high-rise building fires.

Working in a highly collaborative international environment, you will work to build your knowledge and skills in product design engineering through a combination of off-the-job training (delivered by our partners at Newbury College/University Centre Newbury) and on-the-job development.

Your tuition will be fully funded for the full duration of the programme, meaning you will achieve a degree level qualification without needing to take on any student debt.

You will initially be paid a salary of £26,500, and this will be reviewed annually in line with your development of the required knowledge, skills, and behaviour (KSBs), rising to £35,000 - £40,000 (depending upon performance) over the 4-year duration of the programme, subject to achieving the required KSBs.

What will you be doing?

Over the course of your 4-year apprenticeship, you will learn to:

  • Create and understand technical documents like engineering drawings, 3D CAD models, simulation models, project plans, reports, and data using company systems and guidelines.
  • Apply the principles and practice of design for market, design for manufacturability, design for testability and design for maintainability.
  • Support the industrialisation of electronic products and their entry into full-scale manufacture.
  • Find and fix faults, errors, or unexpected results during design or development that could affect the quality or reliability of the product, system, or component.
  • Identify areas for improvement and lead ongoing efforts to enhance how the product, system, or component operates and performs.
  • Develop project plans, including resource planning, time planning, risk and contingency management and estimating techniques.
  • Apply legislative and non-legislative requirements, including international and national standards and regulations.
  • Undertake basic financial modelling of product and projects.
  • Apply health and safety principles to your own work and the work of others under your care and supervision.

Please note: Your application will not be passed on to the employer for their consideration if you do not have the grades/experience requested in the qualifications section.

Please do not use AI to answer the application questions.  

Where you'll work

Unit 1 The Switchback
Gardner Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 7RJ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

NEWBURY COLLEGE

Your training course

Product design and development engineer (degree) (level 6)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents
  • Translate conceptual ideas or technical requirements into developmental outcomes or operational designs or specifications for products, systems or components to solve engineering challenges such as compliance, technology, technical or physical challenges.
  • Select, use and apply approved problem-solving methods to solve complex problems and determine appropriate solutions or actions such as Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control (DMAIC), Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) or Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA).
  • Collate and use a range of data sources and supporting documentation to support projects.
  • Interpret and produce technical documentation such as schematic and circuit diagrams, engineering drawings or 3D CAD models, simulation models, project plans, engineering reports, test reports, fault reports or data analytics using company documentation systems and guidelines.
  • Observe, record and draw accurate and auditable conclusions from data or developmental or test evidence.
  • Manage assigned projects or programmes of work to meet the required specification, taking into account factors such as resource requirements, safety, quality, cost and performance or sustainability criteria. Apply processes for project or programme management including outcomes such as escalation, audit or risk management and risk mitigation.
  • Comply with statutory and organisational safety standards and requirements, supporting safety risk assessments and mitigate any risks identified within the design, manufacture, development or test activity.
  • Identify resources, such as digital tools or technologies, human, equipment, materials or data, to complete design and development projects or programmes of work.
  • Create and manage a project or work programme plan and develop activities in a logical process embedding mechanisms for adapting to changing circumstances or requirements.
  • Demonstrate leadership when undertaking product design, development, modification or update engineering activities.
  • Identify and rectify faults, inaccuracies, discrepancies or unexpected results during the design or development process, which may impact the quality and reliability of the product, system or component.
  • Ensure that all systems or equipment has been correctly configured and checked for safe operation before use.
  • Evaluate engineering designs, development or modification options.
  • Identify areas for improvement and lead continuous improvement activities in the operation and performance of the product, system or component.
  • Complete project documentation checks throughout the activity and report non-conformances.
  • Translate conceptual ideas or technical requirements into developmental outcomes or operational designs or specifications for products, systems or components to solve engineering challenges such as compliance, technology, technical or physical challenges.
  • Select, use and apply approved problem-solving methods to solve complex problems and determine appropriate solutions or actions such as Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control (DMAIC), Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) or Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA).
  • Collate and use a range of data sources and supporting documentation to support projects.
  • Interpret and produce technical documentation such as schematic and circuit diagrams, engineering drawings or 3D CAD models, simulation models, project plans, engineering reports, test reports, fault reports or data analytics using company documentation systems and guidelines.
  • Observe, record and draw accurate and auditable conclusions from data or developmental or test evidence.
  • Manage assigned projects or programmes of work to meet the required specification, taking into account factors such as resource requirements, safety, quality, cost and performance or sustainability criteria. Apply processes for project or programme management including outcomes such as escalation, audit or risk management and risk mitigation.
  • Comply with statutory and organisational safety standards and requirements, supporting safety risk assessments and mitigate any risks identified within the design, manufacture, development or test activity.
  • Identify resources, such as digital tools or technologies, human, equipment, materials or data, to complete design and development projects or programmes of work.
  • Create and manage a project or work programme plan and develop activities in a logical process embedding mechanisms for adapting to changing circumstances or requirements.
  • Demonstrate leadership when undertaking product design, development, modification or update engineering activities.
  • Identify and rectify faults, inaccuracies, discrepancies or unexpected results during the design or development process, which may impact the quality and reliability of the product, system or component.
  • Ensure that all systems or equipment has been correctly configured and checked for safe operation before use.
  • Evaluate engineering designs, development or modification options.
  • Identify areas for improvement and lead continuous improvement activities in the operation and performance of the product, system or component.
  • Complete project documentation checks throughout the activity and report non-conformances.

Your training plan

  • The successful candidate will be completing the Level 6 Product Design and Development Engineer (Degree) Apprenticeship Standard. 
  • The apprenticeship involves attending Newbury College/University Centre Newbury one day a week during Term Time for four academic years.
  • The Apprentice will be supported throughout by a Development Coach from Newbury College who will hold regular reviews and occasional visits to the workplace.
  • At the end of your apprenticeship you will have completed the Level 6 Product Design and Development Engineer (Degree) Apprenticeship Standard and will be required to complete an End Point Assessment (EPA). 
  • Your Development Coach will support you with preparing for your EPA. 

More training information

  • Remote Working & Travel.
  • This role is based on-site at our offices in Maidenhead, with 1 day per week spent off-site at Newbury College during term time. Other routine travel is not expected in this role, but you will have the opportunity as part of this programme to visit our offices in Barcelona (Spain) and our factory in České Budějovice (Czechia) over the 4-year duration of the programme.
  • Other travel needs will be discussed as and when they arise and made by mutual agreement. 

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4/C or higher)
  • Maths (grade 4/C or higher)

A Level in:

  • Maths (grade A or B)
  • Maths or STEM subject (grade A or B)
  • STEM subject (grade A or B)

BTEC in:

Engineering (grade DDM)

Desirable qualifications

Other in:

  • Higher Maths (grade Grade 5 or above)
  • Science (grade Grade 5 or above)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Interest in how things work
  • Interest in electronic systems
  • Design & development interest
  • Able to work as part of a team
  • Enjoy solving puzzles
  • Problem solver

Other requirements

Do you have the required grades as requested? Please be aware that your application will not be passed on to the employer for their consideration if you do not have the suitable grades/experience requested.

About this company

Avire combines 4 market-leading brands (Microkey, Janus, Memco and Rath) within the elevator and life-safety industries. Each brand has a strong market presence, a unique identity, a distinct product range, and a long, successful history. We design, develop, and manufacture light curtains, emergency communication and connectivity solutions. Our products are installed in over four million buildings & public areas worldwide and keep millions of people safe, every single day. The group has manufacturing locations in 2 countries, R&D centres in 3 countries and sales & marketing offices in 6 countries as well as over 400 employees globally. Avire is part of the Halma group (www.halma.com). Halma offers very high levels of autonomy to its operating companies, while providing support when needed, with a particular focus on talent development and investment in people. See www.halma.com/our-people for more information. If you’re interested in working for a business whose primary focus is to protect and improve the lives of people around the world, you’ve come to the right place. We aim to be a company that does good work, and that’s good to work for. Halma employs over 7,000 people in 45 subsidiary businesses based in over 20 countries. Through innovation and acquisition, we have developed a portfolio of market-leading companies within our three sectors: Safety, Medical, and Environmental & Analysis.

http://www.halma.com/our-people (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

• Competitive salary • Opportunities for career development • Flexible work arrangements • Bonus scheme • Healthcare via GP24 • Life assurance • Group share scheme • Generous contributory pension • Extended parental leave

After this apprenticeship

  • You will progress to becoming a fully qualified engineer over the course of the apprenticeship, with annual salary reviews that will take your salary to £35,000 - £40,000 (depending upon performance) over the duration of the programme, subject to achieving the required KSBs.
  • All our engineers are supported in gaining professional registration as an Engineering Technician, Incorporated Engineer or Chartered Engineer (as appropriate to their level of experience and responsibility).
  • You will have opportunities to progress to Senior Engineer, Principal Engineer and to subsequently take on roles as an Engineering Manager or Technical Expert. 58% of our engineers hold a Master's degree or DPhil/PhD and we are committed to continue investing in our education beyond your apprenticeship.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

NEWBURY COLLEGE

Apprenticeship Team

business@newbury-college.ac.uk

01635 845229

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000318590.

Apply now

Closes in 16 days (Monday 19 May 2025 at 11:59pm)

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