Junior Mechanical Engineer

Application Deadline: 2 March 2026

Department: Engineering

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Bristol

Reporting To: Engineering Manager

Compensation: £31,200 - £40,230 / year

Description

Do you want to help build a company with the capacity to disrupt whole industries and take on environmental issues on a global scale?  

Matter. is a VC backed Cleantech scale-up and has an opportunity for a Junior Mechanical Engineer to be involved in the whole product lifecycle which will give you the opportunity to learn and put your skills and knowledge into practice.

Job Title: Junior Mechanical Engineer  Location: Central Bristol Salary Range: £31,200 - £40,230 per annum Matter. are innovators in water filtration, developing pioneering filtration technology to capture microplastics and cut carbon emissions. You will be working on some of the biggest challenges of our time, removing micropollutants from the world’s waterways. Through brilliant design thinking, powerful partners, and impatience to make what we do matter, our mission is to transform industries through technology that empowers customers and protects the planet. We pride ourselves on our amazing technology and passion for wanting to change things, but fundamentally what we are most proud of is our people.   For us, people are everything. It’s what makes a company, not the mission written on the wall or the fancy building we work in. Our people represent us, our values and why we do what we do. 
The Opportunity

Engineering the future starts with curious minds. As a Junior Mechanical Engineer at Matter, you’ll work on exciting projects that challenge conventional thinking and push technical boundaries. Join a forward-thinking team where your ideas matter, your skills are developed, and your career is set on a strong growth path.

As a Junior Mechanical Engineer, you will be involved in the full product lifecycle, supporting the design, development, prototyping, testing and installation of mechanical systems and components. You will have the opportunity to put your motivation, skills and academic knowledge into practice using CAD tools, the 3D printing suite, workshop and laboratory equipment. You will also engage in a local and international supply chain for the fabrication and assembly of Matter products.

You will develop strong core mechanical engineering skills including mechanical design, engineering calculations, prototype fabrication and testing. This will provide you the opportunity to gain hands on experience in the lab, whilst also being involved in the design development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Delivering assigned mechanical engineering work packages with guidance and support from senior engineers.
• Producing and maintaining engineering documentation related to your work packages, such as CAD models, drawings, test records and reports.
• Supporting the design and development of mechanical components and sub-systems, from concept to prototype and onto final products.
• Building, assembling and maintaining functional prototypes and full-scale industrial products using workshop tools.
• Conducting mechanical testing in line with agreed test plans and supporting the development of new test methods.
• Analysing test data and using results to inform design improvements.
• Keeping internal stakeholders updated on progress and producing clear technical reports that summarise your work.
• Supporting presentations of technical work to clients and external stakeholders, with increasing responsibility as you develop.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

How you will make an Impact

You will have a real and tangible influence on developing products that address real-world challenges, working closely with more experienced engineers who will support your technical development.

How you will grow

What sets our Junior Engineers apart is how the speed they develop at Matter, as no day is the same because they are given exposure to a wide variety of ‘in at the deep end’ learning experiences. You will gain insight into how proprietary design is developed all the way from the R&D phase, to prototype fabrication and on to batch manufacture, along with supporting on quality testing and assembly.

You will also be involved in reporting and building out the wider documentation of the project outputs in the design phase. There will be opportunities to travel and gain on-site experience at customer sites across Europe and south east Asia.

About You

Your essential experience

• A degree (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• The ability to solve mechanical engineering problems using first principles, supported by calculations, spreadsheets and basic simulation tools.
• A foundational understanding of core mechanical engineering principles such as mechanics, materials and basic fluid dynamics.
• Experience using CAD software to create parts and assemblies, with an understanding of tolerances and fits.
• Practical skills using hand tools and power tools to fabricate, assemble and modify mechanical prototypes.
• The ability to collect, process and interpret test data, and communicate findings clearly in written technical reports.
• Confidence presenting ideas and technical work to colleagues and, with support, to clients.

Your desirable experience

• Exposure to mechanical testing, test method development or running test schedules.
• An awareness of engineering documentation practices such as BOMs, functional requirements and risk assessments (e.g. FMEA).
• A basic understanding of design for manufacture principles, including machining, metal fabrication or injection moulding.
• Familiarity with simple FEA, CFD or other simulation tools gained through university projects or early professional experience.
• An interest in developing your skills towards system-level mechanical design and real-world product delivery.

Benefits

Benefits

• Flexible working environment, with core hours of 09:30-16:00 and hybrid working available, based at our central Bristol HQ  
• Annual Leave – 26 days + public holidays + entitlement will increase with length of service, 1 day for every year up to 32 days pa  
• 1 extra day of leave to celebrate you on your birthday  
• Ability to swap up to 3 Bank Holidays in a year for days of cultural or religious significance  
• Enhanced family leave (maternity & paternity) - 13 weeks full pay (maternity) or 4 weeks full pay (paternity) - available for those who have worked continuously for 26 weeks by the end of the Qualifying Week  
• Sick Pay - Short Term Sickness is full pay for 10 days in any 12-month rolling period / Long Term Sickness is full pay for any instance of a consecutive period of sickness longer than a week (7 consecutive days) up to 13 weeks.  
• Pension scheme (Aviva) – 5% employer contribution  
• Private Medical Insurance (BUPA) – you and your family (Level 1 cover)  
• Medical Cash Plan (SimplyHealth) - you and your family (Level 1 cover)  
• Critical Illness Cover (Zurich) - after 13 weeks of Illness 75% of wages paid up to 5 years  
• Dental Plan (BUPA) – you and your family (Level 1 cover)  
• Life Assurance (Zurich) - one-off payment of 2 times your annual salary to next of kin  
• Virtual GP  
• Employee Assistance Programme  
• Onsite kitchen, dining, breakout areas & healthy snacks  
• Monthly lunch clubs  
• Regular team events and parties  
• On-site parking for bicycles and cars  
• Cycle to work scheme  
• Ethical discounts through Lumina  
• Training & Development support incl. 5% of contractual hours used for self-development  
• Professional membership - one per year where relevant to role 

The global mission to achieve cleaner water can’t wait, so neither should you! Apply today!  What to expect After acknowledging your application, we will update you on the next stage of your hiring journey with Matter within 48 hrs.  At Matter, we believe that representation is crucial, and we are committed to creating a more inclusive organisation. We encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates, as we are dedicated to ensuring that everyone has a voice. We know that with increased diversity in our organisation, we can achieve even more.