Employer profile: Edwards Vacuum, a leading international vacuum technology manufacturer

Edwards Vacuum manufactures, designs, and produces vacuum parts which are used in everyday items like mobile phones and cars, but what is it like to work for them? In this guide, you’ll learn all about working for Edwards Vacuum, what apprenticeship opportunities are available, and how to apply.

Edwards Vacuum at a glance:

Dominique Whitefoot, who is a Talent Development Specialist, tells us what it’s really like to work for the company.

What does Edwards Vacuum do?

Edwards Vacuum develops vacuum technology and related components which are used by companies to test and build their products. This ranges from making parts for mobile phones and cars, to building components needed for manufacturing machinery.

Where is Edwards Vacuum based?

We are an international company, but we have three main sites in the UK: Eastbourne, Burgess Hill, and Clevedon. Each site is different but they all have office spaces where our engineers and operational staff are based like our finance, HR, and purchasing teams.

These sites also have a large manufacturing space known as the ‘shopfloor’ where some of our products are engineered, for example a range of different gauges that engineers use to gather measurements, and some of the smaller components which are used to build our industrial vacuum pumps.

What is the work environment like at Edwards Vacuum?

Our work environment is diverse. We have people based in labs, people who are desk-based doing things like design work, and people who work on the shopfloor manufacturing products. Our offices are mainly open plan, with a few meeting areas and breakout spaces.

Working at Edwards can be fast paced but this depends on your role. We also have jobs that require lots of quiet focus. Our engineers, for example, are responsible for testing our equipment, and our Software Developers sit and write code.

What are some of the most common roles at Edwards Vacuum?

The two most common roles at our Eastbourne site are engineers and operators. 

Our engineers are specialists in different areas including electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, software engineering, and Computer Aided Design. Some of the tasks they do include using data analysis tools to identify problems, testing products to make sure they work properly, and developing software to help operate our products.

Our operators help to build some of our components, which our customers then use to build their products. They also maintain our equipment, machinery, and make sure everything that we do is safe.

The typical hours worked for all roles is 8.00am - 4.45pm Monday to Thursday, and 8am – 1pm on Fridays. However some of the operator roles work on a shift basis so they might start slightly earlier or later than this.

The average-sized team across the company is around 8-10 people.

How can someone join Edwards Vacuum at entry level?

For students in the UK we offer degree-level apprenticeships in software engineering, electronic engineering, and manufacturing engineering. As an apprentice you’ll study 1-2 days a week at the University of Chichester and then work with us the remaining days of the week. The degree apprenticeships run over four years and apprentice salaries start at £19,000.

We’ll also offer Level 3 HR and Level 4 Finance apprenticeships next year too. These apprenticeships are likely to run over 18 months to 2 years.

We usually recruit late in autumn or early in the new year for all our degree apprenticeships and graduate programmes. We then review applications in February and run selection days in March. The selection days consist of a group activity (which is something fun such as a lego challenge!), an interview, and a presentation. 

What are the entry requirements for these roles?

If you’re looking to join us as an apprentice, we usually look for three A levels at grade C or above. Ideally these would include A level Mathematics plus another A level in a STEM discipline (or equivalent vocational qualification).

For our graduate roles we look for a relevant degree, as well as a clear passion for developing a career with us in your chosen field.

What skills does Edwards Vacuum look for in applicants?

We feel that a lot of the skills required can be learnt. However, we have a set of skills we look for when interviewing – teamwork, the ability to lead yourself, a commitment to sustainable growth, a desire to drive customer success, and motivation to improve business results. 

These are measured through interview questions where you’ll be asked to share previous examples of when you have demonstrated each of these skills.

For example, to show that you have an ability to lead yourself, you could tell us about when you built a prototype in your spare time.

What is one top tip to help an entry level applicant succeed at getting into Edwards Vacuum?

Prepare for the interview by learning more about us as a company. You can do this by looking at our website and exploring the many articles about our latest technological developments on our Knowledge Hub.

What work experience or internship opportunities are there at Edwards Vacuum?

Edwards Vacuum offers work experience for those at school or college who are looking to get an insight into what it’s like working within an engineering or manufacturing environment. Contact your careers advisor so they can get in touch with us, or send an email to the early careers specialist at Eastbourne.l&d@edwardsvacuum.com

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