Geomagnetism Instrumentation and Field Engineer

British Geological Survey

Geomagnetism Instrumentation & Field Engineer
Grade: UKRI Pay Band C/S1
Salary: £33,838 per annum
Contract Type:
Permanent

Hours:

Full-time – 37 hours a week

Location:

BGS Offices in Edinburgh (Heriot-Watt University Campus)
Closing date:
Thursday 5th March 2026

Interviews: will be held on 23rd & 24th March 2026 in Edinburgh.

A great benefits package is offered! including an outstanding pension scheme (with an generous employer contribution – on average 27% of your pay), 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays!

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and enthusiastic Instrumentation & Field Engineer to join our Geomagnetism Team The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic and multi-disciplinary team of engineering and science staff, with a specific role in the development and operation of BGS's global network of magnetic observatories, magnetic and magnetotelluric surveying, and space weather monitoring. The position will be key to ensuring continued, uninterrupted, 24/7 operation of the instrumentation, infrastructure and telemetry of the Geomagnetism programme to the highest international standards.

As well as providing opportunities for travel and fieldwork, the primary focus of the role will be on the preparation, testing, calibration and deployment of instrumentation providing real-time data for research and commercial applications.

This is an opportunity for a candidate willing to undertake the relevant training in instrumentation, engineering, IT, and geophysical measurement to gain unique and varied engineering knowledge and skills in geomagnetic observatory operations.

• Developing the instrument engineering skills necessary to maintain and improve the delivery of real‑time geomagnetic data from the BGS observatory network as part of a wider engineering team
• Assembly of instrumentation components and cabling, with development opportunity to an engineering design role
• Test, verification and deployment of new instrumentation and equipment
• Travel and fieldwork in support of BGS Geomagnetism UK and overseas observatory operations, magnetotelluric surveying and magnetic north resurvey
• Procurement of instrumentation, equipment and electronics laboratory tools, parts and consumables
• Maintenance of UKAS‑traceable calibration standards and QA records for electronics laboratory and observatory test equipment
• Quality and performance monitoring of real‑time magnetic observatory data systems in co‑operation with data analysis staff and reacting to system failures.

Candidates should have a BSc/Diploma or equivalent in engineering, physics, geophysics, or a similar relevant discipline. You should be able to demonstrate a practical aptitude for assembling or maintaining scientific instrumentation (or systems of similar complexity). You will be comfortable manipulating data sets in a common scientific programming language. Being willing and able to learn new scientific theories and engineering skills will be a crucial part of being successful in this role.

The post offers a balance of laboratory, office and fieldwork and will suit a meticulous, resourceful, self‑motivated person who is willing to travel and work for prolonged periods in the outdoors.

You will be expected to communicate engineering problems and concepts to your peers and show examples of technical problem‑solving ability.

Whilst being able to work on your own and show initiative, you must also be comfortable working as part of a team and be a strong communicator, both verbally and in writing.

• Be educated to BSc/Diploma level, or equivalent, in an engineering, physics, or geophysics discipline. (S)
• Have practical experience in or extensive knowledge of engineering systems in areas such as instrumentation, electrical systems, communications, IT or similar (S&I)
• Have experience in scientific computer programming, familiarity with scientific data analysis techniques and demonstrable programming skills in one or more scientific computing language (e.g. C++, Java, Python, Matlab, R) (S&I)
• Be able to travel extensively in the UK and overseas; be prepared to work…