Working for Us
As a growing business, with specialist technical expertise, it’s essential that we invest in our workforce and build a succession plan for the future of the business.
We devote time and resource into bringing apprentices and placement students into the business every year. We give genuine career opportunities and real accountability to ambitious recruits with an aptitude for engineering.
Graduate Opportunities & Apprenticeships
Student Placements & Graduate opportunities
Student placements are another great opportunity for us to bring new skills and ideas into the business, from students who already have an in-depth knowledge of engineering theory. You will be exposed very quickly to projects that will build on your academic knowledge, leaving you with very useful experience to build on when you complete your studies.
Recent students have taken up very hands-on roles, with several of them returning to the business permanently after their studies, to take up senior management roles.
Whilst we don’t offer a structured graduate development programme, we always welcome speculative applications from graduates with relevant academic qualifications. Contact us if you would like to discuss how your experience and qualifications could help us grow our business further.
Apprenticeships
Our engineering apprenticeships give you a structured programme of career development. This will include academic studies – typically NVQ and BTEC qualifications, with many apprentices going on to complete a HNC or HND qualification.
More importantly though, you will gain early exposure to important processes within the business such as quality management, sales and manufacturing. Many previous apprentices have progressed quickly into management roles as the business has grown.
“I joined Alco in 2013 on an apprenticeship which I’ve now completed. I’m now being supported to study my HNC in Mechanical Engineering, which I’m really looking forward to starting to develop my career even further.
I worked in several different departments as part of my apprenticeship and I now work on the larger valves such as subsea and large trunnion mounts. I find the work really interesting and I just want to keep working hard and progress further up the chain with Alco, and my HNC will help me do this. A lot of my friends from college also went through engineering apprenticeships and it feels like Alco compares very well with some of the other apprentice schemes my friends have been through.”
Jordan Clavin
ASSEMBLER & FITTER
“I joined Alco in 2013 partway through my apprenticeship and the company supported me in advancing on to my HNC, which I have now achieved. I really enjoy working at Alco because I like to be involved in key processes and I have had a lot of opportunities to do this.
I have had a really hands-on role with work such as fire testing and type approval testing, and I even flew to Oman to help a vendor set up their own testing procedures. I want to keep doing more of this kind of work and maybe get more involved with finished products that we develop within the R&D team. I feel like Alco really listen to their staff and give us all plenty of opportunities to progress.”
Mark Smith
R&D ENGINEER
“I really enjoy working so closely with customers - many of them in other parts of the world - and building relationships with them. I recently secured a very large contract for over 20 valves going to Egypt which was really rewarding and I got some great help from my colleagues to secure the deal.
I really enjoy working at Alco and having worked at the old premises and moved to the new one. I also feel that I personally am getting great support from the business to build my career and see a good future for myself here. ”
Sam Walland
APPRENTICE SALES SUPPORT ENGINEER
“My first experience of Alco was two weeks’ work experience while I was at 6th form college. That then turned into a part-time job, and when I completed college I started an apprenticeship and will start my HNC studies shortly.
What I enjoy most about working at Alco is the real responsibility you get. For example I am very involved in testing at all stages of the manufacturing process, and I have worked alongside third party inspectors to demonstrate my methods as part of our quality management accreditations. It just goes to show that if you work hard and use the knowledge you’ve picked up from your studies, you will get opportunities to progress quickly.”
Josh Milthorpe
QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR
“I joined Alco in 2015 as an apprentice and have worked across the full range of valve products as an assembler. I am studying for an NVQ in Engineering Maintenance and I am impressed with how well my studies fit with the work I am doing.
I see good long-term potential at Alco and the things I enjoy most are the variety of the work, the fact that it’s challenging and teaches you new things regularly and the way the whole team work together and support one another.”
Sam Lane
APPRENTICE ASSEMBLER
CURRENT VACANCIES
Current career opportunities can be found below. We always welcome speculative applications from high-calibre individuals who share our values of engineering excellence and quality management. You can also contact us for an informal discussion.
Description of Position
As an R & D Engineer you will form a vital part of the Alco family having involvement in the development of new products and the improvement of existing products, ensuring that we offer the customer the optimum product in terms of both reliability and quality.
Role Structure and Responsibilities
As part of the Engineering team, you will report directly to the Engineering Manager and be responsible for all aspects of R&D engineering output, including:
- New product development, including all aspects of prototype testing
- Existing product update
- Value engineering
- Bill of Materials (Syspro)
- Detailed drawings (Autodesk Inventor)
- General Arrangement drawings (Autodesk Inventor)
- Design reporting (To meet code requirements)
- Technical review
- Shopfloor support
- Test rig development
- Assembly procedures, including tooling requirements
- Test procedure development
Essential/Desirable Skills Required
- HNC/HND level education in Mechanical Engineering
- 2 years or more experience in the valve Industry
- Practical ability for problem-solving, hands-on capability
- Working knowledge of Autodesk Inventor (3D) and Auto Cad (2D), or other CAD system
- Knowledge of valve design codes
- Proficient in Microsoft office
- Strong team ethic
- Desire to achieve
General Information
This position will offer an excellent opportunity for a motivated candidate to demonstrate their ability to improve existing product reliability and develop new products for the energy sector. You will be working in a small team alongside experienced engineers.
Salary
- Up to £33,000 per annum dependant on experience
- With a potential discretionary annual bonus payment based on company performance
Working Hours
38.5 hours per week
Monday to Thursday : 8.00am – 4.45pm – lunch 12.30 to 13.00 (or as required)
Friday : 8.00am – 1.30pm – no lunch
Benefits
- 33 days annual leave made up of flexible, statutory and end of year shutdown holidays.
- After probation completion access to a Health Care Cash Plan
- Statutory Pension Scheme in line with automatic enrolment
Company Background
Founded in the United Kingdom September 1977, Alco Valves Ltd. was incorporated with the express purpose of manufacturing a comprehensive range of technically advanced, precision made, high integrity valve products and accessories. With over forty years of success behind it, Alco Valves continues to develop export markets, which has been a key strategy for Alco Valves Group and it is very proud to have been previously awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade for 2014 in recognition of the Company’s outstanding performance and demonstration of sustainable growth through increased trading worldwide. Today, Alco Valves Group supplies its products to customers in over 150 countries worldwide.
Mission
To provide safe, reliable, instrumentation and pipeline products to the energy sector. To meet and exceed our clients requirements, specifications and expectations. To provide customer service second to none, now and into the future.
Company General Policy Statement
Our Company policy is to safely and efficiently design, manufacture, assure quality, integrity test, package, sell and market the Alco brand name of world leading valve products. This offers our clients meaningful advantages whilst remaining forward facing, environmentally conscious and committed to the improvement of safety and the reduction of costs. The Alco Valves range of products is sold widely in both the domestic and international energy markets to major EPC’s and end users. We aim to deliver our quality products on time into critical applications. Millions of Alco products have been successfully installed and are in use by our clients today.
Description of Position
As a Valve Design Engineer, you will form a vital part of the Alco family having involvement in the order process from quotation to final delivery. In role you will support the creation of all the deliverables required of the Engineering department, ensuring that we offer the customer the optimum product in terms of both reliability and quality.
Role Structure and Responsibilities
As part of the Engineering team, you will report directly to the Engineering Manager and be responsible for all aspects of engineering output, including:
- New product development
- Existing product update
- Value engineering
- Bill of Materials (Syspro)
- Detailed drawings (Autodesk Inventor)
- General Arrangement drawings (Autodesk Inventor)
- Design reporting (To meet code requirements)
- Technical review
- Sales support
- Customer support
- Technical data sheets
- Shopfloor support
- Test procedure development
Essential/Desirable Skills Required
- HND or Degree level education in Mechanical Engineering
- 5 years or more experience in the valve Industry
- Solid working knowledge of Autodesk Inventor (3D) and Auto Cad (2D), or other CAD system
- Excellent knowledge of valve design codes
- Proficient in Microsoft office
- Strong team ethic
- Desire to achieve
General Information
This position will offer an excellent opportunity for an experienced, motivated candidate to demonstrate their ability to improve existing product reliability and develop new products for the energy sector.
Salary
- Up to £38,000 per annum dependant on experience
- With a potential discretionary annual bonus payment based on company performance
Working Hours
38.5 hours per week
Monday to Thursday : 8.00am – 4.45pm – lunch 12.30 to 13.00 (or as required)
Friday : 8.00am – 1.30pm – no lunch
Benefits
- 33 days annual leave made up of flexible, statutory and end of year shutdown holidays.
- After probation completion access to a Health Care Cash Plan
- Statutory Pension Scheme in line with automatic enrolment
Company Background
Founded in the United Kingdom September 1977, Alco Valves Ltd. was incorporated with the express purpose of manufacturing a comprehensive range of technically advanced, precision made, high integrity valve products and accessories. With over forty years of success behind it, Alco Valves continues to develop export markets, which has been a key strategy for Alco Valves Group and it is very proud to have been previously awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade for 2014 in recognition of the Company’s outstanding performance and demonstration of sustainable growth through increased trading worldwide. Today, Alco Valves Group supplies its products to customers in over 150 countries worldwide.
Mission
To provide safe, reliable, instrumentation and pipeline products to the energy sector. To meet and exceed our clients requirements, specifications and expectations. To provide customer service second to none, now and into the future.
Company General Policy Statement
Our Company policy is to safely and efficiently design, manufacture, assure quality, integrity test, package, sell and market the Alco brand name of world leading valve products. This offers our clients meaningful advantages whilst remaining forward facing, environmentally conscious and committed to the improvement of safety and the reduction of costs. The Alco Valves range of products is sold widely in both the domestic and international energy markets to major EPC’s and end users. We aim to deliver our quality products on time into critical applications. Millions of Alco products have been successfully installed and are in use by our clients today.
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