There are 2 job vacancies included in this article.
Research & Innovation Engineer (Sustainability)
Permanent
Harwich
£47,498.00 - 54,998.00 per annum (Successful candidates will be appointed on the starting salary of this range)
37 hours per week
Trinity House works for the benefit and safety of all mariners as a General Lighthouse Authority and maritime charity. Our people are central to our reputation as a leading maritime organisation, as is our commitment as an employer to developing the skills, capabilities and potential of our workforce.
Are you passionate about acting on climate change, and want an exciting role in innovating solutions with real-world applications?
Do you enjoy working at all levels of research and development, from blue sky thinking through to implementing results on the international stage?
Would you like to enhance your reputation working with a team of highly respected experts on cutting-edge technology that makes a real difference to keeping all safe at sea?
If so, this role could be for you!
The General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (GLA) are the public bodies responsible for ensuring the safety of all mariners at sea through the provision of aids-to-navigations (lighthouses, buoys, and associated systems). The GLA have a maturing understating of both their contribution to climate change, and the impact CC will have on their operations. To mitigate and adapt to these impacts the GLA have committed to developing new ways to safeguard mariners, whilst reducing their impacts on the environment (on the earth, workshop). The GLA Research and Development team (GRAD) conducts this cutting-edge research on behalf of the GLA and is recruiting a new engineer to lead on these topics.
The role
The sustainability engineer will work with colleagues across the UK and Ireland, liaising with industry and other stakeholders to ‘complete’ the ever-increasing research projects relating to sustainability. As is to be expect these topics are wide ranging with themes covering:
- Modelling and assessing climate change projection data to understand the impact on GLA assets and operations, and the introduction of new hazards to the mariner;
- Assessing risk from changing weather patterns, especially extreme conditions such as storms and heat waves;
- Forecasting the implications of changing legislative and policy requirements on the delivery of GLA strategies with a sustainability focus;
- Quantifying the anthropogenic impacts of GLA operations.
Who we are looking for
The ideal candidate will have a background in environmental management/science, sustainability or climate change or other related discipline, with a degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience.
They should also be able to demonstrate:
- Competent knowledge and experience of working on similar projects to the themes above.
- Experience of writing reports, delivering presentations and communicating insights to various audiences.
- An ability to interpret scientific and technical understanding and translate this into practical recommendations.
- A formalised approach to managing multiple projects across varying timelines.
- The capability to engage effectively with external partners, academic institutions and industry stakeholders.
- An aptitude for learning and development, ideally through collaboration and research skills.
- Experience of working in a research and development environment, with knowledge of engineering processes is desired
- Knowledge of maritime affairs is preferred, although not immediately essential for this role, however it must be evidencable how your skills and knowledge could transfer over.
This post will be located with the GRAD team in Harwich, although we offer flexible working arrangements. This role will require national and international travel, and candidates may be required to travel at short notice
If you would like to discuss this role, please contact William Dunning via william.dunning@gla-rad.org for an informal chat. For more about who we are and what we do, please visit the GRAD website at www.gla-rad.org.
Interview: week commencing 16th February 2026
Click here to view the role profile.
Research & Innovation Engineer (Visual Signalling)
Permanent
Harwich
£47,498.00 - 54,998.00 per annum (Successful candidates will be appointed on the starting salary of this range)
37 hours per week
The role:
This role supports delivery of visual signalling projects within the department, working on aspects such as refining the cooling design of LED light sources, on-site light intensity measurement of lighthouses and investigations into the use of drones for visual signalling performance confirmation. The jobholder will manage these types of projects, as well as carry out technical tasks and write reports to inform GLA colleagues of key conclusions.
These projects are focussed on the ensuring that the GLAs can provide a robust service to the mariner by developing new products, design tools for engineers and carrying out light measurements.
Being a small team, the candidate will be able to influence the direction and planning of projects within GRAD. As such, an open minded, innovative and driven individual is required in the role. The individual will also be required to work alongside other engineers to manage, maintain and use the light measurement facilities in Harwich. Experience of working with marine visual signals is desirable, but not essential as training can be provided to the successful candidate.
The candidate would be expected to concentrate their efforts on visual signalling projects, although there will be opportunities to work in other areas of GRAD such as radionavigation and communication services. This will give the candidate the potential to broaden their knowledge and experience
Ideally, the candidate will hold a science or engineering degree or equivalent experience. They should have practical experience of engineering in a marine environment, be able to communicate technical matters in an effective manner and have good project management skills.
Whilst the department provides research and development capabilities to support all three general lighthouse authorities of the UK and Ireland, the contract of employment will be with Trinity House. This post will be located with the GRAD team in Harwich, although we offer flexible working arrangements. The role will require some national and international travel. Since some of the work requires safe manual handling practices at lighthouses, including some with only helicopter or boat access, the candidate should be reasonably physically fit.
This is a great opportunity for an individual to influence the direction of future marine aids-to-navigation whilst working in a supportive friendly team!
If you would like to discuss this role, please contact the Principal Visual Signalling Engineer, Dr Alwyn Williams, on grad.recruitment@gla-rad.org for an informal chat. For more about who we are and what we do, please visit the GRAD website at www.gla-rad.org.
Interview: week commencing 9th February 2026
We welcome qualified individuals to apply and we look forward to reviewing your applications for this exciting opportunity. We are committed to equity within a respectful, diverse and inclusive environment.
If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete the online application process, by submitting your CV along with a supporting statement, evidencing how you meet the role requirements.
