Prototyping Engineer

Element Six, part of De Beers Group, is a global leader in the design, development and production of synthetic diamond and tungsten carbide supermaterials.

With research and development facilities and manufacturing sites in the UK, Ireland, Germany, South Africa and the US, we have been pushing the boundaries of synthetic diamond innovation for more than 60 years. We utilise the extreme properties of synthetic diamond to open up new possibilities in exciting areas such as quantum optics, acoustics and thermal conductivity.  

Our success comes from building strong, collaborative relationships, both internally in our extraordinary teams, and externally with our customers. We strive to deliver extreme performance and we seek talented, ambitious people who will thrive in an environment that fosters individuality, inclusivity, innovation and creativity.

We offer an exciting and varied career, with opportunities to work in various locations and teams, and across different functions and projects.

If you like the idea of an exciting variety of work in a diverse global team, then we want you to get in touch.

The Prototyping Engineer will be part of a small, multi‑disciplined team responsible for the design and delivery of prototype CVD diamond products. This is a highly hands‑on role covering the full product journey—from early design and first‑off manufacture through to transfer into volume production.

The role involves manufacturing prototype components using a range of precision processing techniques, supporting the development of new products across all CVD diamond application areas. The Prototyping group develops initial samples and specialist parts, then works closely with production teams to transfer processes as demand and volumes increase.

The successful candidate will collaborate with sales, commercial, and application engineering teams to optimise products for customer use and will have opportunities to work with the Process Improvement team to enhance yields and manufacturability.

Duties and tasks

• Manufacture first‑off prototypes and specialist parts, delivering to agreed timescales with significant hands‑on involvement.
• Assess new product designs for manufacturability using existing materials, equipment, and process capability.
• Define manufacturing routings to achieve required product specifications, including providing cost estimates.
• Coordinate prototype projects within and across value streams to ensure timely delivery of defined products.
• Develop and document manufacturing methods to support successful transfer of processes into production.
• Collaborate with Product Application Engineers to design products aligned with customer requirements and manufacturing capability.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives by working with Process Improvement teams to improve yields and robustness.
• Maintain accurate records and documentation to ensure traceability and repeatability.

• Experience working in a precision and/or high‑value manufacturing environment.
• Strong desire to apply existing engineering knowledge while learning and developing new manufacturing techniques.
• Familiarity with technical drawings is essential; ability to generate or modify drawings is an advantage.
• Some experience with CAD and/or CAM systems is desirable.
• Experience with optical inspection and surface quality control techniques is advantageous.
• Pro‑active problem solver with the ability to tackle technical challenges and see projects through to completion.
• Comfortable balancing hands‑on processing work with administrative and documentation tasks.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across engineering, production, and commercial teams.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation verifying their eligibility to work in the UK. Visa sponsorship is not provided for this role.