Cartridge & Rocket Motor Technician

Cartridge & Rocket Motor Technician

Chalgrove | £28,500–£29,000 | Permanent

A globally recognised aerospace manufacturer in Chalgrove is looking for a Cartridge & Rocket Motor Technician to join its pyrotechnic manufacturing operation. You’ll be assembling, inspecting, testing, and packing cartridges and rocket motors in a precision, safety-critical environment — working with advanced radiography equipment, mass spectrometers, and proof firing chambers on live energetic components.

What you’ll be doing:

Performing radiography using DR and CT equipment to detect anomalies and verify correct assembly of cartridge and rocket assemblies

Proof firing of cartridges and rocket motors including assembly and setup of chambers and analysis of firing data

Measuring helium escapement rates using a mass spectrometer to agreed test limits

Visual inspection of cartridges and rocket motors to engineering drawings, company requirements, and specifications

Assembly of category 1 cartridges following company build plans, process work instructions, and engineering drawings

Inkjet marking, packing into licensed packaging, and labelling for customer shipment

Transportation of cartridges and rocket motors between stores, magazines, and process rooms

Contributing to risk assessments, safe systems of work, explosive safety, and 5S audits

Recording all work in progress, batch tracking, component locations, and non-conformances accurately in SAP

What you need:

Experience in an NDT or testing environment

Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, route cards, and relevant documentation

Level 1 Radiographer certification (ASNT or PCN) — essential

Solid data analysis and PC skills

Good verbal communication skills

Experience using digital X-ray systems desirable

SAP experience desirable

What’s on offer:

£28,500–£29,000 base salary

Initial 6-month days period to learn the role thoroughly

Moving to 4 on 4 off (07:00–16:30) after 6 months, with a 22.6% shift allowance — bringing total package to approximately £34,930–£35,540

Early finish Fridays on day shift (08:00–12:00)

Strong benefits package

Long-term stability with over a decade of secured contracts

This is a specialist role working with live pyrotechnic components in a tightly regulated environment. If you have an NDT or radiography background and are looking for something genuinely different, this is a rare opportunity.

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