Location: Manchester
Salary: £28,000 – £38,000 (depending on experience)
Company: KO2’s client – Established EMC Test Laboratory

Are you passionate about electronics? Want to build a rewarding, hands-on career in a highly specialised field with clear progression and real-world impact? KO2’s client, a long-established electronics and EMC testing laboratory based in Manchester, is looking for a Trainee EMC Electronics Engineer to join their expert team.

This is a rare opportunity to join a highly respected, close-knit team of just nine people, working directly with customers to ensure their products meet essential compliance standards. You’ll gain exposure to real electronics in action — from evaluating product failures to suggesting design improvements — and develop your skills in one of the UK’s few dedicated EMC test labs in the region.

Why join KO2’s client?

• 30 years of industry experience in EMC, and environmental product testing
• A hands-on role where electronics meets problem solving
• Family-run environment — low pressure, high support
• Real technical variety (not just testing — also diagnosis, rework, and design support)
• Clear pathway to Senior Engineer and potentially Director level in future
• Work directly with clients on-site and operate industry-grade testing equipment
• Like MythBusters, but real — you’ll literally “beat devices to death” with surges, RF, and environmental stress tests!

What you’ll be doing:

• Learning to operate and set up EMC and other compliance tests
• Interacting directly with customers to understand their electronics products and test needs
• Troubleshooting and advising on product failures
• Supporting or leading remedial work and occasional circuit redesign
• Progressing from trainee to senior level as your knowledge and confidence grows

What we’re looking for:

• A genuine passion for electronics — whether from formal education, tinkering at home, or hands-on work
• Interest in EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) — prior experience not essential
• Degree, HND, or no formal qualifications — we care more about aptitude and attitude
• Someone curious, practical, and eager to learn in a real-world electronics environment
• Bonus: Radio amateurs / hobbyists / repairers / electronics tinkerers especially welcome!

What you’ll gain:

• A stable, long-term role with real technical ownership
• Practical training from experienced engineers, including our current EMC lead
• Career progression into senior technical and leadership positions
• Access to a rare facility with equipment and knowledge not commonly found in the North of England
• A job that actually uses your passion for electronics

If you’re an aspiring engineer with a passion for electronics, ready to build a career in EMC testing and compliance, this is your chance to make a difference — and blow some stuff up (safely, of course).

Role: Embedded Software Engineer

Location: Chester

Salary: Up to £55,000 per annum (DOE)

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

About the Role

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced engineer to take a leading role in designing and developing embedded software solutions that power advanced technology used in energy systems. You’ll work on exciting new hardware platforms and contribute to products that connect seamlessly with cloud services to provide real-time, reliable data for critical applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop embedded software for cutting-edge measurement and monitoring devices.
• Develop firmware for in-house designed hardware platforms.
• Implement communication protocols between embedded systems and cloud-based platforms.
• Ensure code is high-quality, maintainable, and meets industry standards.
• Contribute to process and product improvements as the business scales.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in an agile development environment

What We’re Looking For

• Strong expertise in C/C++ (including C++11/14/17).
• Proven experience in embedded software development and the full product lifecycle.
• In-depth knowledge of low-level protocols (e.g. SPI, I2C, RS232).
• Experience working with ARM Cortex microprocessors.
• Proficiency with Linux (both as a development environment and target OS).
• Familiarity with Git and unit testing frameworks.
• Experience with Continuous Integration tools is a plus.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary: Up to £55,000
• 25 days holiday (FTE) + bank holidays, with additional days for long service (up to 30 days total)
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional holiday days per year
• 8% employer pension contribution
• Private Medical Insurance
• Group Life Insurance, Income Protection, and Critical Illness cover (or cash equivalents)
• Supportive, inclusive work culture with a focus on innovation, collaboration, and personal growth
• Excellent career development opportunities

How to Apply

Click Apply Now and submit your CV and cover letter. We’re excited to hear from engineers who are passionate about technology and eager to make a meaningful impact.

Senior Network Engineer

Worsley

£50,000 + Bonus (up to 15%) + Excellent Benefits

KO2’s client are hiring a Senior Network Engineer to join a fast-growing company based in Worsley, leading the charge in IoT-connected technology across Europe.

With 6,000–7,000 live devices operating across the continent and a complex LAN infrastructure connecting them all, this is a high-visibility, mission-critical role at the heart of the business. You’ll be working with a massive, high-availability network, bigger than most organisations of this size, with traffic across multiple APIs, customer endpoints, and network environments.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Taking the lead on network performance, reliability, and futureproofing a large IoT environment.
• Supporting and maintaining 18+ Layer 3 switches across on-site and data centre locations.
• Managing and optimising LAN/WAN and NOC infrastructure with a particular focus on upload scheduling and time-sensitive data traffic.
• Planning the transition to a hybrid cloud model—currently in testing—migrating from local data centres to cloud without compromising network security or device uptime.
• Owning all things network: Disaster Recovery, Data Protection, Security Policies, and compliance.
• Looking at ways to reduce costs and improve service performance, e.g., line procurement and provider negotiation.
• Supporting colleagues with Active Directory, Intune device management, and contributing to documentation, IT security, and general infrastructure support in a tight-knit team.

What KO2’s client are Looking For:

• Deep expertise in networking in complex, high-traffic environments, ideally in IoT or electronics-heavy organisations.
• Strong background in datacentre environments, ideally with experience in large ISPs or similar.
• Hands-on experience managing and optimising LAN/WAN networks and Layer 3 switching.
• Experience or strong interest in hybrid cloud transitions from legacy infrastructure.
• Understanding of security and compliance, with a pragmatic approach to maintaining uptime and resilience.
• Ability to work autonomously and own the entire networking estate.
• Familiarity with supporting wider infrastructure tools and platforms such as Intune, AD, and endpoint management.

Package:

• £55,000 – £60,000 salary
• Bonus up to 15%
• Private medical (with option to upgrade to family)
• 5% pension matched
• Dental and optical cover

Why Join KO2’s client?

• Take ownership of a large-scale, business-critical network
• Be the go-to expert in a company where networking is both a priority and a challenge
• Play a key role in shaping the future of the network as the business moves towards cloud
• Enjoy a supportive team, where your expertise is highly valued and your impact is visible

This is a rare opportunity to own and evolve the networking backbone of a thriving IoT company. If you’re someone who thrives in complex environments, has a passion for network infrastructure, and wants to be part of shaping the next generation of a critical platform—we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now or get in touch for a confidential chat.

Hardware Test Engineer
Manchester | Up to £45,000 | Hybrid WFH – 2 Days from Home a Week

KO2’s client, an industry leader in the design and development of cutting-edge automated electronic and software solutions, is looking to hire a Hardware Test Engineer to join their highly skilled engineering team.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work on a diverse range of innovative products used across industrial, commercial, and high-tech sectors. You’ll be responsible for hands-on testing of bespoke hardware systems, ensuring high standards of reliability and performance before deployment.

What You’ll Do:

• Develop and execute manual test procedures for hardware systems and components
• Work closely with design and development teams to identify and resolve issues
• Maintain test documentation and reports to support product validation
• Support compliance and certification processes
• Contribute to continuous improvements in test strategies and hardware verification

What You’ll Need:

• Proven experience in manual testing of electronic hardware
• Strong understanding of hardware debugging, fault-finding and validation
• Ability to interpret schematics, technical drawings, and datasheets
• Familiarity with lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, and signal generators
• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative mindset

Bonus Points For:

• A broad understanding of electronics including the ability to read circuit diagrams.

• Exposure to EMC, CE, or safety compliance testing
• Experience with firmware or embedded level software testing.

What’s On Offer:

• Salary up to £45,000
• Flexible hybrid working – 3 days on-site in Manchester, 2 days from home
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge, real-world technology
• Friendly and supportive team environment
• Career progression and training opportunities

Join a forward-thinking company at the forefront of electronics innovation. If you’re passionate about hardware and thrive on solving technical challenges, this is the role for you.

Apply today with an up to date CV to KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions.

Position: PCB Designer

Location: Chorley Area

Salary: Up to £60,000

We are seeking a skilled and detail-oriented PCB Designer to join our clients team in the Chorley area. This is a fantastic opportunity to play a critical role in the design and development of multi-layer printed circuit boards for a variety of cutting-edge projects. If you’re experienced with Cadstar 16 and enjoy working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, this could be the role for you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and layout multi-layer PCBs using Cadstar 16
• Translate schematic diagrams into production-ready PCB designs.
• Prepare and release all essential production documentation, including Gerbers, BOMs, and assembly drawings.
• Ensure all designs adhere to DRC, EMC, and DFM guidelines.
• Collaborate closely with engineers and project managers to meet technical and delivery requirements.
• Provide support for design revisions and quick turnarounds during prototyping and production phases.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Hands-on experience using Cadstar 16 for PCB layout.
• Solid understanding of PCB manufacturing processes and design constraints.
• Demonstrated experience with multi-layer board design and high-speed or mixed signal layouts.
• Knowledge of EMC/EMI best practices.
• Ability to produce precise, complete, and well-documented deliverables.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to work independently.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with other EDA tools is an advantage.
• Familiarity with IPC standards and RoHS compliance.

Apply today for this exciting new role via KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions.