Vacuum cleaner pioneer Dyson has announced plans to expand its engineering headcount by 350 at its Malmesbury, Wiltshire headquarters.
The recruitment drive will double the number of engineers and bring the total staff at the site to over 1,600. Dyson says many of the new recruits will come straight from university and will fill positions including graduate design engineers, mechanical engineers and acoustic engineers.
The company, founded by Sir James Dyson who gave it his name, predominately makes the bagless cyclone vacuum cleaner technology which became the market leader soon after its mass release in the 1990s. In recent years it has branched out and now offers hand dryers – trademarked as the ‘Airblade’, washing machines and desk fans, all of which it claims are more efficient alternatives to the current respective market norms.
Sir James pointed to the company’s focus on innovation as a key strength that will place it in good stead to take advantage of a new economy lead by advanced manufacturing post-recession.
“We have actually had a very good recession [and] will continue to invest in research and development,” he said. “We are the second-largest filer of patents in the UK after Rolls-Royce. It is a good time generally and we are developing a wide range of new products using microbiology, acoustics and aerodynamics.
“We have always been big recruiters, and now we are looking for a range of graduates with the specialist skills to work on new products as well as further development of existing products such as the Airblade.”
“I am extremely proud of the new technology developed by our engineers in Malmesbury. It is vital that Dyson – and the UK – continues to invest in the nation’s engineering talent if we are to stay ahead.
“With excellent young aspiring scientists and engineers in our schools it falls to companies such as Dyson to encourage this future generation. As our need for good design and technology increases so does the need for creative and adventurous designers, engineers and scientists.”
Sir James has regularly spoken publicly about the need for the UK to focus on innovation and R&D. Last month he filed a report – Ingenious Britain – having been commissioned to by the Conservative party, in which he called for more R&D tax credits and a bigger focus on engineering within the education system.
Dyson used to manufacture at the Wiltshire site but from 2002 it began to move production to Malaysia and turn the UK focus onto R&D.
For anyone interested in a career with Dyson, see www.careers.dyson.com/process.asp
