Other positions
Radar and Communications Engineer
Customer Support Engineer (Vacuum Furnaces and Electron Beam Welders)
Customer Support Manager (Vacuum Furnaces and Electron Beam Welders)
Biography
David Paterson is Chief Workshop Technician in the Electrical and Information Engineering Technology Laboratory (EIETL) within the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge. He has over 40 years’ experience in engineering across defense, advanced manufacturing, and higher education.
David began his career in the Royal Air Force (1979–1990) as an Electronics Engineer, where he gained extensive hands-on experience in the maintenance, repair, and modification of ground-based communications systems, surveillance radar, and weapons guidance systems. This work provided a strong foundation in fault diagnosis, safety-critical engineering, and disciplined technical practice.
From 1990 to 2013, he worked internationally in vacuum engineering as a Customer Support Engineer, specialising in the installation, commissioning, and maintenance of vacuum furnaces and electron beam welding systems. His responsibilities included calibration, preventative and corrective maintenance, system upgrades, bespoke modifications, and customer training in high-value manufacturing environments.
He subsequently served as Customer Support Manager (2013–2016), leading an international engineering support team. In this role, he strengthened global support operations, developed team capability, improved incident and problem management processes, and represented customer support at board level.
In his current role, David supports practical teaching and project-based learning within EIETL. He works closely with students, academic staff, and technical colleagues to ensure laboratory facilities are safe, reliable, and effective. He plays a key role in the Integrated Design Project (IDP) and fourth-year undergraduate projects, providing technical guidance, operational oversight, and practical engineering support.
In addition, David actively contributes to outreach, public engagement, and collaborative activities within the Department. He supports open days, school visits, and demonstrations, helping to communicate engineering concepts to prospective students and wider audiences. He engages with external visitors, industry partners, and interdisciplinary collaborators, providing insight into laboratory capabilities and engineering practice. Through these activities, he helps promote engineering as an accessible, practical, and innovative discipline.
He is committed to promoting safe working practices, enabling students to translate theory into practice, and supporting an inclusive laboratory environment that fosters innovation, engagement, and professional development.
Department role and responsibilities
Chief Workshop Technician in the Electrical and Information Engineering Technology Laboratory (EIETL).
General
- Promote best practice in health, safety, and wellbeing
- Support students, academic staff, and technical colleagues
- Maintain and repair laboratory equipment and facilities
- Assist with laboratory operations and administration
- Contribute to continuous improvement of laboratory processes
Public Engagement and Outreach
- Support departmental open days, outreach events, and school visits
- Demonstrate laboratory equipment and engineering principles to non-specialist audiences
- Engage with prospective students and the public, promoting engineering education
- Assist visiting academics, industry partners, and external collaborators
- Contribute to showcasing departmental facilities and capabilities
Integrated Design Project (IDP)
- Advise students on design concepts and engineering solutions
- Act as a primary technical point of contact within EIETL
- Oversee day-to-day technical operations of projects
- Ensure availability of appropriate resources and equipment
- Collaborate with academic and Architecture teams
Fourth-Year Projects
- Support undergraduate project work
- Provide technical advice and guidance
- Maintain commonly used electronic components and equipment
- Process orders for student project materials