Waters
For over 60 years, Waters has developed innovative analytical science solutions to support customer discoveries, operations, performance, and regulatory compliance. Waters
Our Scholarships
Placement Location
Wilmslow
Type of Placements Offered
• Summer placements only
Restrictions/Notes
Who we are and what we do
Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT), is a global leader in life sciences and diagnostics, dedicated to accelerating the benefits of pioneering science through analytical technologies, informatics, and service. With approximately 16,000 employees worldwide, Waters operates directly in 31 countries, including 15+ manufacturing facilities, and with products available in more than 100 countries.
At Wilmslow, our focus is on the development and delivery of mass spectrometry systems and software in a collaborative and dynamic team environment. Our mass spectrometers deliver benefits to customers in many industries and make a meaningful impact to our lives through examples such as:
- Neo-natal screening to keep babies healthy
- Ensuring consistent, reliable safety in our global food and water supply
- Developing new medicinal therapies to advance human health
- Ensuring participants in the world’s sporting events compete fairly
The Waters Electronics Design Team develops cutting edge electronics for Waters Mass Spectrometers. This includes bespoke high bandwidth acquisition systems, very low noise high voltage power supplies, high voltage RF, complex digital processing implementations and other instrument control logic.
What you could be doing during your work placement
At Waters, we believe in delivering innovative technology and system solutions to our valued customers. As a placement student working in an industry leading Electronics Development Team, you will be involved with the development, design and support of electronic sub-assemblies for leading edge scientific products.
Working within the Wilmslow Electronics team will give you the opportunity to develop the skills learnt at university in a real working environment. You will be exposed to a full range of electronics disciplines: high speed digital, complex analogue, FPGAs, microcontrollers and system design. We also encourage to develop management and leadership skills. You may also have the opportunity to work with our offshore teams in India and Singapore.
Meet one of our Scholars
Name: Jenietha
Sponsor: Waters
University: University of York
Degree Course: MEng Electronic and Computer Engineering
What appeals to you about electronics?
I enjoy the combination of creativity and technical problem-solving, where I can design ideas, develop solutions, and see them come to life through hardware and systems. This blend of innovation and engineering is what makes electronics such an exciting and rewarding field for me.
Why did you want a scholarship with Waters?
I was interested in a scholarship with Waters because of the company’s specialism in scientific instruments that support pioneering research, especially within the medical and life sciences sectors. I was drawn to the purpose behind Waters’ work and the real-world impact it has on improving scientific understanding and advancing healthcare. The opportunity to contribute to technology that enables important research made Waters an especially appealing company to work with and learn from.
What type of work have you been involved with during your placement?
During my summer placements, I worked on the design and development of a regulated 15kV power supply unit for use in Waters’ quadrupole mass spectrometers. The project involved working with multiple electronics disciplines, ranging from mixed-signal electronics and power electronics to digital systems and FPGA design. Working on this project from initial design to bench testing and validation allowed me to use the knowledge from my university studies in a real-life application, as well as gain an appreciation of the differences between a theoretical design and a physical assembly, and how that affects electronic systems in a solution with stringent requirements. The support from the electronics team during my time at Waters made my experience so much more enriching and enjoyable.
What are your hobbies and interests?
Outside of electronics, my interests lie in the performing arts. I work as a guitarist in pit bands for musical theatre productions, and I regularly perform with the university’s Concert Band as an alto saxophonist. I am also part of the University of York’s softball team, who frequently compete with other university softball teams across the UK.
Meet one of our Engineers
Name: Adam
Job Title: Electronic Engineer
How did you get here?
I love that electronics is all around us, continuously changing the world, and developing at a faster than any other technology in history. I love that it is endlessly complex; there will always be more to learn about anything you want to learn more about. Most of all, I love being at the forefront of new technological development.
The more I learnt about Waters, the more I thought it was a great opportunity. I initially chose Waters because of the wide range of specialisms within electronics which I would be able to get a flavour for, and because I liked that it created products that have a huge and wide-reaching impact on human health. When I started my placement, the other engineers were incredibly welcoming (and if I’m being honest, patient), making sure I felt like I was of the team. Since graduating from university, and the UKESF Scholarship Scheme, I have now started a graduate job with Waters.
What have you been working on?
During my university placement, as part of the EEE team, another scholar and I worked to redesign and update a part used in many of Waters’ products so that it can be made more cheaply. This involved hardware design and the development of FPGA firmware, and gave me experience of a full, if accelerated, design project from start to end. What I enjoyed about the project was that it integrated with other projects that the company was working on, and that I got to work closely with other full-time engineers during the project.
What are your personal interests?
My main interests outside of electronics are languages and linguistics – I am proficient in Spanish, and my current fixations are French and Japanese. I also enjoy travelling and reading, particularly science fiction and attempting foreign-language books in the original language.