Jobs in Derby

Derby is a city of around 260,000 in the East Midlands, and its labour market is built on engineering to a degree few UK cities can match. Aero engines, trains and cars are all made here, so the live vacancy mix leans heavily towards manufacturing, design and skilled trades, with a large NHS and public-sector base underneath and the usual retail, logistics and care work alongside.

Rolls-Royce is the biggest employer, with its civil aerospace operation and headquarters at Sinfin, around three miles south of the centre off the A38 — engine assembly and testing, plus a large body of engineering and supply-chain work. The Derby-based Rolls-Royce SMR business, which is developing the UK's first small modular reactors, adds to local nuclear engineering demand. Alstom's Litchurch Lane works (DE24 8AD), the UK's largest train factory and formerly Bombardier, builds rolling stock and carries steady demand for rail engineers, fitters and project staff, with Elizabeth line and HS2 work in build. Toyota assembles cars at Burnaston, just outside the city off the A38/A50, employing around 2,500. University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, a trust of more than 13,000 staff, runs the Royal Derby Hospital on Uttoxeter Road, while the University of Derby and Derby City Council anchor academic and administrative work. Warehouse and distribution jobs cluster at Infinity Park and the Derby 507 unit to the south at Chellaston, and at the SmartParc food-manufacturing campus at Spondon to the east.

Recruitment in Derby is agency-heavy, particularly for the manufacturing plants — most production, contract engineering and warehouse roles go through specialist technical and industrial agencies before they reach a direct advert, so registering with a few helps. Transport is good: Derby station sits on the Midland Main Line, with the fastest trains to London St Pancras in about 1 hour 27 minutes, Nottingham in roughly 20–25 minutes and Birmingham New Street in around 35–45 minutes. The A38, A50 and A52 ring the city and feed the M1 at junctions 24 and 25. Postcodes run DE1 for the city centre, DE21–DE24 across the surrounding districts, and DE3 covering Mickleover to the west.