Principal Engineer - Coating Technology

NPT/Materials, Performance and Integrity Management

Location: Cambridge

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time

Job Profile: Principal Engineer

Salary/annum: £41k - £61k

Reference number: 105/23

Closing Date: 30 October 2023

Note: Candidates may be offered and interviewed prior to the closing date but the role will be open for a minimum of seven days, we advise you to apply for this position as early as possible in the recruitment process before the closing date

Description of role:

The coatings and surface characterisation theme within the Novel Polymer Technologies Section based at TWI, provides research, development and consultancy services in coatings and materials characterisation, physical testing and wet-film coating technologies, housing a suite of state-of-the-art equipment to deliver consultancy services either to TWI Industrial Members or in collaborative projects funded through Innovate UK or European Commission. Due to recent growth in business and in order to be able to sustain the level of support required from the industry at the regional site, we are seeking a talented individual to join this fast-moving team environment to underpin our technical excellence and drive the activities required to support our expanding market share.

The successful candidate will lead large and complex Industrial Member projects from project acceptance to a successful conclusion, i.e. direct and coordinate the project team’s activities to achieve the project technical objectives to the specified time, cost and quality requirements outlined in the proposal, with high client satisfaction. The successful candidate is also expected to contribute to the delivery of projects they do not lead, in agreement with the project leaders. Delivering these will require them to excel in the TWI values of taking responsibility, teamwork and adaptability.

The successful candidate will be required to build commercial relationships by meeting potential clients to present TWI technology, build their reputation and establish their needs, and prepare Industrial Member and R&D proposals to provide work to colleagues in response.

The successful candidate will develop expertise and innovations aligned to Industrial Member needs in their technical area through a variety of project activities designed to achieve specific outcomes of value to Industrial members and TWI.

Key Responsibility:

• Plan and conduct experiments to suit the requirement of customers
• Organize and develop appropriate testing of materials
• Support commercialisation efforts by working with other project leaders, customers and suppliers
• Work with the rest of the team to develop and understand the business opportunities for internally developed technologies/services
• Maintain and/or further develop partnerships with universities and/or institutes to assist in candidate materials idea generation as well as further enhance predictive testing capability

Qualifications and experience:

• MSc (or equivalent) in Surface Engineering, polymer science or chemistry
• Applying knowledge of tribology and materials engineering to deliver work across a range of public funded and consultancy based projects
• Experience in the application and characterisation of coatings
• Applying knowledge of physical and chemical characterisation for the evaluation of materials.
• Development of collaborative opportunities with industry to advance future technologies, including the writing of proposals for funding applications.
• Strong customer interaction skills/willingness to improve this skill and the flexibility to work independently but also in a highly collaborative team environment
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent team player
• Experience in project planning and management.

Desirable:

• Experience in the selection and application of coatings
• Familiarity with the testing of coatings including mechanical, rheological, thermal, optical and environmental evaluation
• Good understanding and working knowledge of polymers and composite materials
• PhD in surface engineering, polymer science, polymer engineering, materials science or polymer chemistry is desirable but not essential.

Travel:

This position will require occasional travel within the UK and Europe to attend project meetings and to develop single client business, as and when required.

About us:

TWI Ltd is a world expert in engineering, materials and joining technologies with significant property assets. We provide industry with advice and know-how in design, fabrication, failure analysis and prevention.

We offer opportunities to collaborate with inspiring and expert teams and a supportive environment in which you are actively encouraged to share your ideas and continually develop your own skills and knowledge. If you are looking to join an organisation that is fuelled by innovation, teamwork, and openness, this role could be for you.

Diversity statement:

TWI Ltd is committed to treating all employees fairly and to being an inclusive employer. Our aim is to create a work environment where our employees can reach their full potential. We put Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the heart of our people practices to attract, develop and retain the best talent.

Inclusion:

We recognise that it’s the differences of our people that gives us our competitive edge and enables us to maintain our world leading reputation. This is why we are committed to ensuring there is diversity across every level of our organisation; representative of the Members and societies we serve. We have made Inclusion our number one corporate value to demonstrate our commitment to ensure it is at the core of everything we do at TWI.

Why work for TWI?

We offer a competitive salary, share-in-success bonus scheme, generous pension scheme (both employee contribution (flexible amount) and TWI contribution (up to 10% of salary), holiday (25 days + 8 bank holiday’s), private health and dental cover, career development and training, onsite employee restaurant, onsite gym, day nursery available for companies on Granta Park (Cambridge) site (subject to availability), onsite parking and more.

We know that balancing work and personal life can at times be challenging. This is why we continue to review and implement family friendly policies including hybrid working, flexible working, enhanced maternity pay and paid parental leave.

For further details, please click on the Job Description link below:

https://www.twi-global.com/pdfs/careers/105-23-JD-Principal-Engineer-Coating-Tech.pdf

TWI Culture

As one of the world’s leading independent research and technology organisations, we are committed to attracting, motivating and retaining the best talent from around the world. Our goal is to develop the next generation of experts to address future industry challenges.

We are committed to creating a culture that recognises and respects the differences between people while valuing the contribution everyone makes to TWI.

The diversity of our staff and students makes a positive and important contribution to our continuing success.

TWI offers a comprehensive training programme, incorporating both in-house and external courses to support staff development.

TWI Values:

Our six values provide a point of reference for the way we expect our people to operate and behave.

• Inclusion: Valuing the contribution from every individual, creating value for our customers
• Teamwork: Building effective working relationships, we accomplish more together
• Adaptability: Engaging positively with change to meet the needs of the business
• Taking Responsibility: Achieving our objectives and personal development
• Innovation & Expertise: Championing new ideas and sharing knowledge to solve industry problems
• Customer Focus: Building trusting relationships with our customers