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Manufacturing Operative
My client, a research and development company specialising in the use of composite materials to produce high-performance structures based in Chippenham, are currently looking for a Production Operative / Technician to join their growing team on a permanent basis. This is an exciting opportunity to join a young, dynamic, and forward-thinking company where you will be more than just an...
Strategic Recruitment Partners
Chippenham
Quality Manager
Flexible Basic to suit experience + 33 days Holiday, Based in Trentham, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Our client now seeks an experienced and accomplished Quality Manager to take the lead role in this exciting phase of the company’s development. Ideally coming from a Precision Engineering / Automotive / Aerospace manufacturing operation, you will be a hands-on quality professional who possesses an expert...
Dorchester Search & Selection
Trentham
Development Engineer
Development Engineer Location: Gloucestershire Salary: £30k-£40k Clearance: SC eligible Type: Full-time Ready to work on innovative, high-performance products used in some of the world’s toughest environments? We’re looking for a Development Engineer to join our clients Technical team and help create advanced composite and polymer-based solutions for defence, marine, security, and automotive applications. What You’ll Do Lead development projects from...
Envisage Recruitment Limited
Tiddington, Warwickshire
Quality control engineers
Quality Technician Manufacturing / Quality Engineering 📍 Location: UK (Multi-site role – two UK locations) 💷 Salary: £34,000 – £40,000 per annum 🕒 Hours: Monday to Friday – 8 hours per day (including 30-minute break) 📄 Contract: Permanent | Full-Time About the Role We are recruiting on behalf of a well-established Quality Engineering and Manufacturing business seeking an experienced Quality...
Pertemps Dudley Industrial
Dudley
Process Engineer
Process Engineer (Pharma / Biopharma Manufacturing) Competitive salary £45,000-£55,000 + bonus + benefits Office-based (Redhill area) with occasional UK, Ireland & EU travel (c.25%) An established engineering company specialising in sterile process and process utility solutions for leading pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturers is looking to add a Process Engineer to its growing project services team. This is a technically focused,...
CBSbutler Holdings Limited trading as CBSbutler
Watercolour
Engineering Apprentice Trainer
The Opportunity Our client is looking for an experienced Engineering Assessor / Lecturer to join their Apprenticeship provision and support the delivery of high-quality learning and assessment. This role offers the chance to work closely with apprentices, helping them progress successfully through Gateway and EPA while contributing to the smooth running of assessment processes. It's an ideal opportunity for someone...
Materials science underpins many of the UK’s most advanced industries, from aerospace and automotive to energy, semiconductors, construction, defence and advanced manufacturing. Employers rely on materials scientists and engineers to develop, test and optimise materials that meet increasingly demanding performance, safety and sustainability requirements.
Yet many employers struggle to attract the right candidates. Materials science job adverts often receive limited applications or applicants whose experience does not match the role’s technical requirements. At the same time, experienced materials professionals ignore adverts that feel vague, overly academic or disconnected from real industrial challenges.
In most cases, the issue is not a lack of talent — it is the clarity and quality of the job advert.
Materials scientists are evidence-driven, detail-oriented and highly selective. A poorly written job ad signals weak technical understanding and unclear expectations. A well-written one signals credibility, purpose and serious intent.
This guide explains how to write a materials science job ad that attracts the right people, improves applicant quality and strengthens your employer brand.
If you are applying for materials science jobs in the UK, maths can feel like a hidden barrier. Job ads might mention “strong analytical skills” or “ability to interpret data” without saying what that actually means on the job.
Here’s the reality: most materials roles do not require advanced pure maths. What they do require is confidence with a small set of practical topics that show up repeatedly in:
mechanical testing & failure analysis
processing & heat treatment
phase diagrams & alloy design
diffusion, corrosion & degradation
characterisation data interpretation
quality, metrology, validation & uncertainty
materials selection & design trade-offs
This guide focuses on the only maths topics most materials professionals keep using, plus a 6-week learning plan, portfolio projects & resources.
Materials science is everywhere – in batteries, semiconductors, medical implants, composites for aircraft, sustainable packaging & more. It’s a field built on curiosity, experimentation, precision & the ability to link microscopic structure to real-world performance.
In other words, it’s a brilliant match for many neurodivergent brains.
If you’re living with ADHD, autism or dyslexia, you may have been told that your brain is “too distracted”, “too literal” or “too chaotic” for a scientific career. In reality, many of the traits that made school or traditional office work difficult can be serious assets in materials science & engineering.
This guide is written for UK job seekers exploring materials science careers. We’ll look at:
What neurodiversity means in a materials science context
How ADHD, autism & dyslexia strengths map to materials roles
Practical workplace adjustments you can ask for under UK law
How to talk about your neurodivergence in applications & interviews
By the end, you’ll have a clearer sense of where you might thrive in materials science – & how to turn “different thinking” into a genuine superpower.
As we move into 2026, the materials science jobs market in the UK is becoming more strategic and more selective. Advanced manufacturing, batteries, hydrogen, semiconductors, fusion, net-zero infrastructure and sustainable textiles all depend on advanced materials – and the UK has made these areas a national priority.
Business Growth Service
+1
At the same time, funding cycles are bumpy, some legacy plants are struggling with energy costs and global competition, and employers are under pressure to hit both climate and productivity targets. That means fewer “nice-to-have” R&D roles and more focus on materials science positions that clearly support growth, decarbonisation and resilience.
Whether you are a materials science job seeker planning your next move, or a recruiter building teams in advanced manufacturing, this guide breaks down the key materials science hiring trends for 2026.
Summary: UK materials science hiring has shifted from title‑led CV screens to capability‑driven assessments that emphasise characterisation with clear conclusions, scale‑up to pilot/production, standards compliance (ASTM/ISO/IATF/AS9100), sustainability/ESG, data literacy & measurable product or yield improvements. This guide explains what’s changed, what to expect in interviews & how to prepare—especially for battery/materials engineers, polymer/composites specialists, metallurgists, ceramics/glass scientists, surface/thin‑film engineers, failure analysts, process/quality engineers & materials informatics roles.
Who this is for: Materials scientists & engineers (metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, semiconductors, thin films, coatings), process/scale‑up & manufacturing engineers, CMC in materials for life sciences, QA/QC, failure analysis, test & characterisation, sustainability/LCAs, and materials informatics/data roles in the UK.
Materials science has always been an interdisciplinary field, sitting at the crossroads of physics, chemistry & engineering. But in the UK today, as the demand for sustainable technologies, advanced composites & biomedical innovations grows, materials science careers are becoming even more multidisciplinary.
Employers are now looking beyond technical expertise. Success in modern materials roles increasingly requires awareness of law, ethics, psychology, linguistics & design. These five areas shape how new materials are researched, applied, communicated and trusted in society.
This article explores why materials science careers in the UK are becoming more multidisciplinary, how these fields intersect with scientific practice, and what job-seekers & employers should do to adapt.
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