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Configuration Manager
Job Title: Configuration Manager Job Reports To: Engineering Director Department: Vehicles Location: Coventry CV6 Core Hours: 08:00-16:35 (Mon – Thu) 08:00-15:10 (Fri) Vacancy Type: Permanent, Full-time and based onsite with potential hybrid working Salary: £60,000+ (subject to experience) per annum + Discretionary Bonus JOB SUMMARY Are you a Configuration Manager looking for a new challenge and the chance to...
N P Aerospace Ltd
Longford, Coventry
Control Systems Technician
Job Description: Electrical & Controls Technician -Mars Petcare 📍 Melton Mowbray 💷 £51,900- £56,000 (including shift allowances, DOE) 🎁 + £2,000 Welcome bonus, Performance Bonus & Exceptional Benefits 🕗 Shift pattern 12 Hrs - 7-7, 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off 🌟 Why Join Us? At Melton, we're at the forefront of innovation in high-speed food processing, and we're searching...
Mars
Burton Lazars
R&D Technician
An exciting new position has opened within our Clients R&D team for an R&D technician to cover maternity leave. The role, reports into the Manufacturing Director, based in Bracknell, will involve the following key aspects. Working closely with the Sales and Marketing Team on the development of new products through formulation changes and research on new materials Improvement of existing...
Bracknell Personnel Services
Bracknell
Process Engineer
Echelon Engineers is recruiting on behalf of a leading metallurgy manufacturing company specialising in advanced materials processing technologies. With over 30 years of experience and an international customer base, our client is at the forefront of innovation and R&D in developing cutting-edge processing solutions. We are seeking a Process Engineer to strengthen their technical team. This role will focus on...
ECHELON ENGINEERS
Sheffield
Design Engineer
Job Title: Contract Design Engineer Location: Coventry, UK Core Hours: 08:00-16:35 (Mon–Thu) 08:00-15:10 (Fri). Vacancy Type: Full-time, Contract and onsite Salary: £275 - £350 per day (subject to experience) About the role Hit the ground running. Design to protect lives. We’re looking for a number of experienced Contract Design Engineers to support our high-impact vehicle integration and protection projects at...
N P Aerospace Ltd
Longford, Coventry
Maintenance Technician
Job Description: Electrical & Controls Technician -Mars Petcare 📍 Melton Mowbray 💷 £51,900- £56,000 (including shift allowances, DOE) 🎁 + £2,000 Welcome bonus, Performance Bonus & Exceptional Benefits 🕗 Shift pattern 12 Hrs - 7-7, 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off 🌟 Why Join Us? At Melton, we're at the forefront of innovation in high-speed food processing, and we're searching...
Materials science sits at the heart of innovation — from sustainable energy and advanced manufacturing to aerospace, electronics, healthcare and beyond. It is an interdisciplinary field combining physics, chemistry, engineering and applied science to design and improve materials that power modern technology.
Despite the clear strategic importance of materials science, employers across the UK report persistent challenges hiring graduates who are truly job-ready. Organisations need professionals who can contribute immediately to research, development, manufacturing, quality control and product scale-up — yet many recent graduates struggle to bridge the gap between academic preparation and workplace demands.
This gap is not caused by a lack of intelligence or enthusiasm. It is a growing skills gap between what universities teach and what real materials science jobs require.
This article explores the materials science skills gap in depth: what universities teach well, what they often miss, why the gap exists, what employers want, and how aspiring professionals can bridge the divide to build successful careers in this vital UK industry.
Thinking about a career switch into materials science in your 30s, 40s or 50s? You’re not alone. In the UK, materials science underpins innovations in aerospace, automotive, healthcare, energy, manufacturing & sustainability — and employers are increasingly open to talent with diverse backgrounds. But the field is often misunderstood as being only for PhDs in labs, which can put off experienced professionals who have valuable transferable skills.
This guide gives you a clear, practical UK-focused reality check: which materials science careers are realistic, what skills employers are looking for, how long retraining usually takes, how to position your experience and whether age is a factor (hint: it’s your strengths that matter most).
Whether you come from engineering, manufacturing, research support, quality, operations, design, project management or consultancy, this article shows how your background can translate into a materials science career in the UK.
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
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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.
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