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Featured Jobs
Project Engineer
Project Engineer – Gloucester, Gloucestershire A new opportunity has arisen for a skilled Project Engineer to join an innovative engineering team in Gloucester, Gloucestershire. This role places the successful candidate at the forefront of technical design, product development, and advanced materials engineering for high-performance applications in sectors such as defence, marine, security, and automotive. The Project Engineer job in Gloucester,...
Octagon Group
Gloucester
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...
New Appointments Group
Canterbury
Technical Science Writer
Technical Science Writer Location: Huntingdon Salary: Basic salary, dependent on experience The Company: We are an advanced scientific materials group at the forefront of global innovation. For over 70 years, our materials have pushed the boundaries of human achievement, from deep space missions exploring Saturn’s moons to nuclear fusion breakthroughs that are bringing the world closer to limitless energy. We...
Goodfellow
Huntingdon
Senior Systems Safety Engineer
Company Description Are you passionate about engineering? Do you want to make a difference? ALTEN is a global engineering and technology consultancy operating across over 30 countries worldwide. We partner with industry leaders across sectors including Aeronautics, Aerospace, Defence, Naval, Automotive, Energy, Rail, and many more to deliver innovative engineering solutions that drive technological advancement and support sustainable transformation. Our...
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.
Materials science is a multidisciplinary field at the intersection of chemistry, physics, engineering, biology, and data science. In the UK, advances in materials science are powering innovation in sectors such as aerospace, defence, electronics, energy storage, healthcare, and sustainable manufacturing. Whether you are aiming for a role in R&D, testing, manufacturing, or product development, understanding how a materials science department is structured—and what each role does—can help you make informed decisions in your career or hiring.
Below is a detailed guide to modern materials science team structures: roles and responsibilities, how they collaborate throughout the lifecycle of materials, required skills and qualifications, typical UK salary ranges, trends, challenges, and best practices for building strong teams that deliver reliable materials solutions.
Materials science is no longer just a specialised academic discipline—it’s a frontier of innovation powering industries from aerospace and electronics to healthcare and sustainability. Whether it’s designing nanomaterials for ultrasensitive sensors, developing eco-friendly composites for lightweight vehicles, or engineering cutting-edge battery materials, the field sits at the heart of technological progress.
This pivotal role is increasingly reflected in recruitment trends. Companies and public institutions across manufacturing, energy, defence, healthcare, and more are seeking talent with deep knowledge of material properties, production methods, and characterisation tools.
The United Kingdom is exceptionally well placed to become the world’s next materials science jobs hub. With its world-class universities, historic and modern industrial base, growing emphasis on sustainable technologies, and ambitious government strategy, the UK sets the stage for both career-seekers and employers to thrive. This article explores the current landscape, strength pillars, job dynamics, regional opportunities, and the actions needed to secure global leadership in materials science jobs.
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