Overview
Join Element Materials Technology and play a vital role at our Hitchin site, where science meets innovation and quality drives everything we do, all with one clear purpose: Making Tomorrow Safer Than Today!
Candidates who will be successful will have experience on:
* Materials test technician
* Materials scientist
* Polymers, composites, rubbers
* Tensile, compression, flexural, shear, peel, tear, fatigue, impact
* Stress–strain analysis and characterisation of material behaviour
* Materials testing laboratories
* Polymer or elastomer R&D environments
* Quality assurance labs for materials or components
* Composite manufacturing test departments
We are seeking a technically driven professional to provide expert support for non‑metallic mechanical testing activities, specialising in composite and polymer materials. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of materials performance, reliability, and safety, ensuring our technical governance remains robust, compliant, and aligned with the highest quality and safety standards.
Responsibilities
* Act as the technical lead for clients, supporting enquiries, proposals, meetings, and project updates
* Deliver client testing projects, including high‑value and bespoke R&D programmes, to support site financial targets
* Develop and implement new testing methodologies and best practices across the site and wider network
* Provide technical guidance to Laboratory Managers, project managers, and operational teams
* Represent the business at committees, working groups, conferences, and exhibitions, sharing key insights internally
* Contribute to site strategy, business cases, capex justifications, and business development initiatives
* Collaborate with commercial and functional teams to achieve technical and commercial objectives
* Lead technical reviews, support audits, maintain accreditations, and ensure compliance with quality standards
* Strengthen safety culture through risk assessment review, safety investigations, and operational document approval
* Support recruitment, training, competency development, and mentoring of technical and operational staff
Skills / Qualifications
* BSc or MSc in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Science, Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline (PhD desirable for R&D or advanced analysis roles)
* Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Chartered Scientist (CSci) preferred
* Extensive hands‑on experience in materials testing, analysis, and characterisation
* Strong expertise in mechanical testing (tensile, compression, fatigue, fracture toughness, hardness) and failure/root cause investigations
* Experience developing, validating, and optimising test methods
* Background in regulated industries (e.g. aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, defence, construction)
* Proficient in technical writing, including test procedures, SOPs, and reports
* Proven ability to lead projects and mentor junior engineers/scientists
* Experience working to international standards (ASTM, ISO, BS EN) within accredited laboratories (ISO 17025 preferred)
* Practical experience with mechanical testing instrumentation including Instron, MTS, ZwickRoell UTM systems, servo‑hydraulic fatigue rigs, and impact testing equipment (Charpy/Izod)
At Element, we always take pride in putting our people first. We are an equal opportunity employer that recognizes diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our Vision of becoming “the world’s most trusted testing partner”.
All suitably qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective work related criteria and without regard for the following: age, disability, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, race, religion, responsibility of dependents, sexual orientation, or gender identity or other characteristics in accordance with the applicable governing laws or other characteristics in accordance with the applicable governing laws.
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)
If you need an accommodation filling out an application, or applying to a job, please email Recruitment@element.com
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