Research & Development Engineer

University College London (UCL) is a leading global university, now expanded with the new UCL East campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Manufacturing Futures Lab (MFL) is the largest academic entity at UCL East, encompassing 2000m² of research and collaboration space within the Marshgate building. MFL integrates expertise from UCL's Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Chemistry departments. The UCL East Precision Fabrication Workshop (PFW), part of MFL, features advanced manufacturing facilities across two ground-floor workshop areas. It supports custom design, fabrication, and manufacturing for research and teaching using cutting-edge equipment, aiding both MFL and other UCL East entities like the Advanced Propulsion Lab.

About the Role

We seek three skilled Research & Development Engineers (internally known as Workshop Manufacturing Engineers) to join our team under the guidance of the Workshop Manager. The role involves designing and manufacturing innovative experimental devices to advance research and teaching in MFL and APL. Key responsibilities include:

• Designing and creating prototypes to support research and educational initiatives.
• Providing technical support to research and teaching staff, including assisting in the Precision Manufacturing module.
• Offering technical guidance to students and collaborating with researchers to ensure timely equipment delivery.
• Conducting routine maintenance and repairs on workshop tools and machinery.
• Maintaining detailed project records, including design drawings and test data.
• Adhering to health and safety protocols and promoting a secure working environment.

The role emphasizes technical expertise, teamwork, troubleshooting, and idea generation within a collaborative environment.

About You

The ideal candidate will be an experienced prototype engineer with a strong background in CAD/CAM and CNC machining. Essential skills include:

• Proficiency in traditional manufacturing methods and technical problem-solving.
• Ability to translate concepts into functional prototypes and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Awareness and adherence to safety standards in a mechanical workshop.
• Adaptability, creativity, and a collaborative spirit in line with UCL East's ethos.

For more details on the role and our offerings as an employer, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specificationon our website.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are detailed on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

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