Senior Lecturer Mechatronics / Defence Engineering

We are seeking an experienced Senior Lecturer in Mechatronics / Defence Engineering to join our School of Engineering and Built Environment. This role presents a unique opportunity for a highly motivated academic or industry professional to help establish and grow new teaching, research, and industry engagement capabilities within the School. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping innovative engineering education and research aligned with emerging priorities in defence, advanced manufacturing, and digitally enabled engineering technologies, contributing to the School’s strategic expansion into new and evolving areas.

As a Senior Lecturer, you will provide academic leadership across undergraduate and postgraduate engineering programmes, with a particular focus on mechatronics and electro-mechanical systems applied to advanced manufacturing and defence contexts. You will contribute to high-quality teaching, curriculum innovation, research excellence, and commercial and enterprise activity, while fostering strong links with industry and external partners.

You will also play a central role in supervising and mentoring students and staff, leading research initiatives, and supporting the strategic development of the School.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver innovative teaching across undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes in mechatronics, electro-mechanical and manufacturing engineering
• Design, review and enhance modules and programmes to meet industry needs, professional accreditation requirements, and emerging defence and manufacturing technologies
• Provide academic leadership, including programme management and contribution to School strategy
• Supervise undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students, delivering high-quality assessment, feedback and pastoral support
• Lead and contribute to research, knowledge exchange and enterprise activity, including securing external funding and developing industry collaborations
• Publish high-quality research in peer-reviewed national and international journals
• Integrate AI, smart manufacturing, digital twins, robotics, and Industry 4.0/5.0 approaches into teaching and research activities
• Engage actively with defence, manufacturing and engineering stakeholders to ensure relevance, impact and external collaboration
• Contribute to quality assurance, recruitment, outreach and professional accreditation activities
• Support and mentor early-career academics and contribute to staff development within the School

You will be a motivated and credible academic leader with strong expertise in mechatronics, electro-mechanical engineering or advanced manufacturing, ideally with experience relevant to the defence sector. You will hold an honours degree in a relevant engineering discipline and a postgraduate Master’s qualification. You will have completed, or be close to completing, a PhD or Professional Doctorate, or be able to demonstrate equivalent advanced-level professional experience and achievement within industry.

You will be registered, or eligible for registration, with a relevant professional body (IEng/CEng) and hold, or be willing to obtain, a recognised teaching qualification or fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

You will have proven experience in higher education teaching, assessment and curriculum development, alongside a strong track record or clear potential in research, enterprise activity or high-level professional practice. Your expertise may include areas such as AI-enabled engineering, simulation and modelling tools, robotics, smart manufacturing systems, or defence-related technologies. Excellent communication, leadership and organisational skills are essential, together with the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, students and external partners.

Advert information