Associate Professor/ Professor in Advanced Manufacturing

About the role

The University of Leicester is seeking to appoint a Professor or Associate Professor in Advanced Manufacturing to provide strategic research leadership in an area of growing national and international importance. This role represents a key investment in research excellence that will strengthen Leicester’s position as a national leader in space, energy, and digital/net zero engineering.

The successful candidate will establish and lead a distinctive programme of world-leading research in Advanced Manufacturing, contributing particularly to the School of Engineering’s research groups in Digital Manufacturing and Management, Aerospace, and Mechanics of Materials. Working within a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment, the Professor will help shape the strategic direction of manufacturing research across the School and College, building strong links with industry, government and international partners. You will be joining a welcoming community of colleagues best expressed in our mission statement “Together building an inclusive and inspiring teaching and research community, to create the school of choice for world leading engineers and future innovators.”

A major focus of the role will be advancing research in AI-driven Net Zero Engineering and Manufacturing, including areas such as digital twins, artificial intelligence for manufacturing systems, and sustainable production. This research aligns strongly with the UK’s Industrial Strategy and with the Midlands’ globally significant manufacturing base, creating opportunities for impactful collaborations with regional and national industry partners.

The role will also contribute to the development of Materials and Autonomy in Extreme Environments, a cross-cutting theme connecting advanced manufacturing with applications in space systems, fusion technologies, and next-generation materials. This area provides a distinctive research opportunity for Leicester, with strong alignment to national priorities and major funding streams, including EPSRC and industrial partnerships.

Beyond research leadership, the Professor or Associate Professor will contribute to research-inspired teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate engineering programmes, supervise postgraduate researchers, and help develop innovative new programmes and collaborative initiatives. The role will play an important part in attracting major research funding, building international research networks, and enhancing the global reputation of Leicester’s engineering research.

Through this strategic appointment, the University is signalling a clear commitment to investing in research leadership and impact—positioning Leicester at the forefront of advanced manufacturing innovation that supports the transition to a sustainable, digitally enabled and high-value engineering future.

About you

This opportunity is available at either Professor or Associate Professor level depending on your experience, knowledge and research outputs - please indicate in your application which position you are most interested in.

To be successful in the role of Associate Professor, you will hold a PhD in a relevant subject area and evidence of an emergent track record of sustained achievement in internationally leading research, as well as an emergent record of excellence in research and enterprise leadership.

To be successful in the role of Professor, in addition to the above, you will already have an established track record of sustained achievement in internationally leading research in terms of originality, significance and rigour, that are consistent with the School of Engineering.

For more information on the role and its responsibilities, please refer to both Job Summary Forms.