Senior Research Engineer

The Vacancy
Job Title:
Senior Research Engineer – Laser Machining

Location:
Coventry, UK

Job Type:
Permanent

Working hours:
36 Hours per week (Flexible Working Week)

Salary:
£ £55000 per annum DOE

Benefits:
Vitality Medical, Company Pension, Tusker Car Scheme & Cycle 2 work scheme and more.

The role
We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Research Engineer (SRE) to join our Laser Processing team at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry. This role will focus on laser machining technologies, including cutting, drilling, and blind machining, supporting the development and delivery of innovative projects, both industrial and research, across aerospace, defence, energy, and other high-value manufacturing sectors.

As a Senior Research Engineer, you will play a key technical leadership role, providing expertise in laser machining processes, leading project delivery, and shaping new technical capabilities. You will work with world-class equipment and collaborate with leading industrial and academic partners to develop advanced laser manufacturing solutions.

This role offers the opportunity to take ownership of technically challenging projects, contribute to the strategic growth of the MTC's laser machining capability, and mentor junior engineers. You will also have scope to influence future research directions, working at the interface of applied research and industrial deployment.

Main Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership of laser machining project portfolios, ensuring delivery to the highest quality, on time and on budget.
• Take strategic oversight of project alignment, pipeline development and technical business growth with key MTC customers across the sectors.

• Lead and manage the Laser Machining team within the Laser Processing group. Responsibilities include:

• Strategic deployment of engineers onto laser machining project portfolios.

• Coaching, mentoring and supporting the professional development of team members.
• Setting clear objectives, development plans and performance expectations.

• Promoting wellbeing and creating a supportive, collaborative working environment.

• Drive technical capability development in laser machining, ensuring the MTC remains at the forefront of laser-based manufacturing technologies.

• Work with academic, industrial and Catapult partners to identify and secure funding opportunities, shaping new collaborative research and development programmes.
• Represent the MTC externally, building relationships with stakeholders, presenting at conferences, and disseminating technical advances.

Person Specification
Essential Skills / Qualifications / Experience

• Degree or PhD in engineering, physics, materials science, or a related discipline.
• Good experience in laser machining processes (e.g. drilling, cutting, precision material removal).
• Experience with one or more laser machining techniques, such as Continuous wave laser, short/ultrashort pulsed lasers, water-jet guided laser, or hybrid processes.
• Strong understanding of laser–material interactions and process fundamentals, with demonstrable application in industrial or research environments.
• Proven ability to lead technical delivery of projects, ensuring outputs meet agreed customer requirements, within time and budget.
• Experience developing technical roadmaps and proposals, aligning projects with strategic objectives.
• Evidence of working directly with industrial clients or research collaborators, including requirements capture and customer engagement.
• Demonstrable project management skills, including budget awareness and risk management.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, able to represent MTC in technical forums, customer meetings, and conferences.
• Ability to coach, mentor, and support the development of junior engineers.
• A collaborative, hands-on approach, with willingness to contribute to practical delivery as well as leadership.

Desirable Skills / Qualifications / Experience

• Chartered Engineer (or working towards professional registration).
• Knowledge of process monitoring and control for laser machining (e.g. sensors, AI-driven optimisation, in-process diagnostics).
• Familiarity with CAD/CAM and laser programming for multi-axis machining systems.
• Collaborative R&D bid development including ideas creation, identification of funding routes, consortium building and bid writing.
• Experience disseminating research through journal publications, patents, or conferences.
• Exposure to the UK manufacturing sector, Catapult network, and UK/EU funding landscape.
• Experience in line management or technical team leadership, including deployment, objective setting, and wellbeing support.

Interview Process
Once you submit your application, this will be passed on to our Talent Acquisition team for review. If you are successfully shortlisted, the next steps will be a 2-stage interview process.

Reference and Security Checks
Due to the nature of our business, all employment is subject to satisfactory references being obtained alongside a level of security clearance checks.

About The MTC
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is an internationally renowned and respected research and development organisation, bridging the gap between academia and manufacturing, and is home to some of the brightest minds in engineering from around the globe.

The MTC's engineers, scientists and technicians work with some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world in a supportive and collegiate environment for the development and demonstration of new technologies on an industrial scale, helping manufacturers of all sizes develop new and innovative processes and technologies.

Established to prove cutting edge manufacturing advances in an agile environment in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, the MTC works with hundreds of industrial clients across a range of sectors including automotive, aerospace, rail, informatics, food and drink, infrastructure, construction and civil engineering, electronics, oil and gas and defence. The MTC helps businesses thrive by advancing their technological and engineering capabilities to improve their business efficiency, capability and competitiveness.

Supported by one of the largest public sector investments in UK Manufacturing, the MTC's engineering capabilities cover research and development, advanced manufacturing management, factory design and training for the skills of the future.

The MTC has world-class facilities in Coventry, Liverpool and Oxford, and is part of the UK's High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK.

Reference Checks and Security Checks (where applicable)
Due to the nature of our business, all employment is subject to satisfactory references being obtained alongside a level of security clearance checks.