Research Associate or Senior Research Associate in Composites Manufacture and Experimental Mechanics

As part of the Composites University Technology Centre (UTC) at the University of Bristol, supported by Rolls-Royce, there is an exciting opportunity to join a world-class team conducting state of the art research for composite aircraft engine components. These components require complex geometries, fibre architectures and reinforcements both for aerodynamics and structural integrity.

Two positions are available, that will in particular develop, manufacture and characterise novel through-thickness reinforcement methods via z-pin technology and undertake experimental characterisation of composite materials' fatigue behaviour. In many cases the standard tests are not sufficient and so development of new methods may be required to investigate manufacturing and mechanical behaviour to generate applicable data. This project will run in close collaboration with researchers conducting numerical analysis, and high quality experimental work will be a crucial part of the process of understanding failure, required for model development and validation.

Based in the Bristol Composites Institute (ACCIS), within the Department of Aerospace Engineering, you will work as part of the UTC team on the ATI funded FANTASTICAL and FANDANGO projects, in collaboration with Rolls-Royce, Oxford University and Imperial College London. You will have or be working towards a PhD in Engineering / Materials Science (or closely related discipline) and have good experience of experimental techniques, composites manufacture and composites failure mechanisms.

These positions are being offered on full time, open-ended contracts with funding up to 2 years.

Research/Academic enquiries: Prof. Stephen Hallett: stephen.hallett@bristol.ac.uk and Dr Giuliano Allegri: Giuliano.Allegri@bristol.ac.uk

Administrative enquiries: Hajnal Farkas: Hajnal.Farkas@bristol.ac.uk

To find out more about what it's like to work in the Faculty of Engineering, and how the Faculty supports people to achieve their potential, please see our staff blog

We welcome applications from all members of our community and are particularly encouraging those from diverse groups, such as members of the LGBT+ and BAME communities, to join us.