Principal Engineer (Team Lead - Near Net Shape) - 828874

Salary range: £59,966 - £67,468 per annum

FTE: 1 

Term: Open ended

Closing Date: 12 July 2026

Location: NMIS-AFRC, Inchinnan, Renfrew

The University of Strathclyde has a long history of working with industry to deliver strong business growth from access to research and innovation expertise. The latest major initiative continuing to deliver on this track record is through the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS).

As a magnet for innovation in advanced manufacturing, the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) group of specialist R&D centres, supports manufacturing, engineering and associated tech businesses of all sizes, to thrive domestically and internationally through accelerating productivity, embracing new digital technologies and achieving net-zero targets.

We turn smart ideas into reality and deliver ground-breaking research.

Coming from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, our passionate team works alongside industry, academia, and the public sector to solve problems, train the workforce of the future and generate the creative ideas that will transform manufacturing.

Ultimately, we are growing the economy, developing a vibrant and skilled talent pool and helping create prosperous, sustainable communities.

The Opportunity
The AFRC is seeking to appoint an experienced Principal Engineer (Team Lead - Near Net Shape) to lead and manage the delivery of high value research and knowledge exchange programmes and develop the AFRC’s Near Net Shape capability with a particular focus on novel metal based forming processes (e.g., incremental flow/shear forming, superplastic/hydro forming, HIP, solid state joining) with projects that have heavy elements of industrial impact and translational research. The postholder will lead on high value industrial funding proposals as the principal- or co-investigator and spearhead the developments of near net shape forming technologies for the AFRC. The post holder will be expected to work between the AFRC and its industrial partners and there will be a strong emphasis on knowledge exchange.

You will line manage and support a team of engineers, RAs and KE practitioners, providing technical leadership and guidance to colleagues. You will generate new knowledge exchange approaches and identify, adapt, devise and use appropriate methodologies and techniques for real-world impact. You will lead and develop internal and external networks of researchers and leading thinkers in the field to foster knowledge exchange collaborations, to identify and deliver common research/knowledge exchange objectives and to generate income. You will also lead the development of knowledge exchange activities by, for example, establishing knowledge exchange links with industry and influencing public policy and the professions. You will contribute to Centre, Institute, Faculty and/or University senior administrative and management functions, for example by convening or participating in relevant committees. You will contribute to the strategic development of the Centre through, for example, developing new knowledge exchange strategies and by anticipating and planning for new directions for yourself and knowledge exchange themes and you will engage in continuous professional development.

For informal enquiries, please contact Salah Rahimi, Chief Engineer, salah.rahimi@strath.ac.uk