Process Engineer - Polymer Materials

Job description
We are seeking a highly motivated Materials Process Engineer to work in AMIC's Sustainable Polymer and Composite team to help and contribute to projects being delivered as part of AMIC's advanced manufacturing activities. AMIC is a £100M investment through the Belfast Region City Deal - a collaborative, innovative powerhouse of advanced manufacturing set to elevate our region globally. We are supporting economic growth and prosperity for Northern Ireland by creating high quality jobs and increasing inward investment through high value manufacturing innovation clusters. We are driving industrial transformation, paving the way for future technologies and competing globally with a more sustainable focus. Our team of experienced staff has core capabilities in digitalising manufacturing, smart design, sustainable polymers & composites and nanotechnologies & photonics. We're excited to be expanding the team throughout 2026.

MAJOR DUTIES:

1. Operate and optimise polymer processing equipment, selecting and tailoring process conditions to the material being run with primary focus on materials and extrusion (compounding, film, tape, tube, profile) and secondary focus on injection moulding, rotational moulding, and other polymer processing techniques.
2. Conduct processing trials, material characterisation, and process validation using characterisation data to inform and refine processing decisions to support ongoing project objectives and industrial partner requirements.
3. Apply specialist materials knowledge to troubleshoot processing issues, optimise process parameters, and develop manufacturing solutions for polymer and composite components capturing the link between material properties, process settings, and resulting part quality.
4. Maintain detailed process records, operating procedures, and technical documentation for all processing activities.
5. Work collaboratively with the sustainable polymer and composite team to deliver practical processing solutions for industrial partners within project timescales and budgets.
6. Support business development activities through processing demonstrations, capability showcasing, and technical input to proposals.

About The Person

We are seeking engineers who want to innovate and apply their knowledge to the challenges of industry and society to support the delivery of industrially focused polymer processing projects within AMIC's advanced manufacturing activities. You will apply your specialist knowledge and experience of materials, methods, processes and process validation to generate innovative research outputs which have a direct economic and technical benefit to companies and sectors. You will work collaboratively with the sustainable polymer and composite team, the wider AMIC team, industry partners, technology providers, national technology centres and academia to deliver key projects focused on advanced polymer processing.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

1. Honours degree or equivalent in a relevant engineering or materials discipline, science, or a related discipline with significant relevant industrial experience OR minimum HND in a related engineering discipline with extensive recent and relevant industrial experience.
2. Demonstrated practical, hands-on experience in at least one polymer processing technique (extrusion / compounding, injection moulding, rotational moulding, compression moulding, or similar) including the ability to relate material properties and behaviour to processing conditions, to optimise parameters and improve the process.
3. Strong polymer materials knowledge spanning the major polymer classes, their processing behaviour, structure-property relationships, and failure mechanisms, including commodity polymers (PE, PP, PVC, PS, PET), engineering polymers (PA/nylon, PC, POM, ABS, PBT, nano-filled), bio-based and biodegradable polymers (e.g. PLA, PHA, starch- and cellulose-based materials), and high-performance polymers (PEEK, PEI, PPS, PTFE, LCP).

To be successful at shortlisting stage, please ensure you clearly evidence in your application how you meet the essential and, where applicable, desirable criteria listed in the Candidate Information.

The post is available for 3 years.Fixed term contract posts are available for the stated period in the first instance but in particular circumstances may be renewed or made permanent subject to availability of funding.

What we offer:

Beyond a competitive salary, the University offers an attractive benefits package including a holiday entitlement of up to 8.4 weeks a year, pension schemes and development opportunities. We support staff wellbeing with flexible working options, work-life balance initiatives and support for physical and mental health. You can find more detail on all of this and more at https://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/HumanResources/pay-reward-and-benefits/

Queen's University is committed to promoting equality of opportunity to all. We subscribe to Equality Charter Marks such as the Diversity Charter Mark NI and Athena Swan and have established staff networks such as iRise (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and International Staff Network) and PRISM (LGBTQ+) which help us progress equality. For further information on our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, please visit www.qub.ac.uk/diversity .

If you are an international applicant and don't already hold a visa that permits you to take up the role you are applying for, please use the information provided on our website to self-assess whether the University is likely to be able to support a visa application - http://go.qub.ac.uk/internationalstaffsupport