Materials engineer job profile

Put your passion for science, as well as your excellent communication and problem-solving skills, to the test with a career in materials engineering

As a materials engineer you'll work with various materials to improve their performance or create new materials to help advance technologies or products.

You'll need an understanding of the properties and behaviours of different substances, from raw materials to finished products. You could work with a range of materials including ceramics, plastics, polymers or industrial minerals.

There's always a need for materials to have better durability or strength and to be more cost effective to help with various processes and products. Work can therefore be found in a range of industries. Depending on where you work, materials engineering may be referred to as materials science or materials technology.

Responsibilities

Exact tasks vary according to the industry, the specific material you work with and the size of the organisation you work for, but there are a number of activities common to most positions. In general, you'll need to:

select the best combination of materials for specific purposes
test materials to assess how resistant they are to heat, corrosion or chemical attack
analyse data using computer modelling software
assess materials for specific qualities (such as electrical conductivity, durability, renewability)
develop prototypes
consider the implications for waste and other environmental pollution issues of any product or process
advise on the adaptability of a plant to new processes and materials
work to solve problems arising during the manufacturing process or with the finished product, such as those caused by daily wear and tear or a change of environment
supervise quality control throughout the construction and production process
monitor plant conditions and material reactions during use
help to ensure that products comply with national and international legal and quality standards
advise on inspection, maintenance and repair procedures
liaise with colleagues in manufacturing, technical and scientific support, purchasing and marketing
supervise the work of materials engineering technicians and other staff
consider the costs implications of materials used and alternatives, in terms of both time and money
take account of energy usage in manufacturing and in-service energy saving, e.g. in transport and construction applications.

At senior level, the work is likely to involve more innovative research or greater management responsibility. The latter will call for a range of additional skills that are not necessarily part of the routine work of a materials engineer.

Salary

Starting salaries for materials engineers range from £20,000 to £26,000.
With experience, this rises to between £27,000 and £55,000.
Working as a senior engineer with chartered status can earn you a salary of up to £60,000.

Salary levels vary according to the area in which you work and are often higher in what are considered to be 'leading edge' technologies such as telecommunications and biomedical engineering.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You can expect to work 35 to 40 hours a week. Shift work may be involved depending on the industry.

Technological advances are fast in this field, which can make career breaks difficult. Once you have gained significant experience, you could work as a freelancer or contractor, moving around different organisations as work becomes available and having more control over your working hours.

What to expect

The work is mainly based in offices or laboratories but will involve liaising with and visiting suppliers of raw materials or manufacturing sites.
You'll be involved with new developments that impact on the competitiveness of your organisation. This indirectly brings high levels of responsibility but seeing the direct results of your work is rewarding.
Although materials engineering employs more women than other fields of engineering, women are still under-represented. Organisations such as WISE and Women's Engineering Society (WES) campaign to promote the profession and support female engineers.
There are occasionally opportunities for overseas travel. In global companies where technology is mainly controlled from the UK, frequent overseas visits may be required.

Qualifications

Degrees are available in materials engineering, technology or science, but a number of other engineering and science-based subjects are acceptable, including:

applied chemistry or physics
ceramics and glass
chemical engineering
chemistry
mechanical engineering
metallurgy
minerals/mining engineering
geology
physics
polymer science/technology
structural engineering.

If your degree is in a science or engineering subject other than materials engineering, you may find that a relevant postgraduate qualification will open more opportunities and will help with competition during the application process.

It's useful if your first degree or Masters is accredited by a relevant professional body, such as the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), as this can make achieving the status of incorporated engineer (IEng) or chartered engineer (CEng) slightly easier at a later date. Details of accredited courses are available at Engineering Council - Accredited Course Search.

Entry with an HND is possible, although professional registration will take longer and opportunities for career development will be limited. Relevant HND subjects are similar to those listed at degree level.

If you don't have a degree or HND you may be able to train at technician level. However, this will then make progression to IEng or CEng status difficult, and you may need to take further qualifications while working in order to advance your career.

Skills

You'll need to show:

good communication skills for presenting technical data, both in writing and orally, to colleagues from your discipline and other professionals
the ability to work as part of a team as well as to take individual responsibility and make decisions
commercial awareness
an interest in scientific and technical issues and, for some positions, a real interest in a specific type of product
the ability to apply scientific reasoning to industrial situations
strong analytical skills and problem-solving ability
excellent knowledge of maths and science and IT skills
the ability to prioritise and plan effectively to meet deadlines and targets.

While there are good opportunities for materials engineers, it can still be a highly competitive field. Employers invest a great deal in research and development, so they seek to develop high-calibre specialists.

Work experience

While it isn't necessary to have previous experience before you start applying for jobs, industrial placements or other technical or scientific work experience can strengthen your application and show potential employers your interest in and commitment to the role.

Get student membership with a professional body such as IOM3 to keep up to date with developments in the industry and to start making contacts through conferences and events.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Materials engineering is so broad that positions are available across many manufacturing and industrial sectors. Employers range from global corporations to small specialist research laboratories, which work with a variety of materials including:

carbon fibre
ceramics
chemicals
composites
electronics equipment
glass
industrial minerals
metals
plastics
polymers
rubber
textiles.

Some of the main employers of materials engineers are based within:

the power industry - such as oil, gas or renewable energy companies
telecommunications - developing glass fibre optics to enhance technologies such as broadband
sports equipment - designing and developing materials such as carbon fibre and plastics to produce tougher, lighter equipment or performance textiles
biomedical engineering - developing materials for various components such as pacemakers or materials for replacement joints, such as knees and hips.

Opportunities can be found throughout the UK and are as likely to occur on a small business or science park as in a major industrial centre.

Look for job vacancies at:

Specialist recruitment agencies may handle some vacancies, but these are more often for experienced chartered or incorporated engineers.

Professional development

On-the-job training is offered by most companies and is likely to be more structured with larger employers. You may gain experience in several areas or could specialise in a particular material or process.

It's important to keep up to date with changing technologies and new materials and so you should undertake continuing professional development (CPD). This can be made up of a number of activities including attending conferences and seminars, completing short courses and reading professional resources.

The IOM3 offers a variety of CPD activities including webinars, conferences, workshops and published content. It also approves various events and courses to show they're suitable for CPD purposes or are quality assured. Look for their logo when seeking out training opportunities. The IOM3 recommends that members should complete at least 35 hours of CPD a year.

You may wish to work towards gaining professional status at either incorporated engineer (IEng) or chartered engineer (CEng) level. Both qualifications are awarded by the Engineering Council and provide recognition of expertise and a higher earning potential.

To gain professional status, you'll need to be a member of a relevant body such as the IOM3 so that you can apply through them. The process of becoming incorporated or chartered is more straightforward if you have a relevant accredited qualification but it's still possible to achieve it without.

To become chartered, you'll ideally have an accredited undergraduate degree along with a Masters or an accredited integrated MEng degree.

You also need to demonstrate that you're working at a particular level and have the required professional competences and commitment, as set out in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC). Find out more at Engineering Council - Professional Registration.

You may also have the chance to complete management development programmes, which will help to develop your career and improve your promotion prospects.

Career prospects

Career prospects are generally good within this branch of engineering. Due to the range of specialist areas and such rapid technological change in the field, demand for materials engineers is consistent.

Once you've built up experience, it's possible to move into management roles (within laboratories or in the wider organisation), or to develop a technical specialist area.

Progression to management will depend on the size and scope of your employer. For example, a small but highly specialist biomedical laboratory cannot offer the management career potential available within a global oil and gas company.

You're likely to play a significant role in finding more energy-efficient, and less polluting and waste-generating, products and processes. This aspect of the role may further increase promotion prospects within many organisations.

You can focus your career on a particular direction depending on your interests. For example, you could decide to be based in the laboratory working on research and development, or you may want to concentrate on the production and processing side.

With significant experience you could set up your own consultancy or small specialist practice, or you could find work as a contractor for various organisations and projects.

There are also opportunities to teach and lecture in further and higher education.

Materials engineer