Lloyd's Regist - Coventry University

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING
JOB DESCRIPTION & PERSON SPECIFICATION
1.
Job Information
Lloyd’s Register Foundation Research Associate in Materials
Engineering
Grade:
7
Salary Range: £30,438 - £38,517 per annum
Mode:
Full Time Fixed Term for 36 months.
Ref No:
REQ003129
Post Title:
The role of Senior Research Assistant typically includes a range of duties and responsibilities
from those itemised below, depending on the requirements of the post. Additionally, any
specific requirements of this post are summarised within the section headed “Job Purpose”.
2.
Job Description
.1 Job Purpose
This three-year post, based in the Faculty Research Centre in Manufacturing and Materials
Engineering, will support the new Lloyd’s Register Foundation funded International Joint
Research Centre in Nuclear Safety, which is led by Lancaster University, partnering with
Coventry University, University of Tennessee, and Harbin Engineering University. The focus
of the post is in the application of advanced methods to the study of materials for nuclear
power plant, as well as having a role in supporting project PhD students at Coventry, and
networking across the activity undertaken at the project partners.
The successful candidate will work across the work packages of the programme, and take a
lead on research relevant to materials performance, including residual stress analysis,
damage development, novel materials; and irradiation damage. The candidate will have a
day-to-day role in supervising the PhD students working on the programme, and in
networking to the other project partners for joint work packages.
.2 Duties and Responsibilities
1. Plan and manage own research activity, including
 Designing, conducting and recording outcomes of experiments
 Designing and managing equipment, rig-design, software, instrumentation.
 Designing and conducting literature and database searches and preparing
reviews of findings.
 Designing and/or undertaking data coding.
 Ensuring data quality assurance procedures.
 Analysis, interpretation and evaluation of research outcomes.
2. Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with the support and
supervision of a Principal Investigator on larger projects. Undertake individual and
collaborative research projects.
3. Identify new areas for research, develop new research approaches, apply innovative
research methods and extend the research portfolio.
4. Prepare proposals and applications to external bodies, e.g. for funding and contractual
purposes.
5. Plan and manage small scale research activities using resources, laboratories and
workshops as appropriate.
6. Communicate complex research information using a range of methods and media,
including to the public where appropriate. This may include material of a specialist or
highly technical nature.
7. Publish as principal author or co-author and disseminate in appropriate way the results
and outcomes of research projects/programmes e.g. journals, conferences.
8. Build internal and external contacts, participate in internal networks for the exchange of
information and form relationships for future collaboration. Join external networks to
share information and identify potential sources of funds.
9. Undertake supervision of staff and/or students.
10. Continually update knowledge and understanding in the discipline and develop new
research techniques and approaches to enable contribution within established research
programmes.
11. Contribute to teaching and learning programmes as appropriate, using research findings
to inform curriculum development.
12. Support assessment of student knowledge and supervision of projects; assist in the
development of student research skills.
13. Such other duties as may be allocated by the Head of Department from time to time.
3.
PERSON SPECIFICATION – Research Associate
ATTRIBUTES
Education/
Qualifications
ESSENTIAL


Experience
(Paid and Unpaid)

PhD in a relevant
discipline.
Or relevant discipline or
professional experience
equivalent to a higher
degree.
Experience in, advanced
measurement techniques
including two or more of the
following: neutron
diffraction, synchrotron xray diffraction, electron
microscopy, tomography
and EBSD.
ADVANTAGEOUS




Experience of
nondestructive examination
of materials, including state
monitoring methods and
magnetic techniques
Experience of the
measurement of residual
stresses.
Experience of work on
irradiation studies of
materials
Prior research with
relevance to methods or
topics in nuclear materials.


Research/Publications
Special Interests


Job-related skills/
Aptitudes



Interpersonal Skills





Other Requirements


A record of contributing to
publications in appropriate
refereed conferences and
journals.
Up to date knowledge and
understanding of relevant
discipline
Good formal presentation
skills.
Project management skills.
IT skills to include
familiarity with Microsoft
office suite and internet/ e
mail. Literature search
skills including electronic
databases.
Team working, informal
and formal presentations,
negotiation, persuasion,
dealing with conflict,
marketing.
Highly self motivated and
organised, flexible,
independent and creative
thinker and able to tolerate
working with different
styles.
Flexible approach to work.
Presents a professional
image to a range of
external client groups/
stakeholders.
Ability to persuade and
influence others
May be required to work
outside of normal 8.30 am
to 5.00 pm hours including
weekends, on occasion.
Willingness to travel to
other organisations.


Support of teaching and
postgraduate project
supervision in a Higher
Education Institution.
Participated in successful
applications for research
funding.
Research project
management skills.
Use of FEA and neural
network modelling software.