Materials engineer
Materials engineers are responsible for the research, specification, design and development of materials to advance technologies of many kinds. Their expertise lies in understanding the properties and behaviours of different substances, from raw materials to finished products. The field is also referred to as materials science or materials technology.
They work with many different materials, including:
Working in a diverse range of industries, materials engineers combine or modify materials in different ways to improve the performance, durability and cost-effectiveness of processes and products. For ideas about the range of careers in materials engineering and science, go to UK Centre for Materials Education (UKCME) .
Work activities vary according to the specific material and industry you work with and the size of the organisation you work for, but there are a number of activities common to most posts. These include:
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.
Apart from a degree in materials engineering, technology or science, a number of other engineering and science-based subjects are acceptable for entry to this profession, including:
Graduates whose first degree is not in materials engineering but who do have a science or engineering degree may find that relevant postgraduate qualifications open up more opportunities.
Entry with an HND only is possible, although professional training will take longer and opportunities for career development will be limited. Relevant HND subjects include:
The only opening for those without a relevant degree or HND is to train at technician level, but it is then difficult to progress to incorporated engineer (IEng) or chartered engineer (CEng) status.
It is not necessary to have previous experience before you start applying for jobs, but industrial placements or other technical or scientific work experience may strengthen your application.
Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:
Whilst 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.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
To gain professional status it is necessary to undergo a period of on-the-job training. There are two levels towards which you can work: incorporated engineer (IEng) or chartered engineer (CEng). Both provide recognition of expertise and higher earning potential.
For IEng status, you must have an accredited BEng degree or an approved HND (with an additional year of training and experience equivalent to the final year of a degree course). You are then required to go through a period of further professional training, pass a professional review (interview and work assessment) and become a member of an approved engineering institution. The route is similar for CEng status, but you must have an approved MEng (Masters in engineering) degree or a BEng plus approved further training. Gaining chartership also involves a professional review and membership of an engineering institution.
Graduates applying for IEng or CEng status are assessed against UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC) criteria. These new standards have been developed by professional bodies, employers and the Engineering Council . They take account of new developments, for example the introduction of foundation degrees, and offer a slightly more flexible approach to achieving professional status.
Materials engineers must be prepared to keep up with changing technologies and new ideas, so further study or training may be necessary. The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) offers an extensive range of distance learning certificates and other courses.
Management development programmes are also often highly relevant.
Career prospects are currently good within this branch of engineering. There is a general shortage of materials engineers, exacerbated by there being so many different specialist areas and such rapid technological change in the field.
Materials engineers are often highly skilled and respected members of the technical team and, for this reason, it can be relatively easy either to move into general management roles (either 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 the employing company; for example, a small but highly specialist biomedical laboratory cannot offer the management career potential available within a global oil and gas company.
Materials engineers are likely to play a significant role in finding more energy-efficient, and less polluting and waste-generating, products and processes. This particular aspect of the role may further increase promotion prospects within many organisations.
A key career choice facing many materials engineers is whether to work mainly in the laboratory on research and development, or on the production and processing side.
There are also opportunities to teach and lecture in further and higher education.
Materials engineering is so broad that positions are available across many manufacturing and industrial sectors. For example, materials engineers are employed by companies that carry out metal processing and by those that manufacture products using ceramics, glass, plastics, rubber, carbon fibre and electronics equipment.
Employers range from global corporations producing planes, trains and automobiles to producers of energy-efficient materials for construction, to small specialist research laboratories.
Employers recruiting materials engineers include those working in:
Opportunities arise throughout the UK and are as likely to occur on a small business or science park as in a major industrial centre. The pattern of vacancies does vary but, at present, materials science is a buoyant sector for opportunities.
Specialist recruitment agencies, such as Materials Edge and Matchtech , may handle some vacancies, but these are more often for experienced chartered or incorporated engineers.
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