Case studies…

Materials engineer: Career development

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 specialisms and such rapid technological change in the field.

Materials engineering is an umbrella term incorporating some highly specialised areas into which materials engineers can choose to move. These include composite applications engineering and corrosion control engineering, as well as many specific areas related to the particular materials they are working with, e.g. ceramics or metals. There can be overlap with geologists and their assessments of natural raw materials, including field work. Some materials engineers work as process control engineers, ensuring that the manufacturing process runs smoothly.

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 specialism. 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.

Advert disclaimer

AGCAS