- Professional
- Office in Cardiff
Advert
Research and Development Post Graduate Engineer (KTP Associate) – Enhancing Head Protection Products in the Equestrian sector
Cardiff School of Engineering
The successful applicant will be joining Cardiff University, one of the UK’s leading research led universities, working as a Research and Development Post Graduate Engineer (also known as a KTP Associate). This post is funded by the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) and Champion Manufacturing and serves to transfer knowledge from the University research team, to our Cardiff-based industrial partner. The KTP Post-doctoral Research Associate will be employed by Cardiff University, though will be based at Champion, forming a vital conduit between these two Wales-based collaborators.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme has been active for over 40 years and has now developed a programme of support for all KTP associates that focusses clearly on career and personal development. This 3 year post-doctoral position includes a development budget, alongside an expectation that the associate will dedicate 10% of their time to development-related activities. Such activities include the opportunity to shadow senior management, involvement in commercial decision-making and the anticipation of taking a product from concept to market. Furthermore, this position has already attracted an enhanced travel budget, funded separately via the Welsh Government, to ensure that the successful applicant is able to have extended overseas visits to learn from our international collaborators.
The successful candidate will play a key role in transferring the academic knowledge relating to enhancing head protection to our industrial partner, with the specific aim of developing a new product line that offers enhanced performance. This will require the candidate to develop existing research concepts and ideas, before identifying those that meet a comprehensive range of design criteria. Commercial and technological research will then be required to determine the most appropriate means by which to achieve a commercially viable route to market. Hence, this position will develop a host of technical, commercial, and entrepreneurial skills.
This post is full time (40 hours per week) and is fixed term for a period of 36 months from 1 October 2025.
Fixed Salary £42,254 per annum
For informal enquiries about the post please contact Dr Peter Theobald ([email protected])
For further details about working at Cardiff School of Engineering please contact Karen Baldwin/Chiara Riolo /Bev Jones at [email protected]
Date advert posted: Monday, 8 September 2025
Closing date: Friday, 26 September 2025
Online interviews will be held soon after the closing date.
The School of Engineering holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award that recognises good employment practice and a commitment to develop the careers of women working in science. Cardiff University is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. For this vacancy we actively encourage women to apply. We will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share opportunities.
Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University
Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.
Cardiff School of Engineering
The successful applicant will be joining Cardiff University, one of the UK’s leading research led universities, working as a Research and Development Post Graduate Engineer (also known as a KTP Associate). This post is funded by the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) and Champion Manufacturing and serves to transfer knowledge from the University research team, to our Cardiff-based industrial partner. The KTP Post-doctoral Research Associate will be employed by Cardiff University, though will be based at Champion, forming a vital conduit between these two Wales-based collaborators.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme has been active for over 40 years and has now developed a programme of support for all KTP associates that focusses clearly on career and personal development. This 3 year post-doctoral position includes a development budget, alongside an expectation that the associate will dedicate 10% of their time to development-related activities. Such activities include the opportunity to shadow senior management, involvement in commercial decision-making and the anticipation of taking a product from concept to market. Furthermore, this position has already attracted an enhanced travel budget, funded separately via the Welsh Government, to ensure that the successful applicant is able to have extended overseas visits to learn from our international collaborators.
The successful candidate will play a key role in transferring the academic knowledge relating to enhancing head protection to our industrial partner, with the specific aim of developing a new product line that offers enhanced performance. This will require the candidate to develop existing research concepts and ideas, before identifying those that meet a comprehensive range of design criteria. Commercial and technological research will then be required to determine the most appropriate means by which to achieve a commercially viable route to market. Hence, this position will develop a host of technical, commercial, and entrepreneurial skills.
This post is full time (40 hours per week) and is fixed term for a period of 36 months from 1 October 2025.
Fixed Salary £42,254 per annum
For informal enquiries about the post please contact Dr Peter Theobald ([email protected])
For further details about working at Cardiff School of Engineering please contact Karen Baldwin/Chiara Riolo /Bev Jones at [email protected]
Date advert posted: Monday, 8 September 2025
Closing date: Friday, 26 September 2025
Online interviews will be held soon after the closing date.
The School of Engineering holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award that recognises good employment practice and a commitment to develop the careers of women working in science. Cardiff University is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. For this vacancy we actively encourage women to apply. We will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share opportunities.
Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: Responsible research assessment - Research - Cardiff University
Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.
Job Description
Research Project Delivery
Internal & External Interaction
Compliance
- To lead the research & development activities within the company, informing new strategies, including by gaining a full appreciation of existing competitor helmets, technology and performance.
- To identify areas for potential improvement across the existing Champion product range, including by adopting emerging technologies from other sectors.
- To exploit the benefits of computational design in the performance of new and existing products. To oversee manufacture of a prototype helmet design, for mechanical validation.
- To identify and influence the adoption of superior product performance standards nationally and internationally.
- To manage progression from prototype to full-scale manufacture in the on-site production line.
- To effectively communicate new technologies and transfer knowledge to both internal and external audiences.
Internal & External Interaction
- To ensure that the Local Management Committee (LMC), Academic and Industrial Supervisors, and all other relevant colleagues are kept fully appraised of developments, undertakings and issues with respect to project developments.
- To actively integrate in committees both at the industrial and academic partners.
Compliance
- To comply with the contractual expectations at Cardiff University, and the local practices at Champion Manufacturing
Salary Range Max.
42,254
Grade
Grade 5
Salary Range Min.
42,254
Job Category
Academic - Research
Additional Information
IMPORTANT: Evidencing Criteria
Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable criteria.
As part of the application process you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure when submitting this document / attaching it to your application profile you name it with the vacancy reference number, in this instance, 20748 BR.
Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable criteria.
As part of the application process you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure when submitting this document / attaching it to your application profile you name it with the vacancy reference number, in this instance, 20748 BR.
Career Pathway
Research
Person Specification
Essential Criteria
Qualifications & Education
Specific Qualities
10. A flexible approach to working hours, with a willingness and ability to attend occasional evening functions and spend occasional nights away from home. There is also an expectation that this post will involve some overseas travel, to a series of collaborators for periods of up to 1 month, and for shorter visits to attend conferences.
Desirable Criteria
IMPORTANT : Additional Requirements for Job Description
Reporting
Qualifications & Education
- Achieved, or being close to achieving, a postgraduate or PhD degree aligned to biomechanics, manufacturing, or mechanical engineering.
- A proven track record in analytical, scientific research, including performing rigorous and systematic engineering investigation and exploiting new technologies from wider industries.
- Computational skill including computer aided design, finite element analysis and manufacturing software.
- Expertise in material science, ideally relevant to impact protection and mitigation applications.
- A high level of practical ability, being able to translate concepts into realisable prototypes and appreciating the demands associated with full scale production.
- To be both self-driven and so demonstrate effective and efficient independent working, whilst also leading the Research & Development strategy and team.
- Experience in effectively manage resources and budget, forecasting new market trends and mitigating potential risks.
- Proven communication skills, including effectively developing and documenting standard operating procedures and effectively transfer knowledge to non-experts in the company and wider networks.
- To have an understanding of impact mitigation, energy absorbing structures, personal protective safety, or another field aligned to achieving enhanced head protection.
Specific Qualities
10. A flexible approach to working hours, with a willingness and ability to attend occasional evening functions and spend occasional nights away from home. There is also an expectation that this post will involve some overseas travel, to a series of collaborators for periods of up to 1 month, and for shorter visits to attend conferences.
Desirable Criteria
- Relevant professional qualifications.
- Knowledge and experience in multi-functional sensing.
- Knowledge and experience related to emerging manufacturing processes and materials.
- Expertise in graphic product design to create imagery/animations/visualisation.
- Knowledge of material properties currently used in equestrian protection products (e.g. PVC nitrile foams)
- Welsh language skills.
IMPORTANT : Additional Requirements for Job Description
Reporting
- To prepare papers including an internal progress report and financial update, for the quarterly Local Management Committee
- To report to both the academic and industrial based supervisors at least every two weeks, ensuring that the team remain up to date with all technical and commercial activities
- To continue to seek opportunities to author high quality research publications, and protect any novel intellectual property.
- To engage with all the professional development opportunities that are core to this position.
- To participate where appropriate in Champion Manufacturing and University administration, and any reasonable activities that promote either party or their work to the outside world.
