Materials Engineer

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices. We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual. Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee-owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant. About the business unit The Buildings Unit (BLD) has a major presence in Mott MacDonald's regional offices throughout the UK and mainland Europe, providing a wide range of diverse and transferable cross-sector skills across five key Sectors; Advisory, Built Environment, Energy, Transportation and Water. We also provide local services to customers and technical leadership to the rest of the Group in these sectors. Overview of the role We are looking for a motivated, proactive Materials Engineer with a profound knowledge on durability of concrete, corrosion of metals and/or coatings, to join our Materials and Corrosion team in our Bristol location. You will be working with other Materials Engineers, Civil and Structural Engineers within a highly skilled specialist team. You will be working on unique, technically demanding projects across a range of sectors. This will involve working with new and existing infrastructure and buildings (including bridges, tunnels, water treatment and hydropower structures, jetties etc.) to address technical queries, prepare durability assessments for new structures including durability modelling and writing specifications; evaluate the condition and performance of existing structures and apply engineering knowledge to the data gained to help develop remedial and maintenance strategies for managing risk and optimising asset value, including cathodic protection, and providing advice on sustainable solutions, asset management and technical problem solving. You will have the opportunity to work with major asset owners, primarily in the buildings, infrastructure, water and energy sectors but also road and rail sectors. You’ll manage your own work on a variety of projects of various sizes across different project stages and ensure work is carried out to a high standard and following necessary quality, environmental and safety requirements. You will share your skills and knowledge across the team as well as develop knowledge from other disciplines teams when necessary. Using your technical and problem-solving abilities, you will need the capability and willingness to take responsibility for undertaking assessments and management of projects while establishing professional inter-personal relationships with internal and external clients and ensuring that their needs are met by efficiently producing high quality project deliverables. Key responsibilities and duties include: Preparing durability assessments which involves identifying potential deterioration mechanisms of structural elements and other construction products and developing solutions to ensure the structure will achieve its design life Providing support to internal and external clients on the selection, specification, performance, deterioration and repair of materials in structures and for general construction uses Planning and carrying out investigations to evaluate the current condition, performance and residual life of a wide range of existing structures Root cause analyses and forensic engineering of deteriorating materials and structures Developing protection, maintenance and repair strategies, including cathodic protection Carrying out research into new materials and to support novel and innovative applications of established materials and techniques Analysing and interpreting data and producing reports and presentations that effectively and ensuring the deliverables meet project requirements, including handling of internal/ external client expectations and relationships Understanding, supporting and influencing clients, preparing and reviewing reports, giving presentations and author guidance for publication Contributing to a variety of global projects, both small and large, and project stages, providing technical input and quality deliverables to British, European or International Standards Ensuring effective communication with colleagues on the project team, with clients and other stakeholders, both verbally and in writing Candidate specification As a professional working within the construction industry, you have a foundation in materials technology within civil engineering disciplines and you have an interest in growing and strengthening your technical and management skills and experience. You have experience writing technical reports to a high standard and are used to presenting project material to both colleagues and clients. You are willing to take on new problems and are able to adapt to new problem-solving opportunities. You have good time management skills and are willing to work on varied and multiple commissions with a range of project stakeholders and represent Mott MacDonald to colleagues or clients. You will also spend time on site which will include working in confined spaces and tunnels, above railways and roads, in rivers and on boats, as well as climbing scaffolding and ladders. Site visits will mainly be in the South West, Midlands and Wales but may also comprise national and international travel with overnight stays. You may have experience managing projects with commercial awareness and are able to interpret complex technical information and present to a variety of audiences through reports and presentations (both in person and virtually). Additionally, you appreciate contractual commercial requirements and are able to react to these with managing your workload. You will also be able to demonstrate the following: Master’s degree qualified (or equivalent) in an Engineering or Science discipline, preferably specialising in construction Materials or demonstrating an interest in the field through dissertation or projects selected. Additional qualifications such as PhD or equivalent in the field of materials and civil engineering are highly beneficial Chartered with a relevant professional institution, working towards chartership or an experienced IEng Knowledge of civil engineering assets Specialist knowledge and experience of one or more of the commonly used construction materials (concrete and cementitious materials, metals, masonry and building stone, coatings) Experience in inspection, investigation, monitoring and assessment of civil engineering structures, an understanding of how they perform, deteriorate and fail and how they can be protected, maintained and repaired An interest in getting out on site to see a range of structures in different environments and can travel with occasional night-time and/or weekend working The drive to continuously learn and enhance the understanding of various materials The ability to approach and solve problems in a logical manner The enthusiasm and flexibility to take on new challenges and, when necessary, to respond by developing and confidently applying new knowledge outside existing specialist fields Due to the nature of our industry, you will be willing to travel nationally or internationally for projects as well as be flexible to work non-standar