Mechanical Design Engineer

The University     

At Durham University we are proud of our people.  A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.     

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally.  We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University.    

Further information about the University can be found here .

The Role and Department  

The Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI) is a major research group in the Department of Physics with approximately sixty staff and research students. It has established a pre-eminent reputation in the development of complex instrumentation for high profile national and international collaborative projects.  The group is distributed across two physical locations in the Durham area. Firstly there is the Department of Physics located in Durham itself, with its world leading reputation in academic research. Secondly, there is a dedicated technology facility based at NETpark in nearby Sedgefield, providing access to unrivalled technical facilities for the assembly and test of complex instrumentation.

CfAI develops state-of-the-art instruments and sub-systems for applications across a wide range of disciplines including astronomical instrumentation, biophysics, remote sensing and fusion diagnostics. For example, CfAI has provided major instruments for many of the world’s leading astronomical facilities including the Anglo-Australian Telescope, William Herschel Telescope, Gemini Telescopes, Magellan Telescope, the Very Large Telescope and Southern African Large Telescope. CfAI is also currently involved in developing instruments for the Extremely Large Telescope.

An opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, hands-on Mechanical Design Engineer to support the design, development, manufacture and test of a range of astronomical, space-based and other instrument programmes. The vacancy has arisen due to the expansion of the group’s research and development activities following a number of successful funding awards.

The role will encompass a broad array of mechanical engineering design activities from concept development through to detailing and system delivery. The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to the hands-on opto-mechanical assembly, integration and test of equipment and instrumentation for astronomical & space based sectors as well as other application areas. The successful candidate will be expected to use existing technical knowledge and develop further skills across a broad array of disciplines including general mechanical design, cryogenics, vacuum system engineering, thermal modelling, FEA, materials selection and electrical systems integration.

An important part of the role will be the analysis and reporting of results. The appointee would be working on substantial national/international projects, often involving large numbers of dedicated scientists and engineers. Working with interdisciplinary and inter-institutional teams will form an essential part of the role, as will the need to travel for collaboration and instrument commissioning.

This is initially a fixed term position for 2 years, but would be expected to continue beyond this, subject to CfAI’s continued success in winning projects.  

Working at Durham      

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:       

• 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.    
• We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled  into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).  
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered.  We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.  
• There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally.  There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University.  All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.   
• Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.  
• On site nursery is available and access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16 throughout the year.
• Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).  
• The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.  
• Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.   
• A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.   
• If you are moving to Durham, we can help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools.  If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.     

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.      

As a University, equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham, we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.     

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.  If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application.  If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role .     

What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification  

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role.  Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description.  Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered. 

Your application should cover the following criteria: 

Essential Criteria

1.     Educated to degree level in either Mechanical Engineering or Physics (or equivalent experience).

2.     Involvement in design, manufacture & test of complex or high precision mechanical or opto-mechanical products, systems or instrumentation.

3.     Experience of product or system testing to ensure designs meet requirements.

4.     Highly competent in at least one major CAD software package (e.g. Autodesk Inventor), covering design and detailed drawing activity.

5.     The ability to perform design calculations and structural analysis by analytical and/or Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software techniques. CfAI use NASTRAN’.

6.     Ability to understand and absorb extensive technical requirements specifications, and to develop suitable designs and specifications (down to component level) to meet the requirements and practical trade-offs that occur within complex hardware systems.

7.     Ability to communicate clearly in both written and verbal forms, especially able to prepare high quality written documentation (e.g. design reports).

8.     The capability of working as a professional engineer with the minimum of supervision. 

Desirable Criteria

9.     Experience in multi-disciplinary technical environments (e.g. mechanical engineering and design, electronics, software, systems engineering).

10.  Experience of procuring engineering services and/or management of sub-contractors.

11.  Able to build thermal models using FEA methods (being proficient in at least one common FEA solver).

12.  Experience at the customer interface with industrial clients or stakeholders, including the presentation of technical solutions and data, as well as negotiating and agreeing solutions to technical requirements.

13.  Ability to diagnose and solve problems and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.

14.  Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory guidelines and applicable design standards (e.g. those relevant to the space or astronomy sector or other highly controlled environments or industries).

Typical Role Requirements 

Service Delivery/Development

• Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.
• Provide specialist advice and guidance relating to your professional area of expertise in line with the University’s policies, regulations and values.
• Provide the best possible service by continually reviewing what is required from those who you work with by contributing to ideas and service improvements.
• Provide specialist knowledge and support when interpreting and analysing complex data and information sources.
• Look for ways to improve output/results across all areas of your work.
• Oversee specialist risk assessments and safety procedures and resolve incidents that require specialist expertise.

Planning and Organisation

• Provide specialist advice to resolve technical problems, plan projects and continually develop and improve the service.
• Seek feedback from colleagues so that the service is being adapted to meet customer expectations and to plan future requirements.
• Manage budgets and expenditure including buying (and returning) goods and services.

Research Project 

• Observe maintenance schedules to ensure the safe and efficient use of technology, facilities and services for research project activities.
• Manage your day-to-day delivery of high-quality technical services to ensure research and knowledge exchange outputs.
• Record, monitor and collate information to analyse patterns and trends as part of teaching and research activities.
• Be responsible for the design, set-up, maintenance and integrity of research facilities, technology and resources within a specialist area.
• Support the delivery of post graduate teaching and learning activities, and income generation, where appropriate.
• Contribute to the planning, design and delivery of research outputs and prepare innovative research proposals.

Communication/Liaison

• Provide specialist advice and guidance on University health and safety and compliance issues.
• Use your operational expertise to lead and participate in business meetings, working groups and sub-committees.
• Collaborate with internal and external academics, industry and technical specialists to support the delivery of research projects and to contribute to the generation of external income.
• Liaise with internal and external agencies, local authorities, industries and visitors where appropriate.
• Meet the development needs of your stakeholders providing training when required.
• Create positive working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills and swap information with peers.
• Contribute to promotional events and presentations at conferences.
• Any other reasonable duties.

How to Apply   

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.  Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).     

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.          

Submitting your application      

We prefer to receive applications online.   We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.      

What you need to submit     

Contact details          

For a chat about the role or any further information please contact Chris Davison ([email protected] ).

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.           

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.