CURRENT VACANCIES

Due to current growth, MERL has an ongoing need for motivated technicians, engineers and scientists who wish to make a positive contribution to our business.

MERL offers competitive salaries and benefits including pension contributions and after a qualifying period annual bonus and opportunity for share ownership. MERL is recognised as an Investors in People employer.

Please note that to be considered you must be eligible to work in the UK.

To apply for any of the current vacancies, please email your CV to recruitment@merl-ltd.co.uk

Technician / Senior Technician (Ref. JH11)

In this varied and flexible role, a test technician is required to prepare test specimens, build test fixtures and test rigs and run materials and component tests using a variety of mechanical and servo-hydraulic test equipment. Ideally qualified to a national standard in an engineering discipline, you should be able to operate mechanical test machines and computer controlled equipment. You should be familiar with the use of instrumentation and data acquisition packages. You should also be able to operate workshop equipment to prepare test rigs and test specimens. Experience of mechanical design and the use of Autocad or similar software would be advantageous. The ability to carry out electrical work to current standards would also be an advantage.

Senior Engineer/Scientist – Polymers under extreme environments (Ref. JH12)

A growing area of MERL’s business is the investigation of polymeric materials and components under extreme environments i.e. exposure to extremes of temperature, pressure and aggressive fluids (both liquids and gases). Specialist test facilities are available for chemical exposure, including high pressures, and mechanical performance. Full operational training will be provided. In this role, you will be responsible for carrying out both short and long-term projects for clients on a commercial basis. Examples of current projects include enhanced oil recovery and CO2 storage. This will involve planning and co-ordination of project work, conducting and supervising tests, data reduction and interpretation of results, report writing and presentation of results to clients. International travel from time to time may be required. You will work on a variety of projects involving a range of industrial sectors, including the oil and gas sector, with several active at one time.

You will require specialist knowledge of polymeric materials and have an understanding of their performance limits under extreme environments. You should have a degree in engineering, chemistry, materials or a related discipline, ideally with a minimum of a 2.1. A higher degree in a relevant area would be an advantage as would relevant industrial knowledge. You will also require good communication and organisational skills, a practical approach to problem solving and the ability to interact with commercial clients.

Finite Element Analyst – polymeric components and structures (Ref. JH13)

At MERL, finite element analysis is used to model the performance of polymeric materials in components and structures. The work is complimentary to our physical testing capabilities, which are used to generate material model data and to validate model predictions.

In this role, you will be responsible for carrying out FEA in projects for clients on a commercial basis. The analysis will generally include polymeric materials and involve stress, thermal or impact problems. One area of interest is crack modelling and damage tolerance and the use of fracture mechanics as the basis for assessing fracture and fatigue life. The work is carried out on a wide range of industrial problems from various sectors including oil & gas, aerospace & defence, automotive and medical devices. Essential to the role is the interpretation of results, the ability to write clear technical reports and the presentation of results to commercial clients.

Qualified to degree level, preferably in an engineering, materials or related discipline, you will need to have a thorough understanding of both linear and non-linear FEA and the mechanics of materials. You should have extensive knowledge of finite element modelling, preferably with ABAQUS and preferably in a commercial environment. Knowledge of modelling composites, adhesives, thermoplastics and elastomers would be an advantage as would knowledge of the mechanical behaviour of polymeric materials, fatigue and fracture behaviour. Success in the role will require strong analytical skills and flexibility to work on a variety of projects at any one time for a range of different clients and industries.