Manufacturing Engineer – Project Engineer (33-Month FTC)
Location: Coventry (HTRC, Ansty)
Department: High Temperature Research Centre
Contract: 33-month Fixed-Term
Are you excited by cutting-edge engineering, complex manufacturing challenges, and contributing to world-leading turbine technology? The High Temperature Research Centre (HTRC)—a collaboration between the University of Birmingham and Rolls-Royce—is seeking a talented Manufacturing Engineer with a Project Engineering focus to join our team.
Working in a state-of-the-art facility equipped for advanced investment casting, machining, and metrology of single crystal turbine components, this is an opportunity to contribute to innovation that shapes the future of aerospace manufacturing.
About the Role
As a Manufacturing Engineer – Project Engineer, you’ll lead and support engineering projects that improve the design, manufacture, and performance of turbine components. Working as part of our integrated design and manufacturing teams, you’ll translate customer requirements into robust manufacturing methods and lead the technical delivery of assigned projects.
You will manage validation, risk, cost, and stakeholder expectations while ensuring components meet specification and manufacturing processes remain safe, reliable, and capable.
Key Responsibilities
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Translate customer requirements into manufacturing methods, supported by technical packages and project documentation.
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Plan, manage, and deliver engineering projects using structured tools for risk, cost, schedule, and change control.
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Collaborate with Designers, Operations, Researchers, and project teams to meet technical and delivery objectives.
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Lead validation and substantiation work, addressing non-conformance and quality concerns.
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Support innovation by developing proof-of-concept solutions and contributing to advanced research activities.
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Help develop and improve manufacturing capability for single-crystal turbine components.
What You’ll Bring
Essential:
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Degree-level qualification or equivalent technical experience.
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Strong understanding of manufacturing and component engineering principles.
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Experience in project engineering, including planning, risk management, and budgetary control.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across functions.
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A proactive, self-driven approach with strong problem-solving capability.
Highly advantageous experience:
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Working in research or advanced manufacturing environments.
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Design for Manufacture (DfM) involvement with customers or product teams.
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Experience with CAD (tooling, jigs, fixtures) or CAM activities.
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Developing methods of manufacture and running capability experiments.
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Managing inspection requirements and resolving non-conformance issues.
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Supporting continuous improvement and developing new manufacturing technologies.
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Coaching technicians or supporting equipment capability development.
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Benchmarking external processes or technologies.
What Makes This Role Unique
HTRC is a hub of innovation, developing world-leading manufacturing technologies for next-generation turbine components. You’ll be part of a team recognised for:
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Developing new manufacturing techniques for future engines
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Delivering high-value components for development programmes
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Driving cost, yield, and capability improvements
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Collaborating with academia, industry, and global partners
This is a role where your technical expertise directly shapes future engineering capability.
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) was established in 2010 as an independent Research & Technology Organisation (RTO) with the objective of bridging the gap between academia and industry – often referred to as ‘the valley of death’.
It represents one of the largest public sector investments in UK manufacturing and, after four years of planning and a 16 month build, the facility opened at Ansty Park in Coventry at the end of 2011.
In December 2011, there were 16 industrial members, 44 staff and just a few key pieces of equipment in the ‘workshop’.
Over the following seven years the MTC’s rapid growth has seen the expansion of our campus with the construction of three more facilities, including the opening of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre and the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing.
Our role has also increased to cover not only R&D but also Training, Advanced Manufacturing Management and Factory Design.
We now have over 700 talented employees working with us.
During this time we have helped hundreds of companies across a range of industries and over 100 of them have become members of the MTC.
