Materials Engineer (Forensic Investigation) / Engineering Failure Investigation

Location: UK – Remote / Hybrid

Package: Competitive Salary + Excellent Benefits

Turn your materials engineering expertise into real-world investigation work.

Are you naturally curious about why materials and engineering components fail?

Do you enjoy analysing fracture, corrosion, fatigue and other failure mechanisms and using technical evidence to determine exactly what happened?

This is an opportunity to move into specialist forensic engineering, investigating incidents and accidents involving the failure of individual components through to complex engineering assemblies.

You will work across a wide variety of applications and industries, investigating failures involving both metallic and non-metallic materials and following investigations from the initial site inspection through to laboratory analysis, technical reporting and, with experience, expert witness work.

The Role

You will join a specialist forensic engineering consultancy, where you will:

• Attend incident sites to inspect failures and collect physical evidence
• Investigate the failure of engineering components, materials and assemblies
• Examine metallic and non-metallic materials and identify potential failure mechanisms
• Carry out visual and low-magnification examinations of failed components
• Record and interpret fractographic evidence
• Undertake laboratory investigations including optical microscopy, hardness testing and material analysis
• Work with techniques including chemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy where appropriate
• Conduct mechanical testing of components and materials
• Devise practical, ad hoc testing methods to investigate specific failures
• Review engineering drawings, operating manuals, maintenance records and other technical documentation
• Research relevant standards, regulations and technical literature
• Liaise with manufacturers, suppliers and individuals involved in incidents to gather technical information
• Produce clear, evidence-based technical reports
• Present findings to clients from both technical and non-technical backgrounds
• Progress towards supporting litigation and providing expert witness evidence in Court

The role also has a strong practical engineering element. Depending on the investigation, you may need to systematically dismantle machinery, equipment or component assemblies to obtain and preserve the evidence required to establish the cause of failure.

What Makes This Role Different

• Investigate real engineering failures rather than repetitive project work
• Follow investigations from initial evidence gathering through to the final conclusion
• Exposure to an exceptionally broad range of materials, components and industries
• Combination of site investigation, laboratory analysis and practical engineering
• Opportunity to develop specialist forensic and expert witness expertise
• Technically challenging cases where no two investigations are the same

Whom This Would Suit

Ideal for someone who is:

• Naturally curious, analytical and interested in understanding why things fail
• Comfortable approaching engineering problems from first principles
• Interested in failure analysis, fracture, fatigue, corrosion and material behaviour
• Practical as well as academically strong
• Confident working independently and taking ownership of technical investigations
• Able to communicate complex engineering findings clearly
• Looking for greater variety than a conventional laboratory or office-based Materials Engineer position
• Comfortable with a role where the nature and location of work can sometimes be unpredictable

What You Will Bring

• A good honours degree in Materials Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Advanced Composites, Metallurgy or a closely related discipline
• Several years of postgraduate engineering experience, ideally gained within an industrial environment
• Strong understanding of the behaviour and failure of metallic and non-metallic materials
• Experience of engineering or component failure investigation would be highly advantageous
• Knowledge of fractographic and materialographic examination techniques
• Strong practical engineering ability alongside your academic knowledge
• Experience of laboratory-based materials examination and testing
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Ability to produce clear, accurate technical reports
• Confidence communicating technical concepts to non-specialist audiences
• Self-motivated with the ability to work effectively under pressure
• Flexibility to attend investigations and work outside conventional hours when required
• Willingness to develop towards providing expert witness evidence in Court

Why This Career Stands Out

This is an opportunity to build a specialist career combining materials science, engineering and forensic investigation.

Cases could involve anything from fatigue cracking, corrosion and weld defects to failures involving polymers, pressure systems, pipework, machinery and structural components.

You will receive comprehensive training in forensic investigation and technical report preparation, with the opportunity to develop your expertise progressively towards complex investigations and expert witness work.

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