Technical Specialist – Non-Metallic – Mechanical Testing

Overview

Element Materials Technology and play a vital role at our Hitchin site, where science meets innovation and quality drives everything we do, all with one clear purpose:
Making Tomorrow Safer Than Today! We are seeking a technically driven professional to provide expert support for non‑metallic mechanical testing activities, specialising in composite and polymer materials. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of materials performance, reliability, and safety, ensuring our technical governance remains robust, compliant, and aligned with the highest quality and safety standards.

In this role, you will:

• Provide hands‑on technical expertise across non‑metallic mechanical testing programmes
• Support and uphold technical governance in line with established quality systems
• Ensure compliance with safety procedures and regulatory requirements
• Act as a key technical authority for composite and polymer material testing
• Drive continuous improvement in processes, technical capability, and operational excellence

At Element, you’ll be part of a global organisation supporting leading companies across aerospace, automotive, energy, and advanced manufacturing sectors. Every test you oversee, every standard you uphold, and every improvement you drive contributes to safer products, stronger performance, and greater confidence for our customers worldwide.

If you are passionate about materials science, committed to technical integrity, and motivated by the impact your expertise can make, this is your opportunity to help us continue making tomorrow safer than today.

Build your future with Element where integrity, innovation, and expertise power progress!

• Act as the technical lead for clients, supporting enquiries, proposals, meetings, and project updates
• Deliver client testing projects, including high‑value and bespoke R&D programmes, to support site financial targets
• Develop and implement new testing methodologies and best practices across the site and wider network
• Provide technical guidance to Laboratory Managers, project managers, and operational teams
• Represent the business at committees, working groups, conferences, and exhibitions, sharing key insights internally
• Contribute to site strategy, business cases, capex justifications, and business development initiatives
• Collaborate with commercial and functional teams to achieve technical and commercial objectives
• Lead technical reviews, support audits, maintain accreditations, and ensure compliance with quality standards
• Strengthen safety culture through risk assessment review, safety investigations, and operational document approval
• Support recruitment, training, competency development, and mentoring of technical and operational staff

• BSc or MSc in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Polymer Science, Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline (PhD desirable for R&D or advanced analysis roles)
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Chartered Scientist (CSci) preferred
• Extensive hands‑on experience in materials testing, analysis, and characterisation
• Strong expertise in mechanical testing (tensile, compression, fatigue, fracture toughness, hardness) and failure/root‑cause investigations
• Experience developing, validating, and optimising test methods
• Background in regulated industries (e.g. aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, defence, construction)
• Proficient in technical writing, including test procedures, SOPs, and reports
• Proven ability to lead projects and mentor junior engineers/scientists
• Experience working to international standards (ASTM, ISO, BS EN) within accredited laboratories (ISO 17025 preferred)
• Practical experience with mechanical testing instrumentation including Instron, MTS, Zwick Roell UTM systems, servo‑hydraulic fatigue rigs, and impact testing equipment (Charpy/Izod)

Element is one of the fastest growing testing, inspection and certification businesses in the world. Globally we have more than 9,000 brilliant minds operating from 270 sites across 30 countries. Together we share an ambitious purpose to ‘Make tomorrow safer than today’. When failure in use is not an option, we…