Advanced Gear Design and Electrified Powertrain Systems; KTP Associate

Salary: £42,500 (plus substantial training budget) per annum.

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits including great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Please note this vacancy adopts the working hours and annual leave of the host partner as set in job description.

Closing date: 25 June 2026.

Newcastle University, in partnership with iNetic, is offering an exciting opportunity to support the expansion from electric motor manufacturing into complete electrified powertrain solutions for automotive, aerospace, and robotics applications.

The KTP Associate will lead the technical delivery of the project, working at the interface between Newcastle University and iNetic to embed advanced gear design and electrified drivetrain capability within the business. The role will involve developing, validating, and industrialising gear and transmission solutions for traction and motion applications, supporting the transition to a scalable, product‑based portfolio.

Key tasks will include the development of analytical and numerical models for gear systems, drivetrain optimisation for efficiency, durability, noise and manufacturability, and the application of these methods to real‑world product platforms. The Associate will support prototype design, testing, validation, and interpretation of results, working closely with the industrial partner’s engineers to translate research outputs into robust commercial solutions.

The role will also involve establishing repeatable design methodologies, tools, and documentation that can be embedded into industrial partner’s engineering processes, improving productivity, reducing development time, and enabling faster time to market. In parallel, the Associate will collaborate with customers and internal stakeholders to support specification development, feasibility assessment, and technical decision‑making.

In addition, the Associate will contribute to project management activities including progress reporting, milestone reviews, and knowledge transfer sessions, ensuring that expertise developed through the project is retained within the industrial partner, beyond the lifetime of the KTP.

iNetic is a UK‑based engineering and manufacturing company specialising in electrified drivetrain and motion systems for automotive, robotics, automation, and emerging mobility applications. Having evolved from a component‑focused business into a product‑led organisation, it delivers integrated solutions combining electric motors, gearboxes, and drive electronics, working closely with OEMs and technology partners from concept design through to prototyping, validation, and low‑ to medium‑volume production.

With a strong focus on electrification and rapid product development, the Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Newcastle University is a key enabler in building advanced gear design capability, accelerating time to market, and strengthening long‑term competitiveness.

The KTP Associate will be supported by an interdisciplinary academic team from Newcastle University, with expertise in Computational Structural Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering.

The Associate will also be supported by a senior industrial supervisor with extensive experience in Mechanical Engineering, specialising in engine and powertrain technologies.

Candidates should have a Masters or PhD in Mechanical, Automotive, or Mechatronics Engineering.

• Develop managerial skills and attend two residential managerial workshops (each of one‑week duration)
• £6,000 personal development and training budget
• The opportunity to lead a project, develop project‑management skills and improve long‑term career prospects
• Mentoring by a Knowledge Transfer Network Adviser
• Full access to university resources to complete the project
• Ability to work in a largely self‑determined way, across the industry‑academic partnership
• Opportunities to develop both technical understanding and commercial awareness
• The possibility of studying for a higher degree or undertaking professional development

The KTP Associate will be employed by Newcastle University and will…