Advanced Research Engineer - Cyber Security

The Vacancy

Help Secure the Future of UK Manufacturing

Are you passionate about cyber security, operational technology (OT), and protecting the next generation of connected industrial systems?

At the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), we're looking for an Advanced Research Engineer - Cyber Security to join our growing Informatics team. This is a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of manufacturing, digital innovation, and cyber security, helping organisations adopt advanced technologies securely and confidently.

Working with leading industrial partners, technology providers and research organisations, you'll play a key role in assessing emerging technologies, developing secure-by-design solutions, and shaping cyber security best practice across UK manufacturing.

Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is one of the UK's leading research and technology organisations, helping manufacturers innovate, improve productivity and accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies. Our world-class engineers and researchers collaborate with industry to solve some of manufacturing's most complex challenges and support the future of UK industry.

As an Advanced Research Engineer, you'll support the development and delivery of MTC's Industrial Cyber Security Strategy, focusing on connected manufacturing environments and Operational Technology (OT) security. You'll work on a diverse range of commercial, collaborative R&D and capability development projects, helping customers identify risks, strengthen resilience and implement cyber security best practices.

This role is ideal for a cyber security professional with experience in OT, IT or industrial environments who enjoys technical problem-solving, hands‑on testing and working with cutting‑edge technologies.

• Perform cyber security assessments and testing activities to identify vulnerabilities within connected manufacturing systems.
• Support penetration testing and security analysis of industrial equipment, networks and emerging manufacturing technologies.
• Develop and maintain OT cyber security testbeds that demonstrate industry best practice in areas such as asset management, network monitoring and threat detection.
• Design and implement secure-by-design IT and OT infrastructure architectures for both internal and customer-facing projects.
• Work with industry partners and technical specialists to expand MTC's cyber security capabilities and services.
• Monitor developments in cyber security standards, legislation and emerging technologies, including AI and critical infrastructure protection.
• Produce technical guidance, customer-facing content and best-practice materials for manufacturing organisations.
• Present findings and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Experience using cyber security technologies such as Wireshark, Malcolm, Kali Linux and vulnerability scanning tools such as Greenbone
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• Knowledge of network monitoring, security analysis and vulnerability assessment techniques.
• Experience with penetration testing methodologies and device-level security assessment.
• Linux administration and system maintenance experience.
• Understanding of network architecture and secure-by-design principles.
• Experience deploying and managing containerised applications and environments.
• Familiarity with cyber security frameworks and standards, including:
  • NIST Cyber Security Framework
  • Cyber Essentials
  • OWASP
  • IEC 62443
  • EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)
  • UK Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) requirements

• Operational Technology (OT) and manufacturing environment experience.
• Knowledge of IoT and edge computing security.
• Experience with RF technologies, monitoring solutions or spectrum analysis.
• Understanding of AI security, AI-enabled security research, or protective security applications.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects and stakeholder groups.

• Bachelor's degree in Cyber Security, Computer Science, or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
• Minimum 3 years' experience in cyber security roles,…