Research Associate in Steel Structures and Sustainable Design; KTP Associate

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This role is primarily based at our business partner Hadley Group's global headquarters in the West Midlands.

The Structures Group in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, in partnership with Hadley Group, is seeking to appoint a Research Associate in Steel Structures to lead the technical delivery of an exciting 27‑month Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). The project will develop next‑generation lightweight cold‑formed steel systems and validated design and optimisation tools for purlin, cladding and mezzanine applications.

Hadley Group is a global engineering and manufacturing group and a world leader in cold‑rolled steel technology, with more than 700 employees across four countries. The Group combines engineering and manufacturing expertise to deliver innovative solutions across construction, infrastructure, transport, automotive and industrial markets.

You will work at the interface between academic research and industrial application, combining full‑scale structural testing, nonlinear finite element modelling, manufacturing‑aware optimisation and AI‑informed modelling. The project aims to develop lighter, more efficient structural profiles, targeting weight reductions of 15‑20% compared with current solutions, and to translate the research into practical design methodologies and software tools for commercial use.
You will be based mainly at Hadley Group's global headquarters in Smethwick, West Midlands (approximately 20 minutes from Birmingham city centre), with regular work at the University of Sheffield, including experimental testing at the Integrated Civil and Infrastructure Research Centre (ICAIR), a national research facility applying world‑leading research to the construction and infrastructure sectors. You will work closely with academic supervisors and Hadley engineers, manufacturing and software teams.

The role provides substantial responsibility for project delivery and knowledge transfer, together with dedicated KTP training.

• Develop experimental methodologies and undertake full‑scale structural testing of cold‑formed steel sections and sheeting‑restrained systems, including instrumentation, data acquisition, analysis and interpretation of structural response and failure modes.
• Develop, calibrate and validate nonlinear finite element models in ABAQUS, incorporating material strain hardening, geometric imperfections and realistic boundary and loading conditions.
• Undertake parametric studies and develop AI‑informed surrogate modelling approaches to support rapid prediction of structural performance.
• Develop and apply manufacturing‑aware structural optimisation methods to identify materially efficient and practically manufacturable cold‑formed steel profiles, and validate optimised solutions experimentally.
• Quantify the beneficial restraint effects of sheeting systems and contribute to improved design methodologies, including Direct Strength Method‑based approaches, for Hadley products.
• Translate experimental, numerical and optimisation findings into practical engineering guidance, software workflows and design tools suitable for…