Principal Research Engineer Industrial Adoption

• Principal Research Engineer Industrial Adoption

This is a Fixed Term Contract (FTC) for 12 months

NCC is driving digital and AI adoption to help UK businesses, especially SMEs, unlock new opportunities for growth and competitiveness. By applying advanced digital tools and artificial intelligence across engineering and manufacturing lifecycles, we empower companies to innovate faster through development of smarter products and processes. From digital roadmaps through to deployment of technologies, our work helps industry embrace the future of engineering and accelerate transformation across the UK's key growth sectors.

About Industrial Adoption at NCC

Following our 'Engage, Discover, Transform' SME customer journey, you will be working with SME's across all sectors advising them on where they can implement digital business change to rapidly drive productivity and net zero gains through lean, digital and sustainable transformation.

We use a combination of capability, competency and pragmatism to drive productivity improvements for manufacturers across the South West through our digital transformation capability. as the lead partner on the Made Smarter Adoption Programme. This is a funded digital transformation programme for UK SMEs.

• Capability - providing the tools, infrastructure, and support that enable SMEs to adopt and integrate digital technologies and AI effectively.
• Competency - the knowledge, skills, and behaviours of individuals or teams to effectively apply digital and AI tools to solve engineering challenges, make decisions, and drive innovation.
• Pragmatism - cutting to the core of each SME's individual circumstances and challenges, providing practical routes to adopting digital technologies

What you'll be doing

Manufacturing Business Transformation

• Lead diagnostic assessments of customer operations to identify digitalisation opportunities that drive productivity gains and enable sustainability improvements.
• Shape and guide integrated digital transformation projects that result in successful adoption of advanced technologies.
• Design and implement digitally enabled solutions such as real-time process flow monitoring, data-driven value stream mapping, predictive decision-making, and digital tools for tracking carbon/energy performance.

Service Development

• Identify emerging industrial challenges, technology trends, and policy drivers, and translate them into new adoption service offerings for industry.
• Lead the design and development of new business transformation services that integrate digital, lean and sustainability approaches.
• Create and refine delivery methodologies, toolkits, and frameworks to standardise and scale adoption services across customers.

Customer Interaction

• Establish effective partnerships both internally and externally. You will have broad technical networks nationally and/or internationally and be regarded as an expert in your specialist field.
• Represent the NCC in relevant industrial events and forums - championing NCC's strategy and services
• Utilise your network of internal and external contacts to develop and influence strategic collaborative partnerships

What we're looking for

• Significant experience in a manufacturing, engineering, or industrial operations environment, preferably across multiple sectors.
• Demonstrable and significant experience in deploying digital tools and technologies in industrial settings.
• Demonstrable technical leadership in delivery of digital projects or programmes.
• Experience working directly with industrial customers, including engaging at senior levels (operations managers, directors, technical leaders).
• Experience guiding and mentoring engineers, shaping capability, and ensuring high-quality technical delivery.

See the full job description attached for the fuller list of role responsibilities.

Closing date for applications Sunday 7th November 2025 - If you are interested please don't wait for the closing date to apply. We will retain the right to close applications early depending on the quality and volume of candidates.

NCC is a world-leading innovation organisation that turns cutting-edge research and technology into industrial impact. We bridge the gap between academia and industry, helping companies of all sizes to capitalise on cutting-edge innovation to deliver more. We do this at every stage of their journey from the earliest concept to end-of-life.

The future of composites manufacturing relies on NCC, and we rely on the right individuals to make it happen, whether they're engineers or not!

Why NCC?

We see our success in yours. Not sure you meet all the requirements? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other underrepresented groups tend not to apply for jobs if they think they may not meet every qualification, when in fact they often do. At NCC we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We ensure that all hiring decisions are made without regard to age, race, national origin, sex, disability, gender, gender identity, religion, or any other protected characteristics, and will treat all applications with the strictest confidence. We're always open to hearing how we can support flexible working in different ways, including part-time work. Please don't be afraid to ask about what we can do to support your needs. All requests will be carefully and fairly considered. We wish you every success in your job search.

Diverse challenges - we're working in over 16 sectors and a variety of customers, from private ventures to the global tier 1 companies, providing an opportunity to work across a variety of sectors.

Innovation - a world-leading research and development centre, the work we do brings novel and innovative solutions to industry, with the future firmly in mind. So we need innovating thinking not just in Engineering, but across all support functions.

Development in composites, and you - if the scope of exciting work isn't enough to sway you, our ethos of continued learning and development and flexible working patterns will.

We look forwardto hearing from you.