Lead Research Associate – Lightweight Steel Structures

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Sheffield

Hybrid

GBP 38,000 - 41,000

Full time

8 days ago

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Job summary

The University of Sheffield, in partnership with Hadley Group, seeks a Research Associate in Steel Structures to lead a 27‑month Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). You will drive experimental testing, advanced modelling and software tooling for lightweight steel systems, based at Hadley Group HQ with regular work at Sheffield ICAIR.

You will collaborate with academia and industry to deliver 15–20% weight reductions and practical design methodologies.

Qualifications

PhD or equivalent in Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
Strong knowledge of structural engineering and steel systems.
Experience in finite element analysis with ABAQUS or similar software.
Experience in planning, conducting and interpreting structural testing and data analysis.
Programming or computational skills for engineering modelling and tooling.

Responsibilities

Develop experimental methodologies and 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, including material hardening and realistic boundary conditions.
Undertake AI‑informed surrogate modelling to support rapid prediction of structural performance.
Develop manufacturing‑aware optimisation methods to identify materially efficient cold‑formed steel profiles and validate them experimentally.
Translate findings into practical engineering guidance, software workflows and design tools for Hadley Group.