Materials Technician

Balfour Beatty; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Smart working (up to 40% remote)

25 days annual leave pro rata

Family friendly policies including 28+

Pension

Share incentive plan

Volunteering leave

Recognition schemes

Job summary

Balfour Beatty plc is recruiting for a Materials Testing Lead to support marine and tunnels projects in the UK. You will establish safe lab practices, conduct on-site and lab testing, ensure UKAS compliance and drive data-driven reporting for quality and KPI purposes.

Joining a major infrastructure contractor, you will develop testing programmes, train junior staff and collaborate with project teams to meet deadlines while enabling remote work where role allows.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in a UKAS accredited laboratory and with construction materials.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to collect, manage and present data clearly.

Responsibilities

• Establish safe methods of work for materials team on site and in the lab.
• Undertake inspection and testing on site and in the laboratory as required by the contract.
• Maintain high standards and comply with UKAS accreditation requirements.
• Comply with the site quality system for materials testing laboratory and reporting.
• Deliver results by contract deadlines.
• Maintain equipment calibrations and notify lab manager of defects.
• Report best practice to Project and offsite teams.
• Produce summary compliance reports by deadlines.
• Train and develop junior staff to ensure succession.
• Manage expectations on test result reporting and timescales.
• Develop testing programmes for trials.
• Execute trials and ongoing quality testing as per specifications/ITP.

Education

NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent

Full UK driving Licence

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

About the role

As part of the marine and tunnels package the development of nuclear qualified concrete mix(es) for the precast tunnel lining (Segments) and precast heads are required. Development and approval of these concrete mixes to the Clients specification requires expertise in the field of concrete mix design, material testing and thermal modelling. This role is required to facilitate the development of these mix(es) and provide ongoing support throughout the construction/production phase of the project. In addition, there are a number of materials required for the operation and launch of the tunnel boring machines such as specialist grouts, sprayed concretes etc. these materials also require trial works and reporting to demonstrate their suitability for use prior to the works commencing. This role is also responsible for the establishment and ongoing operation of laboratory facilities for marine and tunnels works in accordance with the contract specifications.

What you'll be doing

• Establishing and maintaining safe methods of work for the materials team on site and in the laboratory
• Undertake inspection and testing on site and in the laboratory as required by the contract, identifying and reporting areas of risk and opportunity immediately
• Maintaining high standards of work and compliance with UKAS accreditation requirements
• Comply with the site quality system for materials testing laboratory, including materials reporting
• Deliver results by deadlines as required by the contract and project teams
• Maintain equipment calibrations and notify the lab manager of any defects requiring attention
• Identifying, recording and reporting of Best Practice to Project and offsite and pass to Laboratory Manager
• Producing summary compliance reports of material compliance as required by the contract by required deadlines
• Training and development of junior staff to ensure succession plan in place
• Manage expectations of materials team in regard to test result reporting and testing timescales
• Development of testing programmes for trials
• Executing trials and ongoing quality testing requirements as per agreed Specifications, Scopes or ITP’s

Who we're looking for

Essential

• Previous Experience of working within a UKAS accredited laboratory and working with construction materials
• Minimum NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent
• Full UK driving License

Desirable

• SMSTS or SSSTS qualified
• Member of a professional institute
• Experience in training others
• Experience in reporting KPI’s and reports to a timescale
• Experience managing a defined budget
• Experience of preparing and reviewing risk assessments and method statements

Essential

• Good interpersonal/communication skills
• Ability to collect, manage and present data in a clear manner

Desirable

• Knowledge of construction materials (Concrete, Grout)
• Desire for continuous improvement and development
• Quick learner
• Proficient skills in Microsoft Office (particularly excel)
• Well organised

Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

Why join us?

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:

• - Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
• - 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
• - Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
• - Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…

About us

Balfour Beatty’s Major Projects business is delivering some of the UK’s most complex and iconic infrastructure projects including HS2, the new high-speed railway and the first nuclear power station in a generation, Hinkley Point C. Using the latest technology, we’re driving productivity and creating a lasting legacy by delivering sustainable solutions that strengthen communities.

From consultancy and design, to all aspects of construction and maintenance. We have the proven expertise to deliver large-scale projects safely and successfully.

Diversity and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty, we want everyone to be able to thrive and achieve their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. We’re making great progress through our Value Everyone DEI Action Plan, but we know we’ve got more to do. Find out more about our values and DEI initiatives.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this role will be offered an interview.

We are committed to our processes being barrier‑free and will support adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please let the recruiter for this role know if you require any adjustments.

We’re looking to continually improve our recruitment process, so if you have any feedback, please share this with us via [e-mail]