Design Simulation Engineer (KTP Associate)

The project that the KTP Associate will deliver aims to revolutionize Mac’s Truck Sales Ltd’s design and manufacturing processes by integrating advanced Finite Element Analysis (FEA) methodologies. This transition will enhance efficiency, reduce material costs, and improve the overall performance of crane-mounted vehicles, contributing to the company’s growth and enhancing its competitive edge.

Key objectives of the project are to:
• Embed advanced FEA-driven design and analysis techniques within the company
• Shift from a traditional “manufacture and test” approach to numerical prototyping
• Optimize truck body designs to improve fuel efficiency and reduce production costs
• Foster collaboration between technical, marketing, and sales teams to enhance product development
• Train staff to ensure long-term adoption and sustainability of new methodologies

Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Review published material to gain an understanding of the state of the art for crane mounted vehicle simulation.
2. Working from appropriate standards and in consultation with industry experts, define the requirements for finite element packages suitable for crane-mounted vehicle simulation.
3. Manage the selection and acquisition of suitable finite element analysis software.
4. Identify benchmarks for crane-mounted vehicle simulation and carry out benchmark analyses to determine simulation accuracy.
5. Develop techniques to simulate crane-mounted vehicle structures, particularly during loading/offloading operations.
6. Working with existing design staff and using a simulation driven design approach, develop new crane-mounted vehicles.
7. Manage the manufacture and testing of new crane-mounted vehicles.
8. Collate data from vehicle testing and use this to validate design simulations.
9. Develop a simulation quality management system and integrate this into the wider company quality management system.
10. Develop training programs for the simulation techniques applicable to the company’s product range.
11. Train other company design staff in the use of advanced simulation techniques.2
12. Prepare and produce research reports, project progress reports, and other documentation (including assistance with joint publications).
13. Participate in team meetings, committees, and conferences, as appropriate.
14. Deliver guest lectures and participate in seminars for University teaching.
15. KTP support budget monitoring and forecasting.
16. Proactively identify personal and professional development needs and opportunities to enable effective project leadership and implementation.
17. Undertake as other duties by the academic and industry supervisors.

The University of Huddersfield in partnership with Mac’s Trucks – a specialist, innovative, vehicle manufacturer, have an exciting employment opportunity for a high-calibre graduate to work on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). This is a strategic and challenging project that will shape the future of this specialist engineering company through the development of new and innovative design simulation processes.

The KTP scheme is one of the UK’s largest graduate employment programmes. A key benefit includes access to a £6,000 training budget, key management training from specialists Ashorne Hill, and dedicated coaching and mentoring to develop your core people and project management skills.

As Design Simulation Engineer, you will be based at Mac’s Trucks and will work in collaboration with the University of Huddersfield. The University’s experienced teams will provide you with full support throughout the project. By applying academic knowledge to a real-world challenge, this is a chance to deliver impact and fast-track your career. This is a fixed-term contract for 36-months, however, successful completion of the KTP may lead to long-term employment at Mac’s Trucks.

The role involves developing and embedding robust simulation methodologies, including vehicle simulation, into Mac’s Trucks’ design process. It also includes defining and supervising physical crash tests. Reporting directly to Mac’s Trucks’ Engineering Manager, you will be responsible for leading this high-profile project with significant support from the academic team at the University, and other stakeholders.