KTP Associate – Structural Innovation Engineer (Maritime Heritage)

The role is defined to bridge between academic excellence and industry application. The role involves managing the end-to-end project lifecycle, specialising in the structural preservation of maritime heritage through advanced computational engineering.

Key Responsibilities

• Computational Modelling: Develop sophisticated 3D geometric models of complex timber structures, with focus on historic wooden ships. Transform these into finite element models as necessary to carry out structural Finite Element Analysis .
• Simulations & Methodology: Advance the field by developing composite modelling techniques and rheological models to assess the structural performance of historic timber. Through targeted case studies, establish an adaptable, FEA-based methodology and workflow suitable for diverse and complex historic structures.
• Structural Intervention: Design, test, and evaluate innovative engineering solutions dedicated to the long-term conservation of historic vessels.
• Strategic Management & Knowledge Transfer: Facilitate knowledge transfer within the company. Oversee project milestones, manage stakeholder expectations, and integrate academic insights into commercial workflows.
• Dissemination: Champion the project’s findings by contributing to high-impact journal publications and presenting research at key national and international conferences.

The Associate will be based full-time in Beckett Rankine’s Westminster offices in Central London and will be integrated into the company.

By integrating cutting-edge structural analysis into the conservation of historic vessels, this project seeks to extend the lifespan of irreplaceable ships while significantly reducing long-term maintenance costs. This collaboration between Beckett Rankine and the University of Greenwich bridges high-level academic research with practical, industry-ready applications, reinforcing the UK’s position as a global leader in maritime heritage.

The project introduces a composite modelling approach for the structural assessment of wooden ships using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Unlike conventional finite element modelling, this approach captures the aggregate behaviour of timber elements rather than focusing on the explicit representation of all structural components. By applying these methodologies, the project will design essential supporting structures that accurately reflect the physical behaviour of aged timber. The 125-year-old RRS Discovery serves as the primary case study, with subsequent plans to validate the methodology on additional historic vessels.