This is a rare opportunity to play a key role in high-profile investigations worldwide, involving ship casualties, material failures and engineering disputes.
The Role
This position involves conducting detailed forensic investigations of marine casualties and related incidents either independently or as part of a wider multidisciplinary team.
You will be responsible for leading metallurgical assessments, providing expert witness services, mentoring junior colleagues, and engaging in business development activities to grow the discipline further.
Key Responsibilities
- Undertake forensic investigations related to metallurgy in marine and industrial environments.
- Perform on-site surveys and attend laboratory testing as part of case investigations.
- Produce authoritative letters and expert reports detailing investigation findings.
- Provide oral and written expert evidence in court or arbitration proceedings.
- Advise clients on metallurgy-related technical issues and material failures.
- Manage and mentor a small team of 1–2 technical staff.
- Oversee workload allocation and deliverables across your team.
- Independently manage your own caseload and meet deadlines.
- Support business development and marketing activities within your discipline and the wider business.
- Carry out administrative tasks including billing, case management, and internal reporting.
- Contribute to internal training and the development of technical procedures.
- Perform other duties as reasonably required within the scope of the role.
- PhD in Metallurgy or closely related field.
- Extensive experience in failure analysis or forensic metallurgy, ideally within marine, energy or heavy engineering sectors.
- Experience in delivering expert evidence in legal or arbitration settings is highly desirable.
- Strong communication skills, both written and oral, with an ability to present complex findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Excellent attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and a proactive approach to case work.
- Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage individual workload and oversee small teams.
- Commercial awareness and confidence in representing the organisation externally.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook); familiarity with relevant technical analysis software is a plus.
- Willingness to travel globally on short notice, sometimes for extended periods.
- Competitive salary commensurate with experience
- Performance-based bonus scheme
- Car/travel allowance
- Private healthcare, pension, and life insurance
- Generous holiday allowance with buy/sell options
- Support for ongoing professional development and training
- A collaborative, expert-led environment where your insight will influence complex real-world outcomes