KTP Associate: Systems Design and Integration Engineer
KTP Associate: Systems Design and Integration Engineer
- Posted 02 April 2026
- Salary up to £39,000 per annum
- End date 30 April 2026
- LocationEdinburgh
- Job Type Research and Teaching
- Reference196113
- Expiry 30 Apr 2026 23:45
Job description
Location: Edinburgh and Glasgow
Job Purpose
You will make a leading engineering contribution to a 36-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) funded program between the University of Glasgow and The Scotch Whisky Research Institute. The Scotch Whisky Research Institute (SWRI) provides scientific knowledge and innovation for the mutual benefit of its member companies, who represent approximately 90% of Scotch Whisky production (by volume). Members range from multi-national global businesses to small family-owned distillers. By working together, they benefit from cost-effective applied research that provides Scotch Whisky with a competitive advantage and helps address common industry challenges as exemplified by this KTP project.
You will take primary responsibility for delivery of a functional prototype optical sensor for the rapid, early detection of undesirable taints or off-flavours in whisky, based on recent research in the Clark Nanophotonic Devices Research Group and Peveler Bio-Nano Sensing Laboratory. This will involve integrating multiple subsystems, including optical, fluidic, electronic, embedded, and software components, around a sensing architecture produced at the University. You will become part of SWRI’s Flavour Management team, whilst interacting with other whisky science experts at SWRI. Your role will involve prototyping, troubleshooting, and validating sensor performance. You will also engage stakeholders to gather feedback on sensor integration in applied research and industrial production settings.
The post will be predominantly based in person at SWRI’s site in Riccarton, Edinburgh but will also involve periods spent in the Advanced Research Centre on the University of Glasgow campus in the early stages of the project. There will also be travel to SWRI member company sites and to external KTP training events during the project.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Bringing together diverse chemical and engineering elements (fluidics, optics and software) into a fully integrated, deployable detection device.
2. Optimising the sensor manufacturing process for reproducibility, robustness and compatibility with packaging constraints.
3. Developing on-board or remote signal processing to interpret optical data in real time. This will include both software development and user interface design, for on-device display or integration with external systems.
4. Documenting the research and design outputs, data analysis and interpretations and drafting professional reports, publications and IP as appropriate.
5. Presenting work at internal and external (stakeholder) technical meetings and conferences as the project allows.
6. Keeping up to date with current knowledge and the latest advances relevant to the project.
7. Taking a leading role in resource management and budgeting, and overall project management, alongside managing meetings and reporting to the project management team.
8. Undertaking regular stakeholder engagement to align academic innovation with industrial workflows, and ensuring that solutions are both technically sound and acceptable to end users.
9. Contribute to broader operation activities at the University and SWRI, engaging in career development opportunities, as duties allow.
The position offers the KTP Associate the following benefits:
- Ownership of your project, linked to both a university and an industry partner whose experienced teams will provide you with full support. Applying academic knowledge to a real-world challenge, this is a chance to deliver impact and shape your career.
- Dedicated coaching, mentoring and personal development, as well as experience managing your own personal training budget of £2,000 per year. KTP Associates spend around 10% of their time in training and personal development and you decide which courses would benefit you. You can choose a variety of training modules including project management, marketing and communication, finance, leadership and/or personal development, as well as job-specific technical training.
- Fast track your career! A KTP could be the perfect launchpad, helping enhance your career by steering a high‑impact project that tackles an important technical problem affecting the whisky industry, developing close contacts with industry stakeholders.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential:
A1 Master's-level qualification combined with substantial industrial exposure to optical sensor development and device prototyping.
A2 A comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of current issues and future directions within the relevant research disciplines as outlined in the Job Purpose, particularly optical spectroscopy and sensing, device integration, or chemical detection technologies.
A3 Well-developed working knowledge of research methods and practical techniques relevant to the project, including optical instrumentation, prototype device assembly, sensor characterisation, or microfluidics.
Desirable:
B1 A PhD in a relevant field (e.g. physics, engineering, applied photonics, or analytical instrumentation) with strong hands-on experimental experience.
B2 A full and clean driving license to enable travel between lead and partner sites.
Skills
Essential:
C1 Proven practical engineering skills relevant to the project, including the ability to build, integrate, and troubleshoot multi-subsystem prototype devices (e.g., combining optical, fluidic, electronic, embedded, and software components). A hands-on approach to system assembly (being comfortable assembling functional prototypes using off-the-shelf and custom parts) is essential.
C2 Proven skills in relevant design software packages (e.g. AutoCAD, Lumerical) and system integration and control languages.
C3 Ability to communicate material of a specialist or highly technical nature, both orally and in writing, at a level appropriate to the activity and audience.
C4 Effective organisation skills to manage time, prioritise and deliver appropriate research and administrative responsibilities, including running stakeholder and project meetings and travelling between sites.
Desirable:
D1 Experience working with ‘wet chemical’ processes e.g. surface modifications, polymer coating, electroplating or similar.
D2 Familiarity with COSHH safety legislation and processes.
Experience
Essential:
E1 Experience of troubleshooting complex system-level interactions and adapting designs based on real-world testing.
E2 Experience of producing technical reports and figures of high quality.
Desirable:
F1 Some prior experience of managing research projects with multiple stakeholders, or working across academic and industrial partners.
Terms and Conditions
The salary shall be determined by the Researcher, the University and the KTP partner. The amount shall be appropriate to the experience and qualifications of the appointed Researcher, up to £39,000 per annum.
This post is full time (35 hours per week) and fixed term for up to 3 years.
The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.
3 A flexible approach to working.
4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.
We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.
We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.
We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.
Closing Date: 30 April 2026 at 23:45