Advanced Research Engineer - Cyber Security

The Vacancy

Help Secure the Future of UK Manufacturing

Are you passionate about cyber security, operational technology (OT), and protecting the next generation of connected industrial systems?

At the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), we're looking for an Advanced Research Engineer - Cyber Security to join our growing Informatics team. This is a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of manufacturing, digital innovation, and cyber security, helping organisations adopt advanced technologies securely and confidently.

Working with leading industrial partners, technology providers and research organisations, you'll play a key role in assessing emerging technologies, developing secure-by-design solutions, and shaping cyber security best practice across UK manufacturing.

About MTC

Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is one of the UK's leading research and technology organisations, helping manufacturers innovate, improve productivity and accelerate the adoption of advanced technologies. Our world-class engineers and researchers collaborate with industry to solve some of manufacturing's most complex challenges and support the future of UK industry.

The Opportunity

As an Advanced Research Engineer, you'll support the development and delivery of MTC's Industrial Cyber Security Strategy, focusing on connected manufacturing environments and Operational Technology (OT) security. You'll work on a diverse range of commercial, collaborative R&D and capability development projects, helping customers identify risks, strengthen resilience and implement cyber security best practices.

This role is ideal for a cyber security professional with experience in OT, IT or industrial environments who enjoys technical problem-solving, hands‑on testing and working with cutting‑edge technologies.

What You'll Be Doing

• Perform cyber security assessments and testing activities to identify vulnerabilities within connected manufacturing systems.
• Support penetration testing and security analysis of industrial equipment, networks and emerging manufacturing technologies.
• Develop and maintain OT cyber security testbeds that demonstrate industry best practice in areas such as asset management, network monitoring and threat detection.
• Design and implement secure-by-design IT and OT infrastructure architectures for both internal and customer-facing projects.
• Work with industry partners and technical specialists to expand MTC's cyber security capabilities and services.
• Monitor developments in cyber security standards, legislation and emerging technologies, including AI and critical infrastructure protection.
• Produce technical guidance, customer-facing content and best-practice materials for manufacturing organisations.
• Present findings and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

What We're Looking For

Essential Skills & Experience

• Experience using cyber security technologies such as Wireshark, Malcolm, Kali Linux and vulnerability scanning tools such as Greenbone .
• Knowledge of network monitoring, security analysis and vulnerability assessment techniques.
• Experience with penetration testing methodologies and device-level security assessment.
• Linux administration and system maintenance experience.
• Understanding of network architecture and secure-by-design principles.
• Experience deploying and managing containerised applications and environments.
• Familiarity with cyber security frameworks and standards, including:
• NIST Cyber Security Framework
• Cyber Essentials
• OWASP
• IEC 62443
• EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)
• UK Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) requirements

Desirable Experience

• Operational Technology (OT) and manufacturing environment experience.
• Knowledge of IoT and edge computing security.
• Experience with RF technologies, monitoring solutions or spectrum analysis.
• Understanding of AI security, AI-enabled security research, or protective security applications.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects and stakeholder groups.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Cyber Security, Computer Science, or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
• Minimum 3 years' experience in cyber security roles, ideally within OT/IT environments.
• Relevant certifications such as OSCP, OSDA, CISSP or GISCP would be advantageous.

Why Join MTC?

At MTC, you'll work with some of the most innovative manufacturing technologies in the UK while helping shape the future of cyber resilience across industry.

About The MTC

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is an internationally renowned and respected research and development organisation, bridging the gap between academia and manufacturing, and is home to some of the brightest minds in engineering from around the globe.

The MTC's engineers, scientists and technicians work with some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world in a supportive and collegiate environment for the development and demonstration of new technologies on an industrial scale, helping manufacturers of all sizes develop new and innovative processes and technologies.

Established to prove cutting edge manufacturing advances in an agile environment in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions, the MTC works with hundreds of industrial clients across a range of sectors including automotive, aerospace, rail, informatics, food and drink, infrastructure, construction and civil engineering, electronics, oil and gas and defence. The MTC helps businesses thrive by advancing their technological and engineering capabilities to improve their business efficiency, capability and competitiveness.

Supported by one of the largest public sector investments in UK Manufacturing, the MTC's engineering capabilities cover research and development, advanced manufacturing management, factory design and training for the skills of the future.

The MTC has world-class facilities in Coventry, Liverpool and Oxford, and is part of the UK's High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK.

Reference Checks and Security Checks (where applicable)

Due to the nature of our business, all employment is subject to satisfactory references being obtained alongside a level of security clearance checks.

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