PCS-I
Year in Industry Project – R&D – 2026/2027
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Role Profile 2026-27
Company Name: PCS Instruments
YINI Internal Reference:
Job Title: Year in Industry Placement – Tribology R&D
No. of students required: 1
Student Type: Undergraduate
Department: R&D
Salary or salary range: Competitive, TBC
Location/ hybrid working: PCS Instruments, Acton, London, W3 7SZ
Line Manager/ reports to: Senior R&D Tribologist
General Terms & Conditions: 35 Hours per week
Placement Start date / Duration: Flexible, October 2026, 1 year
Would like to interview in: July 2026, initial online interview, final round in person
COMPANY BACKGROUND & WEBSITE
PCS Instruments is a leading manufacturer of test instruments in the field of Tribology – the science of friction, wear, and lubrication. Our instruments are used across the globe, to discover, optimise, and benchmark new fuels and lubricants, and for academic research in this fascinating, multidisciplinary field. We are constantly adapting to new challenges, ensuring our technology continues to advance the frontier of knowledge.
DESCRIPTION OF ROLE
The project involves prototyping, implementing, and evaluating optical techniques to increase both the resolution and robustness of 3D optical interferometry applied to experimental elastohydrodynamics. There are some particularly exciting unexplored avenues, which require skills spanning mechanical design, optics, data science, and software engineering. The successful candidate will work as part of a multidisciplinary team of experienced engineers and technicians, but the project will be their own to scope, manage, and execute. We expect the work to be both interesting and rewarding, and to present several exciting technical challenges.
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What we can offer:
- Competitive Salary and Benefits
- An environment tailored for continuous learning and professional development.
- Real Project ownership, empowering you to drive impactful solutions.
KEY COMPETENCIES
Knowledge, skills, and experience required
- Have performed well in A-level (or equivalent) Mathematics, Further Mathematics, and Physics
- Be studying for a degree in Physics, Engineering, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or similar
- Have a working knowledge of the principles of mechanical design, and key mathematical concepts expected at second year undergraduate level, including complex analysis, Fourier theory, linear algebra, numerical methods, calculus, etc.
- Have strong programming skills and be prepared to work in (one of) Python, C++, or C#
- Be able to think critically, and question the status quo
- Be able and prepared to study independently, with support from the R&D team
- Be resilient, and prepared to navigate the nonlinear nature of research and development
- Communicate clearly, in person, in informal writing, and in technical writing
- Take an interest in the project and rise to a technical challenge
- Be available to work full-time, under standard terms to be agreed, from October 2026-September 2027 (approx., start and end dates negotiable)
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Ideally, but optionally, the candidate will also
- Have a working knowledge of optics
- Have experience with CAD software, rapid prototyping, engineering drawings, and common machine elements
- Have evidence of group working in an engineering design or analysis capacity, e.g., group design projects, previous industrial experience, labs
- Have experience in, or be prepared to learn, technical presentation skills
- Take an interest in the wider field of tribology and appreciate the relevance of this project to scientific research in this field
- Be preparing for a career in scientific research or engineering
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