Candidate Brief

Lecturer – Gas Turbine Performance

Vacancy reference: 2984

Inside this pack:

1. Job overview
2. About Cranfield University
3. About School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing
4. Job details
5. Am I suited to this role?
Section 1
Job Overview

Job title: Lecturer - Gas Turbine Performance

Vacancy reference: 2984

School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing –

School:
Propulsion Engineering Centre

Full Time
Job type:
Permanent

37 hours per week, normally worked Monday to

Hours of work:
Friday

Salary details: £42,501 per annum

Professor Pericles Pilidis, Head of Centre for

Responsible to:
Propulsion

Start date: As soon as possible

Closing date for applications: 31 March 2019

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Section 2
About Cranfield University
Cranfield is an exclusively postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and
transformational research in technology and management.

Corporate Plan 2014 – 2019

Our Corporate Plan, which everyone can contribute towards, will allow us to meet the challenges
ahead in a rapidly developing global higher education marketplace. Our ethos is very much
defined by our people, our staff, our learners, our alumni and friends.

Strategic Priorities
We have four strategic priorities which are our primary focus over the next five years.

 To provide a premier learning experience that enhances the capabilities of individuals and
their organisations.

 To be recognised for outstanding transformational research that meets the needs of

business, government and wider society.

 To grow an efficient, effective, and sustainable enterprise.

 To be renowned for our impact and influence – regionally, nationally and internationally.

Plan 415i
Each priority above includes a core goal resulting in Plan 415i.

400 Towards 400 fully research active staff

10 Towards a UK top 10 postgraduate learning experience

5 5% operating surplus

i Impact, influence, internationalisation

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Section 3
About the School of Aerospace Transport and
Manufacturing
The School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing (SATM) is a leading provider of
postgraduate level engineering education, research and technology support to individuals and
organisations. At the forefront of aerospace, manufacturing and transport systems technology and
management for over 70 years, we deliver multi-disciplinary solutions to the complex challenges
facing industry.

Our world leading research in collaboration with our strategic partners directly contributes to the
economic growth of the global aerospace sector. In 2017 the Aerospace Integration Research
Centre (AIRC) was opened in partnership with co-investment partners Airbus and Rolls-Royce.
The Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) due to open in 2020 is a £67
million investment with the aim to unlock the potential of digital aviation creating a ‘research
ecosystem’ underpinned by our global research airport.

We are building on our globally recognised capabilities in air transport management, multi-sector
safety and accident investigation (receiving the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in Further and Higher
Education in 2011), together with expertise in advanced vehicle engineering, to develop an
integrated approach to the transport challenges of the future. In 2017 the Intelligent Mobility
Engineering Centre (IMEC) and autonomous vehicle test facility (MUEAVI) were opened to drive
forward education, training and research in intelligent mobility.

Our manufacturing capabilities are unique; combining a multi-disciplinary approach that integrates
design, technology and management expertise. We link fundamental materials research with our
expertise in technology and management to develop novel products and processes and improve
the science base of manufacturing research.

We offer a wide range of near-industrial scale experimental research facilities to support our
research, masters and doctoral students, as well as commercial clients. Many of our facilities are
unique in the UK University sector including:

 Aero-structure Assembly and Systems Installation Laboratory

 Icing Tunnel
 Gas Turbine Laboratory
 Structural Integrity Laboratory
 Multi-User Environment for Autonomous Vehicle Innovation (MUEAVI)
 Accident Investigation Laboratory
 Aircraft Cabin Simulators
 National Flying Laboratory Centre (which owns and operates three aircraft)
 Ultra Precision Machining Laboratory
 National High Temperature Surface Engineering Centre
 National Wind Tunnel Facility (NWTF)

A wide range of full and part-time masters, doctoral programmes and professional development
courses are available across all three themes.

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Organisational chart

Prof. Pericles Pilidis

Head of Propulsion Engineering Centre

Head of Gas Turbine

Head of Gas Turbine Head of Turboelectric Head of Hybrid Electric Head of Propulsion Sciences
Engineering Group & Director
Technology Group Group Propulsion Group Group
of RR UTC

VACANCY
LECTURER – GT
PERFORMANCE

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Section 4
Job Details
Job Purpose

The Propulsion Engineering Centre staff within the School of Aerospace, Transport and
Manufacturing at Cranfield run a large international activity embracing applied research, industrial
short courses and leading MSc and PhD programmes. This enjoys global visibility and extensive
links with industry.

The Propulsion Engineering Centre is looking to recruit a Lecturer in Gas Turbine Performance.
You will be responsible for leading relevant research into industrially important aspects of Gas
Turbine Performance. This will include securing research and teaching income and marketing and
management of the associated activities as well as writing and publishing high quality journal
papers.

You will also contribute and support the Centre’s MSc, PhD and CPD short courses, supporting and
ensuring an excellent student experience. This will include student supervision and the delivery and
assessment of core components of the activity.

Key Deliverables

% of time
spent
Execute and Lead relevant research into industrially important aspects of the
growth areas of Gas Turbines as directed by the Head of Centre. Prepare
suitable project proposals to secure research and teaching income. Lead and
assist in the marketing and management of the related activities. This role
1 involves liaising with the client and evaluating their needs. You will need to 45%
prepare the written reports for the client and present when the client visits.
Contribute to REF

Contribute and support the Centre’s expanding MSc, PhD and Continued
Professional Development Short Course programmes by enlarging, teaching,
and supervising MSc/ PhD projects.

Contribute to Gas Turbine education

2 Contribute to student recruitment 40%
Preparing and delivering Lectures
Preparation/marking of exam and assessment papers
Project supervision of MSc projects

3 Other duties related to the above as required by Head of Centre 15%

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Please be advised that the percentages allocated for the key deliverables may be adapted to take
into account the needs of the School and/ or University.

Planning and organising

As Lecturer you would be expected to lead and support activities of the Centre and organise the
workload accordingly, as research can be unpredictable in terms of when it is awarded. The
complexity of tasks can vary from single day advisory roles to large scale projects over a period of
months or years that run in parallel with the Centre’s other commitments.

Deadlines will need to be met to deliver reports etc. and to bid for new research projects.
Research activities will often involve collaboration with industrial partners and other academic
institutions and you will need to be able to demonstrate that you can work and communicate
effectively to ensure project goals are met.

The Department engages in post graduate teaching, mainly in the Thermal Power MSc but also in
other programmes. Responsibilities include contribution towards development of the programme,
allocation of lecturers and visiting speakers to the programme, preparation of teaching material and
coursework assignments and also to set examinations.

Communicating and influencing

You will need to be proactive in approaching commercial and government

organisations to generate new business, as well as in the delivery of current business. This may
include communication by e-mail, telephone and face-to-face meetings. This requires a level of
professionalism befitting a University academic in order to establish and develop new
relationships.

You would also need to communicate frequently and develop relationships with a
range of local and centralised University functions including: Heads of Centre, Theme and School;
MSc Course Directors and Module Leaders; Marketing, Communications & Development; and
Student & Academic Support, including external examiners and lecturers as appropriate.
You would also need to ensure that the outputs of their research are communicated in high-quality
peer-reviewed journals.

Problem solving

Using knowledge and initiative to resolve issues and queries. Evaluating the research risk and
constructing an appropriate response. Managing the available resources to maximise the
research outcomes.

Problems will typically be encountered in your own research work, supervision of students and in
contract work for industry. As a member of academic staff, you will be expected to be proactive in
resolving issues at all levels with the support of the Head of Centre. Knowing who to refer problems
to if they cannot be dealt with at source.

Identifying funding sources and producing proposals that are clear, accurate and competitive are
key problems to solve. This will need to be done with intellectual rigor, whilst maintaining a
commercial focus. Included in this is understanding the criteria for selection for funding and
producing the correct documentation. Identifying suitable journals, conferences, media etc. for
publication. You will also be required to lead the production of high-quality papers.

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Decision making

l) Decisions you will take without reference to others

 Project supervision for both MSc and PhD students

 Publications
 Day-to-day management and planning of on-going research within the overall specifications
 provided by the project proposals.
 Delivery of high quality research and reports to deadline and quality
 Proposing new, innovative, avenues of research

ll) Decisions you will refer to your manager/colleagues

 Developing new research proposals and sources of funding.

 Activities to enable the dissemination and exploitation of research results.
 Research strategic decisions
 Pricings and costings
 Discussion of Intellectual Property Rights / Copyright issues
 Changes in workload, lectures, meeting and reviews and research delivery

Guiding framework

You will be expected to operate within the academic quality assurance processes of
the University including those covering research ethics.

Formal guidance will come from the Head of Centre who will set objectives and strategies to
achieve those objectives as discussed. A personal development review process provides the
opportunity to raise issues relating to work environment and career objectives including
opportunities for promotion.

Impact

Growth in wealth, reputation and capabilities of the activities within the Propulsion Engineering
Centre, SATM and Cranfield University. These are:-

 Research Activity
 Delivery of Research objectives
 Reputation development through publications and research dissemination.
 Project supervision.

Facts and Figures

Cranfield University excels in strategic and applied research. In the latest 2014 Research Excellence
Framework (REF), 81% of our research was considered ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’
in its quality. We are in the top 50 in the world for Engineering - Mechanical, Aeronautical and
Manufacturing (QS world rankings 2018). The only other UK institutions in the top 50 are Cambridge,
Oxford, Imperial College London and Manchester.

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Cranfield is a ‘Top 5’ research institute, based on commercial income. We are second only to
Imperial College London, in terms of research power in REF 2014.

Our world class academics, with proven research records, are in constant touch with industry
through research, consultancy and product development. 3,800 students from over 100 countries
study either full- or part-time, or in parallel with their career.

100+ PhD students registered in 2017/18 academic year and 150+ master candidates in the
Propulsion Engineering Centre

14 – 17 is the typical number of short courses delivered per annum with approximately 300 – 400
attendees in total.

Annual turnover for the Centre is approx. £6,000,000

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Section 5
Am I suited to this role?

Criteria Essential Desirable

Engineering degree in pertinent subject. Industrial Experience
Education /
Qualifications PhD in topic relevant to Gas Turbines

Proven experience as a PI for projects

with major clients and income generator.

Proven experience in CPD education.

Ability to lead Research Activities.

Track record of publishing in high quality

Experience journals

Demonstrable track record of income

generation.

Track record of delivering high quality

teaching and student experience.

Knowledge of Gas Turbine Design,

Knowledge Performance and Applications

Ability to work as a team member within

the Centre.
Skills /
Aptitudes Engineering computer programme skills

Commitment to publish for the current

Personal REF period
Qualities

As part of Cranfield’s continuing commitment to developing excellence in learning and teaching,

members of staff with teaching responsibilities are expected to obtain formal recognition of their
professional expertise in teaching. It is normal expectation, during probationary period, that
individuals will enrol for and successfully complete module 1 (Teaching, Learning and Student
Support) of the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP), which leads to Associate
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) unless an equivalent qualification is held already.

The module focuses on student learning, teaching methods and support of students, consists of 5
one day workshops, and assessment of two written submissions of approximately 3000 and 5000
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words. Additional modules may be taken to gain Fellowship of the HEA, and the PGCAP if
appropriate to the individuals continued development.

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