Materials Chemist Graduate Programme

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica Company, is a world leader in helicopter manufacture. We design, develop and manufacture an unrivalled range of the most advanced helicopters & rotary wing technology for civil and military customers, with primary operations in the UK, USA, Italy and Poland.

We are currently seeking a Materials Chemist/Materials Engineering graduate to join our two-year graduate placement programme, commencing in October 2010 at our Yeovil site in the heart of Somerset.

The Role

The two-year programme will provide a personalised placement plan to prepare you for a permanent role within the Engineering function, specifically within the Materials Laboratory.
The programme will provide the opportunity to work in a number of areas relevant to Materials Chemistry, giving you a wealth of experience. Placements are likely to be in the following departments:

• Dynamic Composite Components (DCC). This placement will involve direct experience in the treatment of composite and metallic components to allow structural bonding and corrosion protection. This will include pickling and etching of full scale components, bond priming, anodising and painting. Knowledge will be gained on the practical application of these processes to aircraft parts, control and monitoring, and process trouble shooting and development.
• Westland Transmissions, our centre of excellence for helicopter power transmission systems. This placement will allow similar experience to be gained in plating and chemical conversion coatings for aluminium, steel, titanium and magnesium alloys. Direct experience of the production scale processes will be gained, and activities will include routine monitoring, troubleshooting and process development. Training will be given in chemical and mechanical test methods appropriate to the processes involved.
• The Materials Technologies Laboratory, responsible for the development and qualification of aircraft materials and processes. This placement will involve analysis of the current industry standards of treatments and processes with a view to future trends, the development of test programmes for qualification, and the implementation of these programmes including test piece manufacture and testing with final reporting to a standard satisfactory to supply to both internal and external customers. Treatments involved range from anodising, plating, and conversion coatings to paints and sealants and qualification will include elements such as process control, mechanical and chemical performance and environmental suitability.  Knowledge will be gained of aircraft systems and operating conditions which will allow an understanding of the importance of qualification parameters.
• You will also spend approximately three months in a Business department, to ensure a wide scope of knowledge and experience is gained throughout the programme.

Professional Development

Professional Development is a fundamental aspect of the Post Graduate Placement Programme and you will be supported to achieve Chartered Engineer status with the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3).  You will benefit from mentoring from a senior engineering manager, who will provide advice and support throughout your Professional Development.

Benefits

You will also benefit from a number of other training and development opportunities, including our Personal Development programme ‘Leading Edge’, and the Finmeccanica Learning Induction Programe (FLIP) which encourages interaction with graduates across the Finmeccanica Group.

With over 200 trainees at AgustaWestland, from apprentices to graduates, a thriving social network exists with regular organised social events to integrate newcomers.

Graduates will be based primarily out of our Yeovil manufacturing HQ in Somerset; but potential opportunities for secondments and international travel exist.

Package

Graduates benefit from a competitive salary and holiday allowance.

Salary - Year 1:  £24,250 + starting bonus of £1000 and £1000 at the end of first year. Year 2: £25,462. Average finishing salary:  £26,294 - £27,249 dependant on role

25 days holiday

Flexible working hours (subject to departmental requirement)

Relocation

Up to £425 per month for up to 6 months to a maximum of £2,550 (if relocating from over 30 miles away from Yeovil.)

Our Location

AgustaWestland represents a unique opportunity for a career minded person to have the best of both worlds; a challenging role with excellent career development prospects and a quality of life that is hard to equal.

Our location in Yeovil benefits from beautiful countryside surroundings and is only 30 minutes from the world-renowned Heritage Coast, yet we are well connected to Bristol, Bath, Exeter and London.

The focal point of AgustaWestland’s 220 acre site is the UK’s largest grass runway, on which you can see our aircraft testing and in flight.

Entry Requirements

• Minimum of a Bachelors Degree in a relevant engineering subject (Materials Chemistry, Materials Engineering and Materials Science are preferred subjects)
• Knowledge of materials science,  treatment chemistry and test methods
• Industry experience would be beneficial but is not essential
• Tenacity, fresh thinking and enthusiasm
• A strong team player
• Conscientious and keen to learn
• Must have been a permanent UK resident for a minimum of the past five years in order to meet security requirements

To Apply

Please apply via application form, downloadable from www.agustawestland.com

Deadline: 1st March 2010.