Engineer / Experimental Scientist - Force Standards, National Measurement Institute - Department of Industry, Innovation and Science - ResearchCareer

First listed on: 30 August 2017


Engineer / Experimental Scientist - Force Standards, National Measurement Institute

The National Measurement Institute (NMI), a division within the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, is Australia's peak measurement body responsible for biological, chemical, legal, physical and trade measurement. NMI is internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading national metrology institutes. Our 330 staff deliver cutting edge measurement services and research from unique facilities across Australia.

NMI’s Force Standards Group maintains Australia’s primary standards of force, providing Australia’s highest level calibration services that support the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) calibration and testing laboratories across Australia. The team is responsible for a range of unique facilities and capabilities such as Australia’s only 550 kN deadweight machine and 4.5 MN hydraulic force machine. It is currently developing new capabilities to meet the demands of Australian industry and the community, such as establishing new facilities to measure multi-MN tension forces and investigating the dynamic response of load cells.

Working with the leading researchers in the field in Australia, you will:

  • be expected to deliver timely, high quality calibrations of load cells up to multi-MN levels, under an ISO17025 quality system, and at the highest levels of accuracy achievable internationally
  • be expected to liaise with clients and develop effective relationships with key stakeholders in industry, the research community, and international standards laboratories
  • use your broad physics and engineering skills to contribute both to the development of new calibration systems such as tension and dynamic force and to ongoing efforts to improve efficiency (for example by automating calibrations)
  • be actively involved in contributing to the ongoing research to understand, quantify, and reduce measurement uncertainties and validate new experimental techniques.

In the longer term you are expected to develop deep and comprehensive knowledge of the field of force measurement and of the operation, design and limitations of a wide range of relevant commercial and research equipment.

The successful candidate will have a degree in Mechanical Engineering, or PhD in Experimental Physics, with a strong mathematics, electronics, process automation and structural mechanical analysis component.

This recruitment process is being used to fill a current ongoing Science & Technical Level 5 or 6 positions commensurate with relevant skills and experience.

Please refer to the department's Careers pages for further information about this role.