Organisation

Cranfield University

Faculty or Department

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Based at

Off Campus

Hours of work

39 hours per week, normally worked Monday to Friday.

Contract type

Fixed term contract

Fixed Term Period

For 27 months

Salary

Full time starting salary is £36,000 to £42,000 per annum, dependent upon qualifications and experience (39 hours per week), plus £4,000 personal development budget

Posted Date

08/10/2025

Apply by

26/10/2025

Documents

5133 - JD & Person Spec.pdf (PDF, 549.27kb)

Role Description

We welcome applications from passionate, skilled individuals eager to help shape the future of vehicle testing with Nissan.

An exciting opportunity to work as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate has arisen as part of a collaboration project between Nissan Technical Centre Europe Ltd and Cranfield University. The project will focus on the development of a Virtual Testing Assistant (VTA) that integrates ontologies, knowledge graphs, and AI models to support Nissan’s digital transformation in vehicle testing.

About The Role

Your role will lead the design and development of the Virtual Testing Assistant (VTA), a tool that will help to accelerate the shift from traditional physical testing development towards smarter, simulation-driven approaches. Working closely with teams at Nissan and Cranfield University, you will bring together data management, semantic modelling, ontologies, and advanced AI tools such as Large Language Models (LLMs). The VTA will help identify optimal test scenarios, reduce unnecessary repetition, enhance simulation workflows, and improve test planning so vehicle development can be faster and more efficient development.

About You

You will hold an MSc (with a First Class undergraduate degree) or a PhD (or be close to completion) in a STEM discipline such as Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or Artificial Intelligence.

This role requires strong programming skills (e.g. in Python), along with knowledge of machine learning and data modelling. Experience of delivering AI or data-driven projects is essential. Familiarity with ontologies (e.g. OWL), knowledge graphs (e.g. Neo4j, GraphDB), and system integration tools (e.g. APIs, SPARQL) would be highly desirable.

This role would suit an individual with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to apply systems thinking to complex engineering data challenges. You will be self-motivated, adaptable, and confident communicating across both academic and industrial teams. Knowledge of engineering simulation workflows or automotive systems would be an advantage.

This is an exciting opportunity to apply advanced digital and AI tools in a real-world automotive R&D environment, and to contribute to meaningful innovation within a global organisation.

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally. Learn more about Cranfield and our unique impact here.

Cranfield Manufacturing, Materials and Design community are recognised for the delivery of niche postgraduate research, education, and consultancy. We are unique in our multi-disciplinary approach to innovation and problem solving for industry, bringing together design, materials’ technology, and management expertise to create smart, clean, and green solutions with Net Zero UK 2050 in mind. Within this theme, the Centre for Design and Digital Engineering specialises in the integration of advanced digital technologies in engineering practice. We are unique in our multi-disciplinary approach, combining expertise in data science, simulation, AI, and digital twinning to support industry-led innovation in design, testing and development. Find out more about our work here: https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/centres/centre-for-digital-engineering-and-manufacturing.

Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) is Nissan’s European Research & Development hub, based in the UK and Spain and is home to over 900 people from 25 countries. The Test and Design teams based here work together to engineer requirements and designs for new car models for Europe and global markets. All of us at Nissan - regardless of functional area or expertise - share a passion to design, manufacture and sell high-performance, fun to drive vehicles

You will be based at Nissan Technical Centre Europe in Cranfield and work closely with Nick Robinson (Nissan supervisor), and with Professor John Erkoyuncu and Dr Christina Latsou at Cranfield University.

Our Values and Commitments

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do: Ambition; Impact; Respect; and Community. Find out more here.

We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. We are a Disability Confident Employer and proud members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme. We are committed to actively exploring flexible working options for each role and have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families. Find out more about our key commitments to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Flexible Working here.

Working Arrangements

Collaborating and connecting are integral to so much of what we do. Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on-site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.

Eligibility

An individual currently or previously employed by Nissan, except in an Industrial Placement role, would not be eligible for the KTP Associate role.

Individuals who have already been a KTP Associate would not be considered an ideal candidate.

How To Apply

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Dr Christina Latsou, Lecturer in Smart Manufacturing, on (T): +44 1234 754972 or (E): Christina.Latsou@cranfield.ac.uk

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details on E: peoplerecruitment@cranfield.ac.uk. Please quote reference number 5133.

Closing date for receipt of applications: 26 October 2025

Please note that we reserve the right to close this advert prior to the stated closing date should we receive sufficient numbers of applications. Therefore, we would encourage you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

This partnership received financial support from the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme. KTP aims to help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK knowledge base. This successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership project, funded by UK Research and Innovation through Innovate UK, is part of the government’s Industrial Strategy.

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