Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Manager (Ph.D.)
at Exponent
🏢 About Exponent
Exponent is a premier engineering and scientific consulting firm that tackles complex, high-stakes problems across industries, from product failures to environmental challenges. What sets Exponent apart is its multidisciplinary approach and reputation for rigorous, evidence-based solutions that influence safety regulations and industry standards globally. Working here means collaborating with world-class experts on diverse projects that have real-world impact on safety, health, and sustainability.
About This Role
As a Senior Manager (Ph.D.) at Exponent, you'll lead hands-on metallurgical investigations while driving business growth through client acquisition and staff development. This role uniquely blends deep technical expertise in materials failure analysis with strategic business development, requiring you to translate complex findings into actionable insights for clients ranging from manufacturers to legal teams. Your work will directly influence product safety, liability cases, and industry practices across the UK and beyond.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with reviewing metallurgical data from a failure analysis, then leading a client call to discuss findings and propose next steps. In the afternoon, you could mentor a junior engineer on SEM interpretation, draft a section of an expert report for a legal case, and strategize with the business development team on targeting new clients in the energy sector. Fieldwork might involve traveling to a manufacturing site for hands-on inspection of a failed component.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Exponent Is Looking For
- A Ph.D. in Metallurgical/Materials Engineering with 8+ years of hands-on experience in failure analysis, metallography, SEM/EDS, and field inspections, ideally in consulting or industrial R&D settings.
- A proven hunter with a track record of generating £500k+ in annual consulting revenue or securing major client contracts in sectors like aerospace, energy, or manufacturing.
- A mentor-leader who has managed technical teams and can develop junior staff in both analytical techniques and client-facing skills like report writing and expert testimony.
- A communicator who can distill complex metallurgical findings into clear, compelling narratives for non-technical stakeholders, including in legal or regulatory contexts.
📝 Tips for Applying to Exponent
Quantify your business development impact: specify revenue generated, clients secured, or grant funding won in past roles, emphasizing UK or European markets.
Highlight specific materials characterization techniques from the job description (e.g., FIB, X-ray diffraction) and link them to case studies of failure analyses you've led.
Tailor your resume to show both technical depth (e.g., publications, ASTM standards involvement) and consulting/managerial experience (e.g., project profitability, team growth).
Research Exponent's recent UK projects (e.g., from their website or news) and reference how your expertise aligns with their work in sectors like renewable energy or transportation.
Emphasize field inspection experience, as this role involves on-site client work; detail any travel or site-based investigations you've conducted.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Demonstrate how your Ph.D. research and post-doctoral work directly apply to real-world materials failures, citing specific techniques like fractography or metallurgical analysis.', 'Provide a brief example of a complex client problem you solved, highlighting your role in business development (e.g., converting a technical engagement into a long-term contract).', 'Explain your approach to mentoring staff in technical and business skills, referencing past experience growing a team or improving project delivery.', "Express alignment with Exponent's mission of 'safer, healthier, sustainable solutions,' linking it to a past project where your work improved safety or sustainability outcomes."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Review Exponent's UK case studies and recent projects (e.g., on their website) to understand their client base and technical focus areas, such as renewable energy or product liability.
- → Investigate the company's culture and values through employee testimonials or industry reports, noting their emphasis on independent, evidence-based consulting.
- → Study the UK regulatory and industrial landscape for materials engineering, including key sectors (e.g., aerospace, nuclear) where Exponent operates.
- → Look into Exponent's leadership and recent news for insights into their growth strategy in Europe, especially regarding sustainability initiatives.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing solely on academic research without demonstrating applied, client-facing experience in consulting or industrial problem-solving.
- Failing to provide concrete examples of business generation, such as vague claims about 'networking' without quantifiable results like contract values or client retention.
- Overlooking the managerial aspect by emphasizing individual technical contributions without evidence of team leadership, mentoring, or project management.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!