Project Assistant: Materials Team

Reference
1107407

Branch
University of Warwick

Start date
23/02/2026

Duration
Other - See Job

Hours and days
36.5 hours per week

Dress code
Not Applicable

Rate of pay
£12.83

Holiday rate
£1.55

Role

This is a 12 week paid internship opportunity as part of the WMG Internship Program.

This role involves testing different decorative lacquer coatings on brass sample plates. The company’s requirement is to identify whether there are any commercially available cleaning products that will remove dirt. Scum or limescale build up off the surface of a lacquer coated item without compromising the lacquered finish being cleaned.

The work will involve applying the cleaning solution to a series of plaques coated in the lacquer finishes, putting them into a controlled environment chamber and then removing once every 24 hours to perform controlled cleaning activities. Then evaluating the lacquer finish to see if the exposure and cleaning process has affected the integrity of the lacquer surface.

The internship is based within WMG at Warwick University; you will be working closely with the WMG team and Samuel Heath team evaluating the finishes and what effect the cleaners are having.  As part of the Program, you will also benefit from weekly supervision and support by a WMG expert, throughout the duration of the project.

About the company:

Samuel Heath are a high-end market leader in decorative taps, showers and other bathroom and kitchen equipment, with a long history of manufacturing at its Smethwick site in Birmingham. They have a strong background in engineering for their product range and want to expand their knowledge and understanding of how resilient their lacquer coating are to household cleaning products

Duties and responsibilities

Within the project the main activities will include:

• A review of potential household cleaning products, segregation into approximate families of products based on the active cleansing chemistries within the proprietary products, selection of a representative example from each family and the initial testing of these selected representative cleaners.
• Evaluation of the effect of the selected cleaners on the lacquer surface over a four-week period; evaluated by carrying out controlled cleaning activities once every 24 hours and the evaluation of the surface after each cleaning cycle.
• Maintaining the controlled environment chamber to provide consistent exposure conditions throughout the test period.
• Carrying out extended exposure testing (approx. 7 weeks) on any families of cleaner found not to be aggressive to the lacquer finish, using the same testing protocols.
• Produce pictures and a written report on all the work carried out and recommendations as to what can be identified as a potential “safe to use” product family, if one can be found.

Skills and experience

ESSENTIAL:

• First degree in chemistry or materials science
• Practical laboratory or test regime experience
• An understanding and appreciation of polymer or lacquer finish properties
• Good verbal and written communication, time management and organisational skills
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Self-motivated, driven and proactive

Location
Work will be carried out on campus in the IIPSI, MEC and AMMC buildings.

Additional information

• Start and end date: 23 February 26 for 12 weeks
• Deadline to apply: 03 February 26

Please provide a CV and cover letter with your application.

Please note upon applying for this role you are consenting to your contact details being shared directly with the hiring manager.

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