Professor Dickens started his career as an Apprentice Production Engineer at Massey-Ferguson UK Ltd. in Coventry where he worked for 7 years.
From 1983 to 1988 he was a Lecturer in the Department of Production Engineering & Production Management at the University of Nottingham. From 1988 to 1990 he was Director of Design and Manufacturing at New Dawn Engineering Ltd. He rejoined the University of Nottingham in 1990 where he worked as a Reader until 1997. In 1998 he joined De Montfort University as Professor of Manufacturing Technology. In October 2001 he joined Loughborough University as Professor of Manufacturing Technology.