Principal Mechanical Engineer

Job Title: Principal Mechanical Engineer

Location: Farnborough

WFH: 3 days onsite per week

Term: 6 months

Hourly Rate: £Competitive

IR35: Inside IR35

Security Clearance: Eligibility for UK SC clearance required

The Opportunity

This is a senior, hands-on engineering role for someone who can take ownership of challenging hardware design tasks from concept through to manufacture and verification. You will lead technical problem-solving, guide other engineers, coordinate design reviews and ensure solutions meet customer requirements, safety standards, quality expectations and commercial constraints.

You will act as a technical authority within the design team, bringing together engineering specialists, customers, suppliers and manufacturers to deliver innovative, practical and manufacturable solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Mechanical Design: Lead the concept development, design and delivery of complex mechanical hardware solutions, producing accurate 3D models and detailed engineering drawings.
• Technical Leadership: Guide engineers and subject matter experts, challenge design approaches and drive effective problem-solving.
• Design Reviews: Prepare, coordinate and chair design reviews, presenting technical solutions and recommendations to customers and stakeholders.
• Manufacturing & DFM: Ensure designs are suitable for manufacture, considering materials, coatings, corrosion, tolerances, mechanisms and production methods.
• Verification & Validation: Define requirements, verification approaches and acceptance criteria to ensure designs meet technical and customer expectations.
• Safety & Compliance: Support hazard identification, design safety assessments, safety cases and compliance with relevant regulations and engineering governance.
• Risk & Delivery: Identify technical and commercial risks, develop mitigation plans and support delivery to agreed time, cost and quality targets.
• Customer & Supplier Engagement: Work closely with customers, manufacturers, suppliers and multidisciplinary engineering teams to resolve technical issues and agree design solutions.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve design processes, reduce waste, optimise workflows and maximise value for the customer.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Significant experience in mechanical design engineering, delivering complex physical hardware solutions.
• Strong practical experience creating 3D CAD models and detailed engineering drawings.
• In-depth understanding of engineering drawings, tolerancing, precision fits and dimensional standards.
• Experience taking designs from concept through development, manufacture, testing and verification.
• Strong knowledge of materials selection, coatings, corrosion, mechanisms and manufacturing processes.
• Experience working in a regulated, safety-critical or technically demanding engineering environment.
• Understanding of design for manufacture (DFM), technical risk management and design verification.
• Experience leading or contributing to design reviews, technical assessments and multidisciplinary problem-solving.
• Ability to interpret customer requirements and balance technical performance, safety, cost and delivery.
• Excellent communication skills, with the confidence to present and defend engineering decisions.
• Ability to work independently, provide technical guidance and manage complex engineering tasks.

Desirable Experience

• Defence, aerospace, maritime, land systems, nuclear or other safety-critical engineering experience.
• Experience with engineering analysis tools, including FEA, CFD or thermal analysis.
• Knowledge of hazard identification (HAZID), design safety and safety case development.
• Experience with technical documentation, configuration control and formal design approval processes.
• Chartered Engineer status (CEng) and membership of a recognised engineering institution.
• Experience with formal engineering governance and drawing approval/release procedures.

***PLEASE NOTE***

Eligibility for UK Security Clearance (SC) is required to be considered for this vacancy