We at JKR are supporting a well-established UK manufacturer with a strong international presence, designing, developing and manufacturing a wide range of innovative products!

We are recruiting for an experienced Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, who will be responsible for the design and delivery of complete products and product sub-systems, from initial concept through to volume manufacture.

This is a senior, hands-on engineering role, with responsibility for developing product architectures, integrating designs into complete systems and taking overall technical ownership for their performance. The role will also involve improvements to existing products, including addressing changes in regulations, component obsolescence and performance issues identified by customers.

The Principal Mechanical Design Engineer Role:

Work with Product Management and other members of the Research and Development team to write clear and sufficient Product Brief documents, setting out the requirements and scope of new product developments
Design overall product architectures, platforms and interfaces to ensure that the requirements of each Product Brief can be met
Ensure individual designs align with the wider engineering strategy, maximising design re-use and minimising future sustaining engineering requirements
Identify design risks and perform feasibility studies and theoretical analysis as necessary to quantify and minimise these risks early in the design process
Perform detailed design of individual parts using 3D CAD software, for both in-house manufacture and external suppliers
Integrate parts designed by other team members into complete systems, taking overall responsibility for the performance of the complete assembly
Perform detailed analysis of proposed designs to ensure they meet design objectives across the full range of operating conditions and manufacturing tolerances
Work with the Production Engineering team, toolmakers and external suppliers to ensure that parts are Designed For Manufacture (DFM), ensuring high quality, low cost, vendor independence and high repeatability of processing
Create full documentation packages for all parts and assemblies, including 2D drawings for critical dimensions and tolerances, data sheets and regulatory information
Create prototypes using rapid prototyping techniques and production-ready parts
Test prototypes against documented requirements, both as sub-systems and when integrated into complete functional prototypes
Create clear written test reports and action plans to resolve any issues identified
Keep up to date with relevant technologies and techniques, identifying opportunities to develop or invest in new technologies and design approaches
Ensure that all designs are implemented and tested rigorously, in line with the company's ISO 9001 quality processes and the safety-critical nature of the products
Consider potential failure modes for products in real-life situations, including performing full or partial FMEA
Ensure that all defects and issues are systematically recorded, tracked and resolved

Principal Mechanical Design Engineer Ideal Candidate:

Hands-on experience designing multiple products, ideally for high volume / mass production, covering the complete process from initial concept through to volume manufacturing
Experience taking technical ownership of complete products, assemblies or product sub-systems
3D CAD skills, ideally SolidWorks, although experience with other systems will be considered if willing to learn SolidWorks
Graduate in Engineering, Physics or Mathematics OR equivalent experience
Strong understanding of dimensions, tolerancing and mechanical assemblies
Experience with plastic injection-moulded parts would be advantageous
Confident with mathematics and theoretical analysis of mechanical and fluid systems (desirable)
Able to guide and mentor junior team members on technical topics
Committed to ongoing learning and self-development
Able to work independently, but also collaborate effectively within a team
Able to operate confidently and communicate effectively at all levels of the organisation, both verbally and in writing
Excellent attention to detail
Completer finisher mindset

This is a senior technical position rather than a traditional team management role, so the successful candidate will remain heavily involved in hands-on design and product delivery while providing technical guidance to more junior engineers.

Principal Mechanical Design Engineer Working Hours & Benefits:

Standard: 9:00am-5:00pm Monday to Thursday, 9:00am-4:30pm on Fridays
Flexible working by prior agreement with management, with core hours of 10:00am to 4:00pm on all five days, 34.5 hours total per week
Bonus schemes
25 days annual leave + Bank Holidays
Employer matched pension scheme
Death in Service scheme
Training & Development - Career / Personal Development Plan
Employee discounts platform (Perkbox)
'WeCare' well-being programme
Cycle-to-work scheme

If you are excited after reading this advert and would like to find out more about the Principal Mechanical Design Engineer position, please hit apply!

Jackie Kerr Recruitment is an independent agency that has been established for 28 years.
We strive to provide the ultimate consultancy service to all our candidates. Whether you are looking for permanent or temporary work we pride ourselves in understanding our candidates' requirements to ensure that we place you in your ideal role.
We have recently heavily invested in new Recruitment Software that provides an online portal. Simply visit jackiekerrrecruitment . com to enter your details and you will receive job alerts, hot off the press.
The portal enables you to update your information and CV at any time, so we always have your latest employment details on record.
So please visit our website and let us help you to find your dream job!
Please note: At Jackie Kerr Recruitment we receive a huge number of applications for each job that is posted. If you do not hear from us within 2 weeks of your original application, please go to our website jackiekerrrecruitment . com to apply for other jobs that may be suitable to you