Principal Mechanical Engineer Full Time

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Matchtech

Working: Possible Flexible and Hybrid working available.

We are looking for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to join one of our defence clients.
A Principal Engineer works on routine and non-routine situations without the need for detailed supervision. They exercise personal responsibility and independent initiative and recognise when deviations from established precedents and practice may need to be challenged or introduced.

Principal Engineers have technical responsibility for ensuring that their work follows the engineering and development process and that the design is functionally correct.

Responsibilities:

• Able to prepare technical documents and design and develop product data to their functional domain level with no supervision. Capable of technically leading the design intent, delivering design solutions to meet project schedule & budget requirements.
• Apply and scrutinise requirements of a project with no supervision. Capture / derive new requirements related to own domain.
• Be able to technically interface with operations and supply chain ensuring the design intent is met and requirements achieved, applying and developing DFM / DFT practices throughout.
• Leads the preparation and/or reviews engineering estimates & bids, including identifying risks and dependencies within and across functions.
• Advanced communication skills. Capable of presenting ideas and proposals to peers and line managers, including presenting at external design reviews.
• Ability to liaise with support functions (Commercial, Finance, Supply chain etc)
• Awareness of PLM tools.
• Expert at Configuration and Change management and security marking aspects of all documentation.
• Coaches more junior staff.
• Upholds the company security, commercial licencing for export and ITAR requirements.
• Leads failure investigations and recommending appropriate solutions, reporting findings to management and customers.
• Capable of leading the resolution of technical challenges, supporting other engineers in the relevant domain.
• Capable of leading large/complex technical work packages within a project guiding other engineers as required to help meet schedule, budget and quality.
• Expert at authoring complex assemblies and drawings & models using at least two of the company selected CAD tools, all dimensioning, applying linear and geometric tolerances, coaches more junior staff.
• Upholds company drawing and modelling standards using best working practices to British and International Standards as necessary. Author’s updates to the companies own Draughting Standard Manual, trains and coaches more junior staff.
• Expert at electrical wiring assemblies to British and International Standards, expert working with electronic PCB’s and sub-assemblies in electromechanical designs with support to the electronics and systems activities. Influences PCB layouts for mechanical survival during test.
• Competent at FEA analysis and reporting. Basic understanding of CFD. Coaches more junior staff in the task.
• Expert at designing for manufacture and production processes. Robust knowledge of project and engineering lifecycles and comprehensive understanding of own discipline activities.
• Technically competent to assess and manage technical risk in their area and honestly present the detail and the wider impact
• Able to communicate succinctly and accurately on technical issues and schemes with internal and external customers and the team.
• Proactively able to manage own work and the work of others to in order to achieve objectives.
• Uses own initiative and makes timely decisions within the scope of the role and is financially aware of the consequences of decisions.
• Good application of Microsoft packages and relevant software for the role.
• Some offsite travel may be required.

Experience needed:

• Relevant qualifications to an appropriate level, typically a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience, with significant post-qualification experience in a range of roles within a relevant complex engineering environment.

Desirable:

• Previous experience working in the Aerospace industry
• Experience with mechanical aspects of PCB & Enclosure design, with focus on designing for EMI & EMC.
• Familiarity with aerospace materials & manufacturing methods
• Understanding of airworthiness and safety for certification. Understands DO-160 and other environmental requirements.
• Preferably a Chartered engineer or equivalent with a recognised professional engineering institution

Company Benefits:
Every employee is critical to the success of the business and as such they offer a range of flexible employee benefits along with career development opportunities.