Principal Mechanical Engineer

Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

Location: UK
Salary: £65,000-£72,000 pension & benefits

Lead Complex Engineering Projects That Make a Difference

Are you an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer looking to take the lead on technically challenging projects within the Aerospace & Defence sector? Elevation Recruitment Group are looking for a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to provide technical leadership across complex engineering programmes, leading a team of talented engineers while driving innovation, quality and continuous improvement.

The Role

You'll take ownership of major design programmes, providing both technical direction and people leadership. You'll oversee the delivery of innovative mechanical solutions while ensuring projects meet expectations for quality, cost and timescales. Working closely with internal teams and customers, you'll champion engineering excellence, support continuous improvement initiatives and play a key role in developing the next generation of engineers.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of Mechanical Design Engineers, supporting their technical development and day-to-day workload.
• Deliver complex mechanical design projects from concept through to customer approval.
• Provide technical leadership across multi-disciplinary engineering teams.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, particularly around non-conformance reduction and root cause analysis.
• Produce and review mechanical specifications, calculations, drawings and technical documentation.
• Ensure designs meet relevant engineering standards, customer requirements and quality expectations.
• Lead design reviews both internally and with customers.
• Coordinate mechanical activities alongside Process, Transmission Systems and Marine Engineering disciplines.
• Develop engineering best practice, processes and technical standards across the business.
• Mentor and coach junior engineers to support long-term capability development.

About You

We're looking for a technically strong engineering leader with experience delivering complex mechanical design solutions within regulated environments.

Skills and Experience

• Transmission systems, gearboxes, gears and heavy mechanical equipment
• Aerospace, Defence, Marine or other complex engineering sectors
• Mechanical calculations, specifications, drawings and design documentation
• Root cause analysis and design improvement methodologies
• Leading technical teams and managing multiple engineering projects
• Customer-facing design reviews and technical presentations
• CAD software such as Siemens NX, Solid Edge and AutoCAD

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree qualified in Mechanical Engineering
• Chartered Engineer status (or working towards) would be advantageous
• Experience within Aerospace & Defence or another highly regulated engineering environment
• Strong understanding of quality management systems such as AS9100 and ISO 9001.
• Excellent communication, leadership and problem-solving skills
• Passion for engineering excellence, innovation and continuous improvement

Security Requirements

Due to the nature of the work, applicants must be Sole UK Nationals and able to satisfy relevant security clearance requirements.

Why Apply?

This is an opportunity to join a highly skilled engineering team working on technically challenging, high-profile programmes where you'll have genuine influence over engineering decisions and project delivery.