Do you enjoy taking technical ownership of complex products, leading design activity and providing specialist engineering support across the full product lifecycle?
We're supporting a leading aerospace manufacturing business in Fareham who are looking to recruit a Principal Mechanical Engineer – Aerospace to join their Engineering team.
This is a senior technical opportunity where you'll take responsibility for product design from initial interpretation of customer specifications through concept, manufacture and installation, while becoming a key technical authority for FEA and CFD within the business.
What's the role all about?
As the Principal Mechanical Engineer, you'll take technical ownership of aerospace products and projects, ensuring designs meet customer specifications, performance requirements and engineering standards.
You'll provide specialist expertise in fluid mechanics, pressure systems, FEA and CFD, conducting analysis to verify product integrity and performance.
Alongside your technical responsibilities, you'll support the wider Engineering team, participate in design reviews, work directly with customers and provide technical guidance to Production and Quality.
You'll also deputise for the Engineering Manager when required, making this an excellent opportunity for an experienced engineer looking for greater technical responsibility and influence.
Key responsibilities
Take responsibility for product design from interpretation of customer requirements through to manufacture and installation
Analyse products to ensure design integrity and performance specifications are achieved
Establish and perform FEA and CFD analysis applicable to aerospace products
Act as a technical focal point for FEA/CFD and provide guidance to other engineering users
Conduct and participate in technical design reviews throughout the project lifecycle
Perform Engineering Contract Reviews
Act as an Aerospace Approval Signatory for applicable product categories
Provide technical support to Production and Quality teams, including MRB decisions
Provide technical support to Sales and Applications teams
Work directly with customers to resolve technical requirements and engineering challenges
Monitor and control project and unit costs against agreed budgets and profitability targets
Liaise with Sales, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, Estimating and subcontractors
Deputise for the Engineering Manager when required
What you'll need
To succeed in this role, you'll bring:
Degree in Mechanical Engineering
Significant mechanical engineering experience within an aerospace environment
Experience working with precision-machined aerospace components
Strong understanding of fluid mechanics and pressure systems
Proven experience carrying out FEA and CFD analysis
Competence using Autodesk CFD
Strong mathematical and analytical capability
Project management experience
Ability to produce clear and detailed technical reports
Strong customer-facing and communication skills
Full UK driving licence
Technical experience
Experience with the following would be particularly relevant:
ANSYS FEA
Autodesk CFD
Autodesk Inventor 3D Solid Modelling
Fluid mechanics
Pressure systems
Precision-machined components
Mathcad / TK Solver
Microsoft Project
Design verification and analysis
Desirable
Technical Engineering Apprenticeship alongside degree-level qualifications
Filtration industry experience
Mathcad or TK Solver experience
Previous experience acting as a technical approval/signatory authority
About you
You're an experienced engineer who is comfortable taking technical ownership and being the person others turn to for complex engineering challenges.
You'll be:
Methodical and analytical
Technically strong and hands-on
Accurate and thorough
A confident problem solver
Self-motivated and accountable
A strong communicator
Comfortable working directly with customers
Willing to travel internationally occasionally when required
Why join?
This is an excellent opportunity to step into a genuine Principal Engineer position where you'll have significant technical influence rather than simply managing individual design projects.
You'll become a key technical authority within the Aerospace Engineering team, working across product design, simulation, customer requirements, manufacturing and quality while helping develop the business's FEA and CFD capability.
Interested?
If you're an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer, Principal Design Engineer, Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, FEA Engineer or Aerospace Mechanical Engineer looking for your next challenge, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today or contact Kingdom People for a confidential discussion.
Kingdom People are acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy
Salary description
£65000.00 - £65000.00 per year