Principal Mechanical Design Engineer
Holt Engineering
Location: Horsham, West Sussex
Salary: £65,000 - £75,000 DOE
We are seeking an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer to join a highly skilled engineering team in Horsham. This is a senior technical leadership role offering the opportunity to shape the design, development, and delivery of advanced electro-mechanical systems used in demanding defence applications across land and maritime environments.
This position would suit a mechanically focused engineer who enjoys taking concepts from initial design through to production, leading by example, and working closely with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver high-performance, innovative solutions. You will play a key role in design governance, technical problem-solving, customer engagement, and mentoring engineers while helping to establish best practice across the business.
The role
- Lead mechanical engineering activities from concept through the full design lifecycle.
- Create and develop innovative designs for complex mechanisms and structures using 3D CAD.
- Carry out engineering analysis including stress, fatigue, vibration, and performance assessment.
- Produce and manage detailed engineering and assembly drawings for manufacture.
- Support lab development, testing, verification, and conformance activities.
- Lead engineering reports, technical documentation, and formal design outputs.
- Select materials, coatings, and manufacturing techniques suitable for harsh environments.
- Work closely with wider engineering teams to integrate electronic, control, and drive systems.
- Formulate prototype designs and present the rationale behind design decisions.
- Resolve technical issues and provide effective engineering solutions.
- Lead and support design reviews and release mechanical designs into production.
- Liaise with project managers, sales teams, customers, and suppliers to support successful project delivery.
- Support production, test, and field engineering teams as required.
- Contribute to bids, quotations, proposals, and sales literature.
- Drive continuous improvement through strong collaboration across engineering and manufacturing functions.
- Degree educated in Mechanical Engineering.
- Significant experience in the design of complex mechanisms and structures.
- Proven background in delivering designs from concept through to production.
- Strong knowledge of SolidWorks and other relevant modelling tools.
- Confident in performing engineering calculations and analysis.
- Experience working with gear drives, bearings, motors, servo and motion control systems.
- Good understanding of machining, casting, fabrication, and moulding techniques.
- Experience in defence or a related high-specification engineering environment.
- Able to lead and support a small to medium-sized design team.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to present technical information clearly.
- Experienced in coaching, mentoring, and supporting talent development.
- Able to manage priorities, workload, and deadlines effectively.
- Competent in producing risk assessments, safety documentation, and technical support materials.
This is an excellent opportunity for a Principal Mechanical Engineer looking to take the lead on complex defence-related design projects and contribute to the delivery of innovative, high-performance engineering solutions.
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