Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

Surrey | £65,000 - £80,000 DOE + Excellent Benefits

Design the next generation of precision actuator systems.

We're recruiting on behalf of a market-leading British engineering and manufacturing business with decades of experience designing and manufacturing high-performance electromechanical actuator systems for demanding, safety-critical applications around the world.

As investment continues across new product development and engineering innovation, they are looking to appoint an experienced Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to take technical ownership of complex actuator development programmes.

This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced Senior or Lead Mechanical Design Engineer looking to step into a Principal Engineering position where you'll influence future product development whilst remaining hands-on with engineering design.

The Opportunity

You'll lead the design and development of precision electromechanical actuators, mechanisms and moving assemblies, taking projects from initial concept through prototype development, testing and manufacture.

Working alongside multidisciplinary engineering teams, you'll provide technical leadership, mentor fellow engineers and help shape the future direction of innovative actuator technologies.

If you enjoy solving complex engineering problems involving precision mechanisms, motion systems and high-performance mechanical assemblies, this role offers genuine technical challenge and long-term career progression.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of precision electromechanical actuator systems.
• Design complex mechanisms, moving assemblies and precision engineered components.
• Manage technical development projects from concept through prototype, validation and manufacture.
• Produce innovative engineering solutions for next-generation products.
• Create, review and approve engineering drawings and technical documentation.
• Support qualification, testing and product validation activities.
• Conduct design reviews, engineering calculations and tolerance analysis.
• Work closely with manufacturing to ensure designs are optimised for production.
• Provide technical support to suppliers, customers and internal stakeholders.
• Mentor and support engineers across the wider engineering team.
• Drive continuous improvement in engineering standards, tools and processes.

About You

We're looking for an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer with a strong background in designing complex mechanical or electromechanical products.

You'll ideally have experience with:

• Precision actuators or actuation systems.
• Precision mechanisms and moving assemblies.
• Mechanical transmission systems.
• Bearings, lubrication and tight tolerance design.
• Mechanical product development.
• High-performance mechanical assemblies.
• 3D CAD (Creo, SolidWorks, Inventor, NX or similar).
• GD&T and engineering drawing standards.
• Product development from concept through manufacture.

You'll also enjoy taking technical ownership, mentoring engineers and solving challenging engineering problems.

Backgrounds We'll Consider

We're keen to hear from engineers with experience in:

• Aerospace
• Defence
• Robotics
• Motion Control
• Medical Devices
• Scientific Instrumentation
• Automation
• Precision Engineering
• Special Purpose Machinery
• High-performance Mechanical Systems

Previous actuator design experience would be highly advantageous. Candidates who have designed complex mechanisms, servo systems or other precision motion products are also encouraged to apply. Aerospace experience is welcomed but is not essential.

Why Join?

Engineering sits at the heart of this business.

You'll become one of the senior technical specialists responsible for developing innovative actuator technologies used in demanding engineering environments.

You'll work on genuinely challenging projects, influence future product design and collaborate with highly experienced engineers within a stable and growing organisation that continues to invest in research, development and engineering excellence.