Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

You would be the technical lead for the mechanical design of unmanned systems that are already in operational use. You would set the architecture and the interfaces, and you would sign off designs that reach production within weeks of release.

Minerva Defence is one of the fastest-growing defence technology companies in Europe. We create the software, hardware and networking that make unmanned systems effective on the modern battlefield, all ideated, designed and manufactured end-to-end in the UK, and in active use today. We are deliberately low-profile: a team of around 70, small in headcount and outsized in effect. We look for people who are not just talented but genuinely committed to the work, the team, and the purpose behind it.

You will lead major mechanical subsystems on a complex, multidisciplinary product, from concept through production release and into service. You will make the key decisions on how the product is designed, and others will build on them. You will also set the standard for the engineers around you. You get full context on the whole system, and you can walk across to the manufacturing, assembly and quality teams who build what you approve. At Principal level, the scope extends to technical authority across several systems or programmes, and you would help shape where the product goes next.

Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical design of major subsystems and complex work packages, from concept and architecture through production release and in-service support
• Define mechanical architectures, interfaces and design approaches, and make and defend decisions that balance performance, manufacturability, cost and reliability
• Review and approve models, drawings and analysis, making sure tolerancing, material selection and DFM/DFA are right before work reaches the build teams
• Lead design reviews, technical risk assessments and verification activity, including the test and qualification approach for the systems you own
• Lead the investigation of the hardest engineering and integration problems, working directly with manufacturing, assembly and quality
• Coordinate with the other engineering disciplines so that mechanical work integrates cleanly at system level
• Mentor and develop engineers across the team through reviews and day-to-day technical guidance
• Define and improve the engineering standards, processes and tools the team works to as it scales

Minimum:

• Degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related discipline, or equivalent professional experience
• Extensive mechanical design experience, including owning components, assemblies or subsystems from concept through to production release
• Experience leading design reviews and making technical decisions that other engineers build on
• Practical command of tolerancing, materials selection and manufacturing processes, applied to designs that have gone into production
• Eligible for UK security clearance: UK citizen or five or more years of continuous UK residency
• Able to work on-site for the majority of the working week

Preferred:

• Proficiency in SolidWorks or a comparable parametric CAD package, and GD&T to BS 8888
• Experience in aerospace, defence, automotive or another high-reliability engineering environment
• FEA or other simulation experience, and experience setting qualification or verification approaches
• Experience acting as technical authority across multiple systems or programmes
• Experience representing engineering on technical matters with customers or suppliers

We offer competitive compensation including;

• Share options vesting over three years
• Bupa private medical insurance
• 6% employer pension contribution
• 25 days leave plus bank holidays
• Enhanced mat/pat leave
• Enterprise level AI tooling
• Relocation support/home office budget