Senior/Principal Designer and Mass Engineer

Our client, a well-funded early-stage aerospace and defence business, is seeking a Senior/Principal Designer and Mass Engineer to support the development of advanced air vehicles for the defence and security market. This permanent role offers the opportunity to join a small, senior engineering team delivering a complete flight vehicle from initial concepts through design, development and testing.

Key Responsibilities:

Lead vehicle design activities from system architecting and concept development through to detailed design
Generate and assess alternative design concepts, balancing performance, aerodynamic, structural, thermal and manufacturing requirements
Produce and maintain CAD models and technical drawings using tools such as CATIA, SolidWorks, Creo or similar
Support design reviews, trade studies and technical decision-making across integrated engineering disciplines
Own mass properties engineering, including component mass estimates, centre of gravity and inertia data
Maintain mass properties databases, monitor mass growth and margins, and report trends against programme targets
Work with subsystem suppliers to validate mass, centre of gravity and inertia information
Present technical findings clearly while providing technical leadership, mentoring and input into engineering roadmaps

Job Requirements:

Degree or higher qualification in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline
Significant design engineering experience within the missile, aerospace, defence or another high-reliability sector
Experience leading design activities from initial concept architecting through to detailed design
Strong CAD capability and practical experience in design for manufacture, including consideration of unit cost, part count and assembly complexity
Experience in mass properties estimation, tracking and reporting throughout the design lifecycle
Understanding of how design decisions influence performance, aerodynamic, structural and thermal requirements
Knowledge of Model Based Systems Engineering and integrated systems design principles
Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication and technical presentation skills

Desirable Skills and Experience:

Experience with mass properties, configuration management or engineering data management tools
Familiarity with Python, MATLAB or similar scripting languages for analysis automation
Experience working closely with performance, structures and thermal engineering teams
Background in a defence, government or high-technology start-up environment
Chartered Engineer status or progress towards professional registration
Experience mentoring engineers or leading small technical teams

Personal Attributes:

A collaborative and self-motivated approach, with a strong sense of ownership for technical outcomes
Confidence working with autonomy in a fast-moving, early-stage engineering environment
A pragmatic approach to solving complex problems while maintaining appropriate technical rigour
Ability to communicate complex engineering information to technical and non-technical stakeholders
Integrity, discretion and an understanding of the sensitive nature of defence-related work
Enthusiasm for building new products and helping to shape engineering culture

Additional Information:

Full-time, permanent employment within a multi-year development programme
Opportunity to influence significant technical decisions as part of the senior engineering team
Equity participation and a comprehensive benefits package
Applicants must have the right to work in the UK
Applicants must be eligible to obtain UK Security Check (SC) clearance; existing clearance is not essential
This is an opportunity for an experienced aerospace or defence design engineer to take significant responsibility for the development of an advanced flight vehicle. Apply now to contribute to an ambitious programme and help shape the future of defence technology
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed