Mechanical Design Enginer

Our High-Tech Manufacturing Engineering Client, with a strong focus on R&D, manufacturing, service, and product marketing is recruiting! The site near Southampton houses multidisciplinary teams developing advanced engineered products for international markets.

Job Purpose

The Product Change Mechanical Engineer will focus on managing engineering changes, improving existing products, and supporting production and supplier interactions. The role involves modifying and maintaining 3D CAD models and drawings, updating Bills of Materials (BOMs), and implementing design improvements to enhance reliability, manufacturability, and serviceability.

This position requires proactive problem-solving, hands-on mechanical and opto-mechanical design experience, and familiarity with complex mechanical assemblies, optical components, electrical systems, and thermal management.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Act as the primary contact for operations and production teams for released products, supporting engineering-related issues and product improvements.

• Manage and execute engineering changes including obsolescence, supplier updates, quality-driven modifications, and process improvements.

• Maintain and control BOMs, drawings, and specifications, ensuring all product documentation reflects engineering changes accurately.

• Implement design improvements to enhance product reliability, serviceability, and manufacturability.

• Collaborate closely with suppliers and cross-functional teams to implement changes and resolve design or production issues.

• Support the use of FEA, thermal analysis, or fluid dynamics to validate modifications and product improvements (desirable but not mandatory).

Required Experience

Essential:

• Strong experience in 3D CAD (SolidWorks preferred), including modification of released designs and creation of detailed production drawings.

• Demonstrable knowledge of mechanical design for assembly, manufacture, service, and reliability, particularly in addressing production, quality, or supplier issues.

• Experience in material selection and tolerance definition for sheet metal and machined components.

• Experience working with external suppliers to implement engineering changes, update components, and resolve issues.

Preferable:

• 6+ years’ experience supporting complex engineered products throughout their lifecycle, ideally within high-tech manufacturing or industrial systems.

• Experience with electro-mechanical designs, including PCB, connector, and cabling integration, and understanding thermal management.

• Exposure to fiber optics, laser systems, or high-tech optical components (beneficial but not essential).

• Familiarity with engineering change management, small-scale project coordination, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

• Knowledge of DDM/PLM systems for change control and document management.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline (Bachelor’s or Master’s), or

• Equivalent qualification via a Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship.