Mechanical Design Engineer
2 days ago
Cambridge
Mechanical Design Engineer Location: Essex (on-site) Employment Type: Full-time, permanent Overview We are working with a well-established, privately owned engineering business that designs and manufactures innovative laboratory and scientific equipment used globally across pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical, academic and research environments. The company has a strong reputation for technical excellence, product quality and long-term customer relationships. With ambitious growth and product development plans, they are now looking to add an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer to their R&D team. This is a hands-on, end-to-end engineering role where your designs will go into production and be used by customers worldwide. The Role As a Mechanical Design Engineer, you will play a key role in developing new products and improving existing ones across a growing portfolio of precision-engineered laboratory equipment. You will take ownership of projects from initial concept through to manufacture, working closely with engineers, scientists, suppliers and external partners. The role is primarily on-site and suits someone who enjoys being close to prototypes, testing, manufacturing and real-world engineering challenges. Key Responsibilities • Lead and support New Product Development (NPD) and product improvement projects from concept to production, • Own and deliver Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), managing key workstreams with minimal supervision, • Design mechanical and electro-mechanical products aligned with the long-term product roadmap, • Produce high-quality 3D CAD models, assemblies, detailed drawings and documentation using SolidWorks and PDM, • Select, evaluate and integrate mechanical and electronic components, • Source materials and components, working directly with suppliers and mitigating supply chain risks, • Plan, cost and manage projects, including timelines, budgets and resource requirements, • Define test plans, conduct testing, analyse data and report results, • Prepare and maintain product documentation including BOMs, production packs, instructions and QA/test procedures, • Present clear project updates, design decisions and technical findings to stakeholders, • Work closely with manufacturing, suppliers and external consultants to deliver robust, manufacturable solutions Skills & Experience • Degree qualified in Mechanical or Electromechanical Engineering, • Minimum 5 years’ industry experience in a product development or R&D environment, • Proven track record of taking products from concept through to manufacture, • Strong experience designing mechanical and electro-mechanical assemblies, • Excellent knowledge of manufacturing processes and materials, • Strong proficiency with SolidWorks and SolidWorks PDM, • Experience working directly with suppliers, including sourcing, technical discussions and relationship management, • Exposure to electronics design and implementation is advantageous but not essential Personal Attributes • Proactive, ownership-driven mindset, • Comfortable working independently and making engineering decisions, • Hands-on approach with prototypes, assemblies and testing, • Clear, confident communicator, both written and verbal, • Resilient and determined when solving complex engineering problems, • Highly organised with strong attention to detail, • Genuine enthusiasm for engineering, product development and continuous improvement Additional Information • Role is primarily on-site to support collaboration, prototyping and testing, • Candidates must be able to work effectively in business-level English, • UK driving licence required, • Applicants should live within a commutable distance of the Essex site Package & Benefits • Competitive salary, • Workplace pension, • 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, • Additional day off for your birthday, • Option to purchase additional unpaid leave, • Company laptop/PC, • Structured induction and ongoing training