Principal Engineer - Mechanical Design

LevelUP HCS; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 400,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

LevelUP HCS in Abu Dhabi seeks a senior mechanical engineer to lead design and structural integrity assessments for missiles, guided munitions and unmanned aerial vehicles, with hands-on CAE focus using Creo, CATIA or SolidWorks.

You will validate through simulations, testing and real-world validation, mentor engineers, collaborate with propulsion, guidance and control teams, and oversee budgets for laboratories, equipment and software.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Mechanical or Mechatronics Engineering preferred.
• Eight+ years of engineering and CAE experience on missiles or similar weapon systems.
• Five+ years of physical testing and validation experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical design and structural-integrity assessment for missiles and UAVs.
• Approve simulation methods, validation strategies, test setups and instrumentation.
• Provide structural sign-off before launch or flight.
• Oversee shock, vibration and high-g testing; lead failure investigations.
• Mentor engineers and support cross-functional design reviews.

Skills

Systems thinking

Risk-based decisions

Mentorship

Clear communication

Ethical responsibility

Education

Master’s or PhD in Mechanical/Mechatronics Engineering

Tools

Creo

CATIA

SolidWorks

MATLAB

Job description

Lead mechanical design, structural-integrity assessment, simulation and physical validation for missiles, guided munitions and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure structures and functioning subcomponents meet defined load and design requirements.
• Approve simulation methods, validation strategies, test setups, instrumentation and safety protocols.
• Provide structural-compliance sign-off before launch or flight.
• Apply credible modelling standards using Creo, CATIA, SolidWorks or similar tools, supported by traceable verification and validation.
• Oversee shock, pyroshock, vibration and high-g setback testing; lead failure investigation and corrective action.
• Identify structural risks and support preliminary and critical design reviews.
• Provide technical recommendations on structural trade-offs.
• Mentor engineers, contribute to performance feedback and support investment planning for laboratories, equipment and software.

Cross-Functional and Operational Support

• Support propulsion, aerodynamics, guidance and control, warhead and system-integration teams.
• Provide technical input for bids, validation cost estimates and customer presentations.
• Improve pre-processing, post-processing and reporting workflows; optimize simulation and laboratory throughput.
• Support management of analysis and test budgets, software licences and laboratory costs.
• Promote knowledge sharing, lessons learned and talent development.
• Coordinate interdisciplinary work across teams and organizational entities, including oversight of four to six employees.
• Manage scopes of work for special equipment with subcontractors and procurement.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Mechanical Engineering or Mechatronics Engineering is preferred.
• At least eight years of engineering and CAD/computer-aided engineering (CAE) experience on missiles, guided munitions or comparable weapon systems.
• At least five years of physical testing and validation experience on these systems.
• Strong foundations in precision mechanics, manufacturing, measurement, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), kinematics, dynamics and conventional control theory.

Technical Skills

• Weapon-system mechanical design and design for manufacture.
• Structural failure analysis, test design, instrumentation and simulation-to-test correlation.
• Mathematical modelling of electromechanical, electrohydraulic, electropneumatic or hybrid systems using MATLAB or similar tools.
• Hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL), real-time control and data acquisition (DAQ).
• Technical drawing interpretation, precise-part manufacture and assembly, statistical process control and ruggedization for high-g and high-spin environments.
• Working knowledge of power electronics for cross-functional specification and integration.

Core Competencies

• Systems thinking and sound engineering judgment.
• Risk-based decisions, analytical rigor and ethical responsibility.
• Mentorship and technical standards.
• Clear communication, collaboration, resilience and continuous improvement.