Design Team Lead (Mech)

Fortress Recruit Limited; England; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering organisation seeks a Design Team Lead (Mechanical) in Poole. You will oversee a team, drive the development of mechanical design processes, and ensure project success with a competitive salary around £60K. Strong leadership and CAD skills are essential, alongside a degree and significant experience. Flexible working options available.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of mechanical design experience in a relevant industry.
• Proven experience in mentoring engineering teams.
• Strong capability with producing high-quality technical design documentation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Mechanical Design Engineers.
• Oversee mechanical design from concept to production.
• Champion engineering review processes focusing on manufacturability and compliance.

Skills

Leadership capability

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

CAD tools proficiency (Creo)

Continuous improvement methods

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Creo

Job description

Fortress Recruit is supporting a leading engineering organisation in their search for a Design Team Lead (Mechanical). This is a key leadership role, overseeing, developing, and shaping the Mechanical Design function within a high-performance engineering environment.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Mechanical Design Engineers.
• Oversee mech design from concept through to verification, documentation, and support to manufacture.
• Drive development of mechanical capabilities, processes, and design best practice across all projects.
• Coordinate resources, recruitment, and training to ensure the department is effectively structured to meet business needs.
• Champion a rigorous engineering review process with a focus on manufacturability, assembly, product lifecycle maintenance, safety, compliance, and warranty considerations.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to improve processes, and support business agility and innovation.
• Support design reporting, technical documentation, and equipment certification activities.
• Attend internal and external meetings with customers and suppliers.
• Undertake UK and occasional overseas travel as required.

Desired qualifications

• A degree and/or minimum 10 years' proven mechanical design experience within a relevant industry, with broad and robust technical background.
• Demonstrable leadership capability with experience in performance management and mentoring engineering teams.
• Strong capability with CAD tools (ideally Creo) and experienced in producing high-quality technical design documentation.
• Comprehensive understanding of mechanical design principles, product lifecycle, materials selection, and manufacturing considerations.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills with a proactive, motivated, and accountable approach to delivery.
• Experience with Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement tools/methodologies.
• Strong communication, presentation, and organisational skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Proficient in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

This is a full‑time, permanent position based on‑site in Poole, offering the opportunity to lead an engineering function in a forward‑thinking, agile environment. You’ll shape team capability, influence future design standards, and directly impact programme success. A salary of c£60K (DoE) is available, along with flexible working.

Please click apply with your updated CV, or contact Becki Evans for a full job description or confidential discussion.