Founding Mechanical Engineer

Meridian Defence; Newquay; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Meridian Defence in Cornwall is seeking a senior mechanical engineer to lead the design and development of missile-related hardware, taking concepts to production with frequent travel. You will sculpt the airframe, structure and systems, balancing cost, weight and performance while guiding tests and validation across the lifecycle.

You should have 5+ years in engineering, advanced CAD, CFD/FEA, and a defence background; a degree is required, PhD is a plus.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering experience, with strong mechanical engineering fundamentals. You have experience designing and testing real-world hardware
• A track record of excellence, inside and/or outside of work
• Advanced CAD capability and experience delivering designs into manufacture
• Advanced simulation capability across CFD and FEA, used to predict and de-risk performance ahead of tests
• A relentless work ethic, resourceful, you get things done.
• The ability to see the bigger picture and make smart calls about where to spend effort
• Experience with seekers, actuation, propulsion, GNC, aerodynamics, electromechanical systems
• In your spare time you've built and fired rockets, drones, robots, propulsion systems etc
• A defence background and familiarity with the regulatory landscape
• A degree in an engineering discipline, a PhD is a plus

Responsibilities

• Design the airframe, structure and mechanical systems, and take them from concept to production
• Architect the system, weighing trade-offs across cost, weight, performance and risk to make decisions
• Build, assemble and integrate prototypes and development hardware
• Lead, plan and run the test and evaluation strategy, determining how best to prove each system
• Take the hardware all the way through a live firing campaign
• Generate ICDs, trade studies and requirements
• Work across whatever the problem needs, this is a broad role, and you'll reach well beyond mechanical

Skills

5+ yrs exp

CAD expertise

CFD/FEA

Hardware design

Defence background

Education

Engineering degree

PhD preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS/FEA

Job description

Location: Cornwall, UK - with frequent national and international travel.

Security clearance: You must be eligible for UK security clearance (UK national, or long-term UK resident).

About the role

Meridian Defence is developing defence technology to address one of the fastest-growing challenges in modern warfare. As low-cost drones continue to reshape the battlefield, the need for scalable and cost-effective air defence has never been greater. As a key member of the founding engineering team, you'll lead the mechanical design and development of missile-related hardware, working closely with our core team to translate concepts into operational systems. You'll be involved throughout the entire product lifecycle, from early-stage architecture and prototyping through to testing, validation and deployment.

What you will do

• Design the airframe, structure and mechanical systems, and take them from concept to production
• Architect the system, weighing trade-offs across cost, weight, performance and risk to make decisions
• Build, assemble and integrate prototypes and development hardware
• Lead, plan and run the test and evaluation strategy, determining how best to prove each system
• Take the hardware all the way through a live firing campaign
• Generate ICDs, trade studies and requirements
• Work across whatever the problem needs, this is a broad role, and you'll reach well beyond mechanical

What we are looking for

This is a senior role, we’re looking for someone exceptional who can run engineering, always building or learning something new, and values execution over theory. We're keen to speak with experienced engineers who can demonstrate:

• 5+ years of engineering experience, with strong mechanical engineering fundamentals. You have experience designing and testing real-world hardware
• A track record of excellence, inside and/or outside of work
• Advanced CAD capability and experience delivering designs into manufacture
• Advanced simulation capability across CFD and FEA, used to predict and de-risk performance ahead of tests
• A relentless work ethic, resourceful, you get things done.
• The ability to see the bigger picture and make smart calls about where to spend effort
• Experience with seekers, actuation, propulsion, GNC, aerodynamics, electromechanical systems
• In your spare time you've built and fired rockets, drones, robots, propulsion systems etc
• A defence background and familiarity with the regulatory landscape
• A degree in an engineering discipline, a PhD is a plus

Why consider this

This is a unique opportunity, you’d be part of the founding team with more ownership than you’ve ever had. You'll be able to shape the company from the start with the opportunity to take over from the founders to lead engineering as the company grows. That said, the work is demanding and the pace is high, this isn’t a 9-5. Testing takes place in Ukraine, so you'd need to be willing to travel there when required, and while we're based in Cornwall for now, that may change as we grow.

In return, we offer a competitive salary and a meaningful stake in the company.