Lead Engineer

ZipRecruiter; Newcastle upon Tyne; Remote; GBP 42,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering company seeks a Lead Engineer to oversee project delivery in the renewables, marine, and defence sectors. The role offers remote work flexibility while requiring collaboration across distributed teams. Ideal candidates will possess a degree in engineering and substantial project management experience, with a competitive salary and numerous benefits including a learning budget and sabbatical options.

Benefits

Base Salary £42-47k + profit-share

Remote-first working with city-centre office access

Active Digital Nomad policy

24 days annual leave + UK bank holidays

Sabbatical options

Learning budget

Company-matched pension contributions up to 5%

Inclusive culture with family-friendly leave

Career progression and mentorship plan

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified engineer with ~5 years' design & project-lead experience.
• Proven track record delivering bespoke, low-volume, high-value equipment.
• Confident communicator thriving in distributed teams.

Responsibilities

• Own technical delivery and lead projects from contract award to hand-over.
• Run design reviews and manage risk.
• Mentor and inspire junior engineers.

Skills

Project Management

Engineering Design

Mentoring

Communication

Curiosity for Technology

Education

Degree in Mechanical, Structural or related Engineering

Job description

Job Description

Lead Engineer

Job Title: Lead Engineer

Location: Remote

Job Type: Full-time

Reporting to: Head of Engineering

Lead Engineer (Remote UK / EU time zone)

Design | Renewables • Marine • Defence • Nuclear • Subsea

About Subco Engineering

“Flexible engineering, on-demand” isn’t a slogan for us—it’s our operating model. Subco Engineering delivers fixed-scope, fixed-price workpacks that let clients dial their engineering capacity up or down without hiring permanent staff.

From FEED studies and advanced FEA to bespoke lifting, handling and subsea systems, we are the trusted subcontract specialists for the industry’s biggest challenges in the renewables, marine, defence and port-infrastructure sectors. Every project is underpinned by our growing library of standard operating procedures, calculation templates and a culture that rewards engineers who experiment with new digital tools to raise the bar on quality and speed.

The Impact You’ll Make

·Own technical delivery – lead projects from contract award to hand-over, building detailed work breakdowns, coordinating multi-discipline teams and assuring quality throughout.

·Be the client’s go-to engineer – run design reviews, manage risk and translate evolving requirements into clear, deliverable tasks.

·Advance our standards – codify design guides, calculation templates and best-practice workflows; champion new tech (AI, automation, Python scripting etc).

·Mentor & inspire – coach Senior, Design and Graduate Engineers, fostering a supportive, continuous-learning culture.

·Drive improvement – spot efficiency gains, feed lessons learned into the Subco Operating Platform and help us stay ahead of industry trends.

·Drive the vision – embrace an entrepreneurial engineering culture, shape our trajectory, and help build a business that reflects your values and ideas.

What You’ll Bring

·Degree-qualified engineer (mechanical, structural or related) with ~5 years’ design & project-lead experience.

·Proven track record delivering bespoke, low-volume, high-value equipment in at least one of our core sectors.

·Confident communicator who thrives in distributed teams and enjoys guiding others.

·Curiosity for new technology: willing to experiment with digital tools, data workflows or light coding to unlock smarter solutions.

·UK or EU working rights and ability to overlap ≥ 3 hrs with UK business hours.

What We Offer

·Base Salary£42-47k + profit-share on each project you lead

·Remote-first working location with access to a shared city-centre office space

·Active Digital Nomad policy, work abroad for up to 90 days a year with approval.

·24 days annual leave + UK bank holidays, with carry-over and buy/sell options.

·Sabbatical – up to 3 months every 3 years at 50 % pay.

·Learning budget – 5 paid training days annually and reimbursement of relevant professional-membership fees.

·Company-matched pension contributions up to 5 % of salary.

·Inclusive, transparent culture that values flexible hours, family-friendly leave and a healthy work–life balance.

·Career progression and mentorship plan

Ready to lead the way?

Click “Apply” (CV + a short note on how you’ve used technology to elevate engineering design). We review every application and respond within two weeks.

Subco Engineering is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.