Lead Mechanical Design Engineer

MBDA UK Ltd; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus

Pension

Overtime

Flexi Leave

Flexible working

Enhanced parental leave

Facilities

Healthcare plan

Job summary

MBDA UK Ltd is seeking a Mechanical Lead to drive design and development across missile projects. You will provide mechanical engineering expertise in a multidisciplinary team and deliver rapid prototypes within a demanding workload.

Role emphasizes strong CAD/CAE capabilities, concept development, and cross‑functional collaboration, with a path to leadership on key programmes in a hybrid, on-site environment.

Qualifications

• Mechanical design knowledge with structural and thermal considerations.
• Ability to develop concept designs with limited information and changing requirements.
• Experience with CAD/CAE tools is preferred; training is provided.
• Good communication skills and ability to influence stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical engineering on assigned missile design projects and rapid prototypes.
• Shape project direction in early development stages and secure funding for ideas.
• Collaborate across disciplines to solve challenging engineering problems.

Skills

Mechanical design

3D CAD/CAE experience

Strong communication

Concept design development

Stakeholder engagement

Tools

CAE tools

CAD tooling

Job description

Salary

Circa £55,000 depending on experience

Dynamic (hybrid) working

5 days per week on-site due to workload classification

Security Clearance

British Citizen

Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

What we can offer you

• Company bonus: Up to £2,500 (based on company performance and will vary year to year)
• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
• Overtime: opportunity for paid overtime
• Flexi Leave: Up to 15 additional days
• Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
• Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more...
• Healthcare Cash Plan: The Healthcare Cash Plan benefit provides the option to claim cash back on everyday healthcare expenses such as optical, dental, health and wellbeing and more.

The opportunity

This role will see you working within a multidisciplinary team which engages across many areas of missile design over a mixture of research and mainstream project work. You'll be the Mechanical Lead for assigned projects, providing Mechanical Engineering expertise into the team.

• You will work on Projects that are in the first stages of development providing the opportunity to shape their direction into development and rapidly prototype designs.
• You will have the opportunity to propose ideas for future research topics and obtain funding to develop these ideas within the Function.
• You will be working on challenging engineering problems and will receive structured skills development.

What we're looking for from you

• A good understanding of Mechanical Design, including an appreciation of the Structural and Thermal considerations of Mechanical Design
• An ability to develop concept design solutions with limited information and changing requirements
• Wider awareness of other disciplines such as Electronic Packaging and Low Observability, would be beneficial
• Relevant 3D CAD/CAE experience (training on our preferred CAE tools will be given)
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal with the ability to work with, influence and negotiate with stakeholders across the business.

Our company: Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given

MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity, Disability and more...

We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.