Lead Thermal Engineer – Defence Systems

Leonardo; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Pension scheme

Training and development

Job summary

Leonardo is seeking an experienced Thermal Engineer to join our multi‑disciplinary teams in the UK. You will perform thermal analysis for defence products across Land, Naval, Seeker and Space domains, advising on cooling strategies and verification methods.

You will work with Ansys Icepak/Fluent, hand calculations, and environmental test methods, ensuring regulatory compliance and timely delivery of thermal solutions across projects.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering required.
• Post-graduate experience in Thermal engineering and proven expertise in thermal analysis.
• Proficiency in CFD tools, especially Ansys Icepak and Ansys Fluent, with hand calculations.
• Experience with environmental test methods for design verification and design certification.
• Knowledge of regulatory standards including Def Stan 00-970, HSE, and Pressure Equipment Regulations.
• Strong communication skills and ability to own work packages and schedule.
• Willingness to travel within the UK to other sites.

Responsibilities

• Conduct thermal analysis of mechanical designs using CFD and hand calculations.
• Provide guidance on cooling strategies and thermal design improvements.
• Advise on materials and manufacturing techniques for thermal performance and integrity.
• Define thermal requirements and verify compliance across Leonardo products.
• Drive innovation in thermal design and introduce new methodologies.
• Support product development through design, testing and certification phases.
• Deliver thermal solutions that meet performance targets on time and within budget.
• Contribute to technical documentation for peer reviews and stage gates.

Skills

Thermal analysis

CFD tools

Communication

Problem solving

Ownership

Education

Degree in Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering

Tools

Ansys Icepak

Ansys Fluent

Hand calculations

Job description

Leonardo is seeking an experienced Thermal Engineer to join our multi‑disciplinary teams in the UK. You will perform thermal analysis for defence products across Land, Naval, Seeker and Space domains, advising on cooling strategies and verification methods.

You will work with Ansys Icepak/Fluent, hand calculations, and environmental test methods, ensuring regulatory compliance and timely delivery of thermal solutions across projects.