Mechanical Design Engineer

Minerva Defence; Worcester; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Share options vesting over three years

Bupa private health, fully funded

6% employer pension contribution

25 days leave plus bank holidays

Enterprise level AI tooling

Relocation support or home office for/

Job summary

Minerva Defence is seeking a mechanical design engineer to own significant work packages across the full product lifecycle. You will create CAD models and drawings, apply tolerancing and material choices, and work with manufacturing to resolve issues.

The role requires on-site presence and eligibility for UK security clearance. You'll contribute to a multidisciplinary, production-focused environment delivering high-reliability engineering for defence systems in the UK, with opportunities to

Qualifications

• Degree in mechanical engineering or closely related discipline.
• Demonstrable experience in mechanical design including CAD modelling and engineering drawings.
• Practical understanding of tolerancing, materials selection and manufacturing processes.
• Eligible for UK security clearance: UK citizen or five+ years of UK residency.
• Able to work on-site for the majority of the working week.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical components and assemblies across the full product lifecycle, from concept through production release.
• Produce CAD models and engineering drawings to required standards with tolerancing and DFM/DFA principles.
• Perform engineering analysis and calculations to support design decisions.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, assembly and quality teams to resolve issues.
• Participate in design reviews and respond to technical feedback.
• Manage engineering changes and maintain configuration control per processes.
• Support prototyping, testing and design iteration as products develop.
• Contribute to engineering standards and processes as the team scales.

Skills

Mechanical design experience

CAD modelling

Engineering drawings

Tolerance & material selection

Manufacture processes knowledge

On-site work readiness

Education

Degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

FEA tools

Job description

This is genuinely consequential engineering work that will have battlefield impact within 6 months of design.

Minerva Defence is one of the fastest-growing defence technology companies in Europe. We create the software, hardware and networking that make unmanned systems effective on the modern battlefield, all ideated, designed and manufactured end-to-end in the UK, and in active use today. We are deliberately low-profile: a team of around 60, small in headcount and outsized in effect. We look for people who are not just talented but genuinely committed to the work, the team, and the purpose behind it.

This is the kind of work you will be proud of. Mechanical design here carries real weight: you will own significant work packages, make decisions with full context, and contribute across a complex, multidisciplinary product. The gap between designing something and seeing it in production is weeks, not years.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical components and assemblies across the full product lifecycle, from concept through production release
• Produce CAD models and engineering drawings to the required standard, applying appropriate tolerancing, material selection and DFM/DFA principles so designs can be manufactured, assembled and supported at scale
• Perform engineering analysis and calculations to support and validate design decisions
• Work directly with manufacturing, assembly and quality teams to resolve technical issues and support build activities
• Participate in design reviews, presenting work clearly and responding to technical feedback
• Manage engineering changes and maintain accurate configuration control in line with company processes
• Support prototyping, testing and design iteration as products develop
• Contribute to engineering standards and processes as the team scales

This is genuinely consequential engineering work that will have battlefield impact within 6 months of design.

Minerva Defence is one of the fastest-growing defence technology companies in Europe. We create the software, hardware and networking that make unmanned systems effective on the modern battlefield, all ideated, designed and manufactured end-to-end in the UK, and in active use today. We are deliberately low-profile: a team of around 60, small in headcount and outsized in effect. We look for people who are not just talented but genuinely committed to the work, the team, and the purpose behind it.

This is the kind of work you will be proud of. Mechanical design here carries real weight: you will own significant work packages, make decisions with full context, and contribute across a complex, multidisciplinary product. The gap between designing something and seeing it in production is weeks, not years.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical components and assemblies across the full product lifecycle, from concept through production release
• Produce CAD models and engineering drawings to the required standard, applying appropriate tolerancing, material selection and DFM/DFA principles so designs can be manufactured, assembled and supported at scale
• Perform engineering analysis and calculations to support and validate design decisions
• Work directly with manufacturing, assembly and quality teams to resolve technical issues and support build activities
• Participate in design reviews, presenting work clearly and responding to technical feedback
• Manage engineering changes and maintain accurate configuration control in line with company processes
• Support prototyping, testing and design iteration as products develop
• Contribute to engineering standards and processes as the team scales

Requirements

Minimum

• Degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related discipline
• Demonstrable experience in mechanical design, including CAD modelling and engineering drawings
• Practical understanding of tolerancing, materials selection and manufacturing processes
• Eligible for UK security clearance: UK citizen or five or more years of continuous UK residency
• Able to work on-site for the majority of the working week

Preferred

• Proficiency in SolidWorks or a comparable parametric CAD package
• Familiarity with GD&T and BS 8888 drawing standards
• Experience in aerospace, defence, automotive, or another high-reliability engineering environment
• Experience with FEA or other simulation tools
• Comfortable building, testing, and iterating physical prototypes to validate designs
• Experience supporting or leading design reviews and engineering change processes

Benefits

The job is demanding enough, so we try to take the everyday pressures off your plate. The benefits are built around that, starting with a genuine stake in what we are building.

• Share options vesting over three years, so you own a real piece of it
• Bupa private health, fully funded from day one
• 6% employer pension contribution
• 25 days leave plus bank holidays, and properly enhanced cover for both parents
• Enterprise level AI tooling, with as many tokens as you need to accelerate your work
• Relocation support if you are moving to join us, or a home office budget if you work remotely

The full detail comes with your offer.