Mechanical Design Manager

Formula One; Biggin Hill; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Healthcare

Dental Care

Grand Prix passes

Family planning policies

Staff shuttle

Healthy snacks

Canteen subsidies

25 days leave

Job summary

Formula 1 is seeking a Mechanical Design Manager to join our Mechanical Engineering & Design team, supporting the FRO project. You will lead the design group and coordinate the creation of bespoke mechanical solutions for timing, televising and event delivery across Grand Prix campaigns.

Reporting to the Head of Mechanical Engineering & Design, you will manage budgets, mentor staff, drive projects from concept through testing, and ensure on‑time, on‑budget delivery while maintaining safety and

Qualifications

• Qualification in Mechanical Engineering and Product Design.
• CEng status with IMechE or IED.
• Experience leading mechanical design teams.
• Strong CAD/CAE/FEA experience.
• Budgeting and forecasting experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design team for high-quality F1 products.
• Oversee design from requirements capture to testing and deployment.
• Ensure projects stay on budget and on time.
• Coordinate budgets, forecasts and proposals.
• Mentor and guide technical and non-technical staff.

Skills

Team leadership

CAD/CAE/FEA

Mechanical design

Budgeting

Project management

Communication

Negotiation

Problem solving

Education

Mechanical Engineering degree

Product Design degree

CEng status with IMechE or IED

People management qualification

Tools

PTC Creo

WindChill PDMLink

Job description

Are you ready to make your mark in the world of Formula 1?

At Formula 1, we are passionate about delivering the world’s greatest sports and entertainment spectacle leaving a positive legacy wherever we race. Innovation has always been at the heart of what we do ever since our first Grand Prix in 1950. Now, more than 75 years on, the sport remains a pioneer, developing technologies that have made a significant impact on society beyond the track.

Everything you see on screen or at an event comes via our passionate and dedicated people. Whether its engineering, broadcast, legal, logistics, security, event management, commercial, media rights, marketing, or communications there is always a talented team working to maximise the potential of the sport.

Role Overview

We are looking for a Mechanical Design Manager to join Formula 1’s Mechanical Engineering & Design team, supporting our FRO project. Reporting into our Head of Mechanical Engineering & Design, this role will manage the team and coordinate the production of a wide range of bespoke mechanical solutions to support the timing, televising and organisation of Formula 1 events.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design team; a group with a broad range of skills and expertise, in the design of high-quality first-class products in Formula 1.
• To be responsible and take ownership for, and when necessary be able to undertake, all aspects of the mechanical engineering, product design and development, from requirements capture through to final testing, deployment and support.
• Ensure projects are kept aligned with business interests, including on‑budget and on‑time.
• Has led large (>2 year, >£1M budget), high-profile, projects.
• Provide regular updates to manager on team/project progress.
• Provide guidance, mentoring and support of technical and non‑technical subjects to team.
• Research and quickly understand new technologies, processes, strategies and tools as led by both team and project requirements.
• Identify and oversee research into future product opportunities of interest to the business.
• Manage group budgets, support forecasting activities and preparing budget request proposals, supported with necessary technical project justifications.
• Co‑ordinate travel plans, requests & changes.

What Are We Looking For?

Personal Qualities

In this role it is essential that you are:

• Ability to motivate, drive, and guide a team to achieve their maximum potential.
• Ability to operate effectively in a high pressured and challenging environment.
• Calm, logical approach to problem solving.
• A methodical and structured approach to work.
• Highly versatile.
• Dynamic, logical thinking to assess and resolve problems efficiently and effectively.
• Ability to look at ROI when defining methods/ solutions for problems.

Qualifications

You may also have the following qualifications:

• Qualification in Mechanical Engineering and Product Design.
• People Management qualification or related technical discipline CEng status with IMechE or IED.

Experience

Prior to the role it would be essential that you:

• Previous team management experience.
• Leading and making technical decisions on projects.
• Strong background in the mechanical design, including use of CAD/CAE/FEA tools.
• Experience with design and development of mechanical systems from concept through to testing and deployment.

Some desirable experience that you may bring to the role

• Experience of leading a mechanical design teams, understanding resource skills, and planning and delegating work accordingly.
• Experience of managing budgets, forecasting and dealing with suppliers, contractors and other third parties.
• Has led large, high‑profile, projects.

Knowledge & Skills

Prior to the role it is essential that you demonstrate:

• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Good planning skills, including the ability to prioritise and multi‑task effectively.
• Breadth and depth of mechanical knowledge to allow sound technical decision making.
• Excellent understanding of PTC CREO, WindChill PDMLink.
• Experienced in manufacturing processes, ideally fabrications, CNC machining, extrusions, vacuum forming’s.
• Excellent knowledge of materials, including aluminum's, plastics, H/C composites.
• Knowledge of BS8888.

Why join the force behind the sport?

Joining F1 means becoming part of a team that values innovation, collaboration and personal growth. We offer a dynamic work environment where ideas are heard, and employee contributions truly make an impact. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people to play their role in accelerating the future of the sport. As a member of the F1 team, you will be able to access our amazing benefits:

• Private Healthcare scheme.
• Dental Care.
• 4 x Grand Prix Paddock passes per season.
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave and other family planning policies.
• A free staff shuttle service running to and from surrounding trains stations near to Biggin Hill.
• Free healthy snacks in our offices.
• Subsidised canteen in Biggin Hill, serving breakfast and lunch.
• 25 days annual leave and 8 Bank Holiday days, plus a Christmas period closure.
• Opportunities to develop and request training for your role via our in‑house Learning and Development team.
• Discount on F1 merchandise.
• Discount at F1’s experiences including F1 Arcade and F1 Drive.
• Perkbox benefit portal and more.

Recruitment Fraud Warning: We only communicate with candidates through official @f1.com email addresses. We will never contact you via personal email accounts, messaging apps, or request payment as part of our recruitment process. If you receive suspicious communication claiming to be from our talent team, please report it to [e-mail].