Mechanical Systems Design Engineer Lead

Space Forge Ltd; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexitime hours

Hybrid remote working

33 days holiday including bank holiday

Pension scheme 4% matched

Volunteer days (up to 5 per year)

Mental health support through Spill

Job summary

Space Forge Ltd is seeking a Mechanical Systems Design Engineer Lead to join our team. You will lead mechanical design activities, develop digital twin processes, and coordinate interfaces across subsystems in a hybrid work environment.

You will mentor the Mechanical Design team, manage resources with Engineering Operations, and ensure compliance with standards and lifecycle design requirements. The role reports to Engineering Operations Manager.

Qualifications

• Degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering required.
• Ability to conduct complex trade-offs in design activities.
• Understanding of materials and manufacturing processes.
• Proficiency in Siemens NX or other advanced CAD packages.
• Knowledge of systems engineering principles and interfaces across subsystems.
• Experience with mechanical design control of complex models.
• Working knowledge of ECSS regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain mechanical digital twin design and modelling processes.
• Define and implement design and analysis tasks across lifecycles, coordinating subsystems.
• Ensure correct and effective resource allocations in collaboration with Engineering Operations.
• Lead and mentor the Mechanical Design team, promoting accountability and growth.
• Enforce best practices through reviews and lessons learned.
• Participate in design and acceptance reviews as a key stakeholder.

Skills

Technical leadership

Systems engineering

Project management

Siemens NX

CAD software

Regulatory awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

ECSS knowledge

Job description

Space Forge is a fast-growing advanced materials company. Our goal is to exploit the extreme temperature, microgravity and ultra-high vacuum conditions available in low earth orbit (LEO) to manufacture materials that cannot readily be grown terrestrially. Returning these materials to earth, we aim to revolutionise the semiconductor market and to make space work for humanity. To achieve this we have developed a range of technologies including the world’s first returnable and reusable satellite platform, the ForgeStar®.

We are looking to hire a Mechanical Systems Design Engineer Lead to join our team.

What will you do?

• Ensuring compliance with company and applicable standards, procedures, and customer requirements
• Participate in Design and Acceptance reviews as a key stakeholder in the approval.
• Supporting with Project Management, Project Leads and Engineering Operations Management to develop Project plans and ensure effective long term resource planning
• Providing guidance to less experienced engineers, supporting team members wellbeing and career development
• Reporting to the Engineering Operations Manager

Key responsibilities of the role:

• Establish and maintain mechanical digital twin design and modelling processes across our Space and Material growth projects and programmes
• Define and implement mechanical design and analysis tasks to support the full lifecycle of our programmes including liaising with sub-system design and functional teams (egelectronics, thermal, software, MAITetc) to ensure alignment of the design across all Space Forge product lines and maintaining control of mechanical interfaces within and between all subsystems.
• Ensure resource allocations to projects are correct and effective in collaboration with Engineering operations
• Collaborate with the technical leads to define,designandmaintaincontrol of mechanical interfaces within and between separate subsystems across all Space Forge product lines.
• Lead and mentor Mechanical Design team members by providing coaching, training, performance evaluations, and fostering a culture of accountability, responsibility, and continuous professional growth in accordance with the organization's policies, procedures.
• Enforce best practice throughout the development lifecycle through appropriate tasking, reviews and lessons learned.

The range of skills we are looking for:

Technical skills:

• Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, mechatronics or closely related field
• Able to conduct complex trade-offs in support of the design activities.
• Havean understanding of materials and manufacturing processes.
• Proficient in Siemens NX or other advanced CAD packages
• Understanding ofsystems engineering principles, including requirements analysis, system design, integration, testing, and validation (preferably inspacesector though not essential).
• Experience in supporting and managing mechanical design control of complex models
• A working knowledge of regulatory requirements,ieECSS is desirable.

Soft skills:

• Demonstrable Technical Engineering management experience
• Process improvement goal driven - aiming to improve the quality of processes at Space Forge throughout and participate in lessons learned with a view to continuous improvement.
• Enforcing standards and adherence to process/quality where required.
• Good communication skills to justify/explain technical aspects to suppliers and internal stakeholders.

Why Space Forge?

We believe in a future where our most polluting industries are moved off the planet, built for sustainability, and returned back to Earth for the benefit of all. Space is the next step for our manufacturing needs.

At Space Forge, we believe in creating the best possible workplace that suits every single person that joins us.

• Flexitime hours - 40 to be worked across Monday-Friday as fits both your needs and the needs of the role
• Hybrid remote working possible with nominally 1-2 days per week onsite to support co-engineering sessions and reviews, and travel to suppliers premises or test sites.
• 33 days holiday including bank holidays
• Pension scheme at 4% matched
• Charity or cause you’re passionate about? Up to 5 volunteering days a year to support the things closest to you and make an impact
• Super cool office and factory - the coffee is on us (and it’s certified carbon neutral too, our snazzy machine does anything from the humble americano to a superb flat white)
• Pizza pay day - okay, it’s not always pizza, but if you’re at the office on pay day, lunch is on us
• Your mental health is important! You’ll have access Spill - an all-in-one mental health support platform offering completely anonymous therapy sessions to our whole team
• Working with a passionate, friendly and highly motivated team
• Maternity / Paternity benefits beyond statutory

Salary range for this role: £45,000 - £60,000 per annum, depending on knowledge, experience and skills.

We are committed to building an inclusive workplace and that starts with hiring diversely. However you identify, and whatever background you bring with you, we welcome you to apply for a role at Space Forge.

If there are any reasonable adjustments that would help improve your experience with Space Forge, please do let us know when you apply.

Closing date is Thursday 10th September 2026.