Mechanical Systems Design Engineer Lead

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

Benefits offered by this job

Flexitime

Hybrid remote working

33 days holiday

Pension 4% match

Volunteer days

Coffee & carbon-neutral office

Pizza pay day

Mental health support

Maternity/Paternity benefits

Job summary

Space Forge in the UK is seeking a Senior/Lead Mechanical Systems Design Engineer to steer the mechanical design across Space Forge's products and programs. You will lead a design team, define interfaces, and ensure alignment with electronics, thermal, software and MAIT teams through the full lifecycle.

You will mentor engineers, drive digital twin practices, and enforce best-practice processes while collaborating with the Engineering Operations Manager to plan resources and schedules.

Qualifications

• Degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/Mechatronics or related field.
• Experience in complex trade-offs for design activities.
• Understanding of materials and manufacturing processes.
• Regulatory knowledge such as ECSS is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain mechanical digital twin design and modelling processes across Space Forge projects.
• Define and implement mechanical design tasks to support full lifecycle with subsystems alignment.
• Ensure resource allocations to projects with Engineering operations.
• Collaborate with technical leads to define and maintain mechanical interfaces across product lines.
• Lead and mentor Mechanical Design team members and foster accountability.
• Enforce best practice throughout the development lifecycle.

Skills

Mechanical design leadership

Project management

Regulatory awareness

Systems engineering

Stakeholder communication

Education

Degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/Mechatronics or closely related field

Tools

Siemens NX

CAD software

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 (eg electronics, thermal, software, MAIT etc) 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, design and maintain control 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

Requirements

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.
• Have an understanding of materials and manufacturing processes.
• Proficient in Siemens NX or other advanced CAD packages
• Understanding of systems engineering principles, including requirements analysis, system design, integration, testing, and validation (preferably in space sector though not essential).
• Experience in supporting and managing mechanical design control of complex models
• A working knowledge of regulatory requirements, ie ECSS 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

Benefits

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 to 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.