Principal Mechanical Engineer

BAE Systems; Dalton-in-Furness; Hybrid; GBP 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace and defense contractor is looking for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to join their team in Barrow-in-Furness. The role involves designing systems for the next generation Royal Navy submarines and requires strong leadership and a mechanical engineering background. Key responsibilities include modeling, analysis, and stakeholder engagement. Candidates should hold a degree or professional accreditation. Offers include flexible working arrangements and a competitive benefits package.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme

Employee share plans

Health and wellbeing benefits

Green car scheme

Qualifications

• Proven capability in system lifecycle delivery – from concept through to commissioning.
• Demonstrated leadership in technical direction, mentoring, or project ownership.
• Mechanical Engineering background in Rotator Machinery, Components or Fluid Dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Design of multiple platform systems for next generation Royal Navy submarines.
• Undertake functional design activities, modelling and analysis.
• Support specification qualification and procurement of components.
• Drive engineering governance through peer reviews and design reviews.

Skills

System lifecycle delivery

Leadership

Mechanical Engineering

Fluid Dynamics

Education

Degree Level Qualification or Chartered engineer

Job description

Job Title: Principal Mechanical Engineer

Location: Barrow-in-Furness. We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

Salary: Circa £55k

What you’ll be doing:

• Design of multiple platform systems, sub-systems and equipment for the next generation Royal Navy submarines
• Undertake functional design activities, modelling and analysis
• Produce design documentation, Verification & Validation evidence and safety justifications
• Support specification qualification and procurement of components, working collaboratively with suppliers
• Engaging with stakeholders across the cross-functional project team
• Driving engineering governance through peer reviews and design reviews

Your skills and experiences:

Essential:

• Proven capability in system lifecycle delivery – from concept through to commissioning
• Demonstrated leadership – either through technical direction, mentoring, or project ownership
• Degree Level Qualification or Chartered engineer or working towards professional accreditation.
• Mechanical Engineering background in Rotator Machinery, Components or Fluid Dynamics.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of platform-level constraints such as noise, shock, or survivability
• Previous experience integrating purification systems with submarine life-support, HVAC, and emergency protocols
• Experience in the design of gas scrubbing, filtration, and environmental control systems (e.g. CO₂ removal, O₂ generation, trace contaminant management, radiological hazards) – ideally in complex, safety-critical environments (e.g. maritime, aerospace, defence, nuclear, oil & gas and sub-sea)

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Mechanical Engineering team:

As a Lead Mechanical Engineer – Air Purification Systems, you will play a pivotal role in the design and development of submarine Air Purification and Atmosphere Monitoring systems. This includes system-level design, technical leadership, supplier engagement, and the opportunity to steer design architecture across a major submarine programme. We offer relocation support packages across all Submarines roles, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 2nd January 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.