Principal Mechanical Engineer

-; Horsham; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An international engineering and design firm is seeking an experienced engineer to join their Thermal and Renewable Energy team in the UK. This role involves providing technical leadership, supporting project phases including feasibility studies and engineering design, and mentoring junior engineers. Located flexibly across the UK with a commitment to work-life balance, this position also offers generous benefits including private medical insurance and enhanced parental leave policies.

Benefits

25 days holiday per year

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Pension scheme

Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

Childcare support

Qualifications

• Experience in technical and economic feasibility studies.
• Proven track record in engineering-procurement-construction-management (EPCM).
• Experience with energy transition technologies.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across design and analysis projects.
• Deliver high-quality design outputs and documentation.
• Support construction with inspections and risk mitigation.

Skills

Technical leadership

Project management

Design experience

Commercial awareness

Thermal power plant experience

Education

Minimum 2:1 degree in mechanical or chemical engineering

Chartered Engineer status

Tools

Software for thermal modelling (e.g. SteamPro)

Job description

Company Description

AFRY is an international engineering, design and advisory company. We support our clients to progress in sustainability and digitalisation.

If you are looking for a workplace where you will develop and at the same time contribute to something meaningful, you have found the right place.

We are 19,000 devoted engineers, designers and experts. We operate within the fields of energy, infrastructure, industry and digitalisation, creating sustainable solutions for generations to come.

AFRY's Energy Division employs over 2,000 experts with a presence across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. Technologies covered by the Renewable Energy team include onshore wind, offshore wind, solar PV, concentrated solar, and mechanical and electrical energy storage.

Job Description

The opportunity exists for an experienced engineer to join AFRY's Energy Division within the expanding Thermal and Renewable Energy team in the UK.

You will provide clients with help and support at all project stages, including technical and economic feasibility studies, technology assessments, technical due diligence reviews, Lenders' Engineer services, front end engineering design (FEED) studies, owner's engineer services, engineering-procurement-construction-management (EPCM) services, operation and maintenance support and optimisation and expert witness services.

Your Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across design, analysis, and problem-solving for engineering projects.
• Deliver and review high-quality design outputs, reports, and documentation.
• Support construction through site inspections, testing, and risk mitigation.
• Contribute to business development and represent the company professionally.
• Mentor junior engineers and continuously develop technical expertise.

Qualifications

• You hold a minimum 2: 1 degree in mechanical or chemical engineering.
• Chartered Engineer status.
• Relevant industry experience.

Additional Candidate Requirements

• Recognised Project Management training.
• Previous experience of providing consulting services in a multi-disciplinary engineering environment.
• Commercial awareness and contract knowledge (e.g. IChemE or FIDIC).
• Design experience gained from concept development and detailed engineering.
• Practical experience gained from construction, commissioning, and testing.
• Thermal power plant experience such as biomass power plant, waste to energy plant, gas fired power plant etc.
• Energy transition technologies such as carbon capture, green hydrogen, green ammonia, power to X, etc.
• Knowledge of software for thermal modelling of water/steam cycles (e.g. SteamPro).

What We Can Offer

• Exciting and challenging projects.
• Personal development opportunities (e.g., technical expert, project management)
• Friendly working atmosphere in a multidisciplinary and international team with a lot of personal responsibility
• Helping to shape a sustainable future

Additional Information

Available office locations for this position are either London, Oxford, Horsham or Manchester. We are flexible on the office location for this position, please indicate your preference in your covering letter. We value a healthy work life balance and are committed to your wellbeing. We will consider a range of flexible working arrangements, including part‑time, flexible working patterns and we operate a hybrid working environment.

We offer an excellent range of benefits, including 25 days holiday each year, private medical insurance, life assurance and a pension scheme. We also offer enhanced maternity and paternity pay offering 16 weeks full pay for both parents. This is supported by generous family support options such as back‑up childcare support and return to work coaching.

We are excited to receive your application, please ensure your cover letter not only sets out how you are a great fit for this role and confirm your right to work in the UK as this role does not include sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa.

Should you be successful you will be invited for a telephone interview following which, a virtual face‑to‑face interview. To allow us to assess your skills in practice this will be accompanied by analytical reasoning exercises.

At AFRY, we engineer change in everything we do. Change happens when brave ideas come together. When we collaborate, innovate technology, and embrace challenging points of view. That's how we're making future. We are actively looking for qualified candidates to join our inclusive and diverse teams across the globe. Join us in accelerating the transition towards a sustainable future.