Principal or Associate Mechanical Engineer

Hoare Lea; Ferndown; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9-day fortnight

Private medical cover

Electric vehicle salary sacrifice

25 days annual leave

Job summary

Hoare Lea is seeking a Principal/Associate Mechanical Engineer to join our Bournemouth team. You will lead the design delivery on significant projects, coordinating internal teams and external consultants to ensure technically excellent and commercially aware outcomes.

The role requires strong leadership, client engagement, and a track record delivering complex building services, with a focus on heating, ventilation and air conditioning in a multi-disciplinary environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering complex building services projects.
• Strong leadership and client-facing skills.
• Knowledge of UK BS standards and multi-disciplinary coordination.

Responsibilities

• Lead design delivery from inception to completion as technical lead.
• Coordinate internal Hoare Lea team and external consultants.
• Ensure timely, high-quality, commercially aware project outcomes.
• Develop client relationships to support future opportunities.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Project leadership

Revit

AutoCAD

Communication skills

Tools

Revit

AutoCAD

Job description

Working alongside a range of specialist engineers and consultants, you will be joining a collaborative, knowledgeable, highly engaged team who love what they do, and offer a supportive, flexible, and high-performing work culture. You will take the lead design role on significant and complex building services projects, owning the design delivery from inception to completion. As the technical lead, you will manage and prioritise the internal Hoare Lea delivery team, coordinate with other disciplines and external consultants, and represent Hoare Lea at client and project meetings. You will ensure technically excellent, commercially aware and timely delivery while developing client relationships that support future business growth. In this key and varied role, you can expect to:

• Be responsible for dealing successfully with Clients and other professionals to foster and maintain good relationships and create future opportunities.
• Promote the full range of services offered by Hoare Lea and contribute to bid preparation.
• Define and agree brief with Client, take ownership and consistently deliver profitable schemes.
• Lead larger scale schemes and co-ordinate all disciplines being the main Client point of contact throughout a project.
• Support in developing and leading a high-performing local team and contribute to staff development.
• Manage and prioritise the workload of a project team including specialist groups and effectively delegate, manage and check work undertaken by others.
• Monitor project expenditure and report cost and resource requirements to the management team.
• Ensure quality standards and technical accuracy is delivered and manage and mitigate risks to business.
• Proven experience working as a Mechanical Engineer or in a closely related role, with a track record of delivering on a variety of complex projects.
• Understanding of all mechanical services including heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
• Experience working in a multi-disciplinary environment, with excellent communication skills with both internal and external clients, and a team-based work approach.
• Use of relevant software/tools such as Revit and AutoCAD.
• Self-awareness, an open mind, and a spirit of generosity.
• Conversant with relevant British Standards.
• Consultancy experience.
• Previous consultancy experience, you will appreciate the importance of complementary specialisms such as acoustics, fire engineering and computer modelling in the design of buildings and be adept at analysing and interpreting their impact on your work.

Hoare Lea is a human-centric and planet-conscious engineering consultancy. We offer intelligent and sustainable solutions to complex design challenges for the built environment throughout the UK and further afield. We provide a wide range of engineering and consultancy services, including acoustics, air quality, building services (MEP), fire, lighting, security and sustainability to name but a few. Together, our highly skilled teams use technical expertise and problem-solving skills to bring buildings to life. We ensure that whatever the building, its design is outstanding, and its operations meet the needs of the communities it serves. We are as committed to providing an environment where everyone can realise their unique potential. So, in joining Hoare Lea, you will experience a business that enriches your knowledge, supports your wellbeing, and welcomes your individuality. You'll have the opportunity to participate in our 9-day fortnight scheme, thriving community groups, varied social and networking events, and extensive professional and technical development schemes. We also offer an extensive benefits package, including private medical cover, an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, stock options, and 25 days of annual leave (increasing with service), alongside flexible and hybrid working. Whatever your ambitions or circumstances, our aim is to enable everyone to develop their knowledge, give their best, and enjoy what they do.

We have a brand-new opportunity for a Principal or Associate Mechanical Engineer to join our team based in our Bournemouth office. You will join our Mechanical team based in our Bournemouth office. With more than 45 years' presence on the south coast -beginning in Bournemouth-we've developed deep commercial-sector expertise and long-standing relationships locally and beyond. We're actively connecting with likeminded businesses and professionals in the area; if this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you. We are a recognised leader in the built environment, shaping some of the most ambitious and technically demanding projects across the residential, hospitality, leisure, commercial, and complex engineering sectors. Our work spans cutting edge healthcare and research facilities, high-performance data centres, critical infrastructure and state-of-the‑art manufacturing and technology environments projects that push boundaries and deliver real‑world impact. Driven by a commitment to excellence, we combine innovation, technical expertise, and practical delivery to create solutions that are not only robust and reliable, but forward‑thinking and sustainable. Our teams work at the forefront of the industry, collaborating with leading clients across the public and private sectors, both locally and internationally.