Senior Mechanical Engineer

Nicholas Associates; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Nicholas Associates in Sheffield is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer with a design bias and proven solid engineering abilities for a hands-on, office-based role in a heavy engineering environment.

You will work on heavy equipment design, structural analysis, and layout development, manage component sizing, ensure safety compliance, and collaborate with clients to deliver integrated solutions.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent required.
• Minimum 5+ years in a professional design office.
• Experience in medium–heavy engineering and large-scale materials handling is essential.
• Ability to commute daily to a South Yorkshire office and travel to client sites.

Responsibilities

• Lead heavy equipment and bulk material handling design projects.
• Perform structural design, calculations, and FE A where needed.
• Develop fabrication-friendly designs, layouts, and assemblies.
• Collaborate with clients to define requirements and deliver solutions.
• Ensure compliance with safety standards and Eurocodes/BS EN.

Skills

Problem solving

Client-facing communication

Team collaboration

Travel to client sites

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Autodesk Inventor

SolidWorks

SolidEdge

Catia

Job description

Position : Senior Mechanical Engineer

Location : Sheffield, Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Salary : £40,000-£65,000 according to experience

Sector : Medium - heavy engineering

Hybrid : No, this role requires attendance at office in Sheffield

Please note : this role requires proven experience in a professional industrial engineering environment. We cannot consider people who only have academic experience.

Although we are looking for a Design bias, this is very much a technical, mechanical engineering role where solid engineering abilities will be essential

• Senior Mechanical Engineer
• Autodesk Inventor preferred but experience of any 3d CAD package welcome (SolidWorks, SolidEdge, Catia, etc)
• Able to carry out mechanical engineering calculations and problem solve ; this is more than just producing drawings. You will be involved with sizing of components, materials, layouts and connectivity of system components to come together as an overall solution to a client problem
• Proficient with
• Qualified to degree level as a minimum in Mechanical Engineering or similar
• Proven experience in a professional design office, ideally for 5 + years
• Experience of medium - heavy engineering, large scale materials handling / conveyor systems or similar is essential. This is not a product design role
• Able to commute to a South Yorkshire based office on a daily basis
• Have the right to live and work in the UK without restriction
• Be able to travel to client sites when necessary (infrequent)

Engineering aspects of the role

• Heavy Equipment & Bulk Material Handling Design, Kinetic Architecture etc
• Structural Steel Design & Analysis
• Designing support frames, platforms, walkways, and mezzanines
• Competence in structural calculations (loads, deflection, stability, buckling)
• Familiarity with Eurocodes / BS EN standards (or relevant local codes)
• Design for Fabrication , Assembly & Installation
• Designing weldments, bolted structures, and modular assemblies
• Considering lifting, transport, and site installation constraints
• Minimising fabrication complexity and cost
• Access, Safety & Ergonomics Design
• Designing safe access platforms, ladders, handrails, and guarding
• Compliance with safety standards (e.g., Working at Height, machinery directives)
• Ensuring maintainability and operator usability
• Health, Safety & Environmental Compliance
• Knowledge of machinery safety standards (e.g., guarding, emergency stops)
• Awareness of environmental regulations
• Load Case & Failure Analysis
• Assessing static and dynamic loads (impact, vibration, shock loading, wind, snow, seismic)
• Applying FEA or hand calculations for critical components
• Designing against fatigue, failure, and overload conditions
• Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis
• Ability to troubleshoot equipment failures and inefficiencies
• Applying structured methods (e.g., FMEA, 5 Whys, RCA)
• Materials and Casting knowledge