Senior Mechanical Engineer

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

Job summary

Nicholas Associates in Sheffield is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer with proven experience in professional industrial engineering. This role concentrates on heavy engineering projects, including design for fabrication and integration of large-scale material handling systems.

Attendance at the Sheffield office is required. Ideal candidates hold a degree in Mechanical Engineering, with 5+ years in a design office.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a professional industrial engineering environment.
• Degree in Mechanical Engineering is required.
• Experience in medium to heavy engineering projects essential.
• Strong design and problem-solving abilities with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead heavy equipment and bulk material handling design projects.
• Perform structural calculations, loads, deflection, and safety analyses.
• Develop fabrication drawings and assembly layouts for large systems.
• Apply relevant codes and standards (Eurocodes/BS EN).
• Troubleshoot and optimize designs through iterative analysis.

Skills

Mechanical design

Problem solving

Root Cause Analysis

FMEA

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Autodesk Inventor

SolidWorks

SolidEdge

Catia

Job description

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
• 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)