Senior Mechanical Engineer

Manpower UK Ltd; Towcester; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

20 days annual leave + holidays

Company pension

Supportive, collaborative engineering

Job summary

EKA Limited in Northamptonshire is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own mechanical design from concept to manufacture and in-service support on defence and specialist vehicle projects. You will work in a small, collaborative team on vehicle integration, fabrication design, and complex assemblies, performing FEA and producing detailed drawings to BS8888 standards.

The role offers ownership, a supportive environment, and opportunities to contribute to legacy and new programmes with exposure

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• 5+ years in Mechanical Design Engineering.
• Experience with FEA, drawings and BOMs.
• Knowledge of Design for Manufacture (DfM).
• Strong communication and stakeholder management.
• Cradle-to-grave design experience.

Responsibilities

• Produce and develop mechanical designs using Autodesk Inventor 2D/3D.
• Create detailed engineering drawings to BS8888 standards.
• Design fabricated structural components and assemblies for specialist applications.
• Perform engineering calculations and FEA to support design decisions.
• Manage projects through concept, design, manufacture, assembly and testing phases.
• Produce and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs) and manufacturing records.
• Support product manufacture, integration and testing activities.
• Present engineering solutions during design reviews and liaise with suppliers.

Skills

End-to-end mechanical design

FEA

Technical drawings

Structural design

Communication & stakeholder mgmt

Problem-solving

Education

BEng/BSc in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Autodesk Inventor

Job description

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Towcester, Northamptonshire (On-site) | Permanent | Competitive Salary + Benefits

About the Company

We're supporting EKA Limited, a specialist engineering organisation with over 45 years' experience delivering military vehicle recovery systems, winch installations, chassis integrations and load handling solutions for defence and heavy equipment applications.

Through a deep understanding of operational requirements and engineering excellence, EKA develops robust, innovative solutions for customers operating in demanding environments. Alongside their core vehicle integration capability, the business has expanded into specialist engineering services including reverse engineering, 3D laser scanning and additive manufacturing.

Due to continued growth, EKA is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to join their collaborative engineering team based in Northamptonshire.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive and practical Mechanical Engineer to take ownership of innovative engineering projects from concept through to manufacture and in-service support.

Working within a small, highly collaborative engineering team, you will be involved in a broad range of activities including mechanical design, finite element analysis, fabrication design, vehicle integration, manufacturing support and technical problem solving.

The role offers significant ownership and responsibility, making it ideally suited to an engineer who enjoys working across the full product lifecycle and thrives in a fast-paced SME environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Produce and develop mechanical designs using Autodesk Inventor 2D and 3D CAD.
• Create detailed engineering drawings in accordance with BS8888 standards.
• Design fabricated structural components and assemblies for specialist applications.
• Perform engineering calculations and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to support design decisions.
• Manage projects through concept, design, manufacture, assembly and testing phases.
• Produce and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs), CAD documentation and manufacturing records.
• Support product manufacture, integration and testing activities.
• Present engineering solutions and design outputs during internal and customer-facing design reviews.
• Provide technical support across the wider business.
• Liaise with suppliers and external stakeholders to support successful project delivery.
• Work within established quality processes and engineering standards.
• Support continuous improvement and contribute to the development of new engineering solutions.

About You

• Degree qualified (BEng/BSc or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering or a relevant engineering discipline.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in Mechanical Design Engineering.
• Strong Autodesk Inventor experience (2D and 3D CAD).
• Proven cradle-to-grave design experience covering concept development through to implementation and support.
• Experience producing technical drawings, BOMs and engineering documentation.
• Strong understanding of FEA, engineering calculations and structural design principles.
• Knowledge of hydraulic, electrical and mechanical systems.
• Understanding of Design for Manufacture (DfM) principles.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability.
• High attention to detail and confidence justifying engineering decisions.

Desirable Experience

• Defence, military vehicle or heavy equipment projects.
• Vehicle integration engineering.
• Winches, lifting systems or load handling equipment.
• Structural fabrication design.
• Reverse engineering projects.
• Off-highway, industrial, automotive or aerospace engineering environments.
• Supplier management and project leadership responsibilities.

Why Apply?

• Work on unique defence and specialist vehicle engineering projects.
• Join a small, supportive team where you'll have genuine ownership and influence.
• Broad engineering exposure across design, manufacture, integration and testing.
• Opportunity to work on both legacy and new product development programmes.
• Exposure to reverse engineering, 3D laser scanning and additive manufacturing technologies.
• Fast-paced environment where your contribution is highly visible and valued.
• Excellent opportunity to expand your technical and project engineering experience.

Benefits

• Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 17:00
• Competitive salary (dependent on experience)
• 20 days annual leave plus bank holidays and Christmas shutdown
• Company pension scheme
• Supportive, collaborative engineering environment
• Long-term career development opportunities