Principal Mechanical Design Engineer

MERITUS are recruiting for a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer to join our client within the defence sector on a 12-month contract from their site in Stevenage. This role requires candidates to hold or be eligible for SC clearance and offers the opportunity to work on complex, cutting-edge engineering programmes within a highly collaborative environment. PRINCIPAL MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER - £50 PER HOUR - STEVENAGE - 12 MONTHS - SC CLEARANCE - CREO - 4 DAYS ONSITE - SINGLE STAGE INTERVIEW PROCESS - SECTOR: DEFENCE This position requires a minimum of 4 days per week onsite in Stevenage, with 1 day remote working available. A compressed working week may also be possible depending on project requirements. As a Principal Mechanical Design Engineer, you will be responsible for delivering mechanical design and development activities across complex products and assemblies, working as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team. You'll support the progression of development designs into production, work closely with manufacturing teams and contribute to the successful delivery of challenging engineering programmes. You will be involved in mechanical design, technical problem solving, supplier engagement, environmental and functional testing activities, and design reviews. This role requires a proactive engineer capable of generating and refining engineering requirements, supporting project milestones and collaborating across multiple engineering disciplines. Skillset/experience required: What can you bring to the role? Strong mechanical design experience within a complex engineering environment Proficiency using Creo 3D CAD design software Knowledge of manufacturing processes and design for manufacture/assembly principles Experience conducting tolerance studies and mass property calculations Understanding of material selection and structural design principles Experience performing FMEA activities and engineering risk assessments Knowledge of environmental testing and industrial validation processes Experience with environmental gasket sealing and product integration activities Understanding of product lifecycle management and engineering review processes Experience working within multidisciplinary engineering teams Ability to lead or participate in formal design reviews Understanding of Defence Standards or highly regulated engineering environments Strong stakeholder management and communication skills Ability to support manufacturing teams and resolve technical production issues Experience within defence, aerospace or other highly engineered industries would be advantageous