Mechanical Design Engineer

Location: Essex (on-site)

Employment Type: Full-time, permanent

Overview

We are working with a well-established, privately owned engineering business that designs and manufactures innovative laboratory and scientific equipment used globally across pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical, academic and research environments.

The company has a strong reputation for technical excellence, product quality and long-term customer relationships. With ambitious growth and product development plans, they are now looking to add an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer to their R&D team.

This is a hands-on, end-to-end engineering role where your designs will go into production and be used by customers worldwide.

The Role

As a Mechanical Design Engineer, you will play a key role in developing new products and improving existing ones across a growing portfolio of precision-engineered laboratory equipment.

You will take ownership of projects from initial concept through to manufacture, working closely with engineers, scientists, suppliers and external partners. The role is primarily on-site and suits someone who enjoys being close to prototypes, testing, manufacturing and real-world engineering challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support New Product Development (NPD) and product improvement projects from concept to production
• Own and deliver Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), managing key workstreams with minimal supervision
• Design mechanical and electro-mechanical products aligned with the long-term product roadmap
• Produce high-quality 3D CAD models, assemblies, detailed drawings and documentation using SolidWorks and PDM
• Select, evaluate and integrate mechanical and electronic components
• Source materials and components, working directly with suppliers and mitigating supply chain risks
• Plan, cost and manage projects, including timelines, budgets and resource requirements
• Define test plans, conduct testing, analyse data and report results
• Prepare and maintain product documentation including BOMs, production packs, instructions and QA/test procedures
• Present clear project updates, design decisions and technical findings to stakeholders
• Work closely with manufacturing, suppliers and external consultants to deliver robust, manufacturable solutions

Skills & Experience

• Degree qualified in Mechanical or Electromechanical Engineering
• Minimum 5 years’ industry experience in a product development or R&D environment
• Proven track record of taking products from concept through to manufacture
• Strong experience designing mechanical and electro-mechanical assemblies
• Excellent knowledge of manufacturing processes and materials
• Strong proficiency with SolidWorks and SolidWorks PDM
• Experience working directly with suppliers, including sourcing, technical discussions and relationship management
• Exposure to electronics design and implementation is advantageous but not essential

Personal Attributes

• Proactive, ownership-driven mindset
• Comfortable working independently and making engineering decisions
• Hands-on approach with prototypes, assemblies and testing
• Clear, confident communicator, both written and verbal
• Resilient and determined when solving complex engineering problems
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail
• Genuine enthusiasm for engineering, product development and continuous improvement

Additional Information

• Role is primarily on-site to support collaboration, prototyping and testing
• Candidates must be able to work effectively in business-level English
• UK driving licence required
• Applicants should live within a commutable distance of the Essex site

Package & Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Workplace pension
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Additional day off for your birthday
• Option to purchase additional unpaid leave
• Company laptop/PC
• Structured induction and ongoing training