Principal Design Engineer

Role: Principal Design Engineer

Salary: £65k to £80k per annumannum dependant on experience

Location: OnsiteOnsite in Forres

ForresMy client has an exciting opportunity for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to act as a Technical Authority for the structural development and analysis of our launch vehicle.

You will take significant responsibility for flight structure development projects across technical performance, schedule and costs, taking a proactive role in the project from concept to manufacturing and launching flight hardware. For this role, experience in the design and analysis of finely tol fltolerancedight structures for the space industry and/or composite structures would be extremely desirable.

My Client

My client is a leading micro-launch company with our Prime vehicle being prepared to launch from our home spaceport, Space Hub Sutherland. We are well placed to be one of the first operational micro-launch companies in Europe with over €12 of€122m project financing secured, a number of customers signed up, launch licence application submitted, and backing from organisations including UKS anUKSAd ESA.

ESAWe are a rapidly growing company with staff located between our production and test facilities in For, SForrescotland and Copenhagen, Denmark. Working on cutting edge advances in rocket fuel technology, Prime's carbon footprint is up to 96% lower than comparable vehicles, leading to innovations in propulsion and tank structures. A state-of-the-art re-flight system means we can recover and reuse our technology, and innovations in separation mechanisms mean we leave no debris on orbit.
Having developed in-house production capability, we can 3D 3D3Dint complex engines, produce full-scale carbon composite fuel tanks, and have avionics and software testing labs in both Scotland and Denmark. Based in For, yForresou will be right in the heart of this fast-paced cutting-edge company, gaining a unique insight into what it takes to build a new launch vehicle for a buoyant commercial market.

The Position

Responsibilities of the role:

• Ownership of System and derived structures requirements: functional, general interfaces, LV LVLVvironment, Operational (lif, llifecycleifetime), physical, DFM (DDFMEAesign key characteristics), applicable standards (derived from SEM anSEMPd/or ECS), ECSSmechanical dim & dimensioningtest specifications.
• Coordination of Mechanical Engineering Team, from design concept up to maturation/convergence with design and manufacturing, planning the activities and managing the priorities/risks
• Ownership mechanical/thermal analysis to justify the adequacy of the designs.
• Leadership, training & mentoring of the analysis team.
• Ownership of the verification control document, used to ensure the compliance status of the structures requirements and support to change control process.
• Build-up and execute the development plan in coordination with the Composite Chief engineer: element testing, sub-component testing.
• Test Engineering authority for execution of the scale 1 mechanical testing (structural qualification in static, dynamic, shock): qualification test plans, test procedures, test reports, test results analysis. Owning the development of the Structures Department Testing capability.
• Support to the Quality Gates: PDR, CCDRCDRR. Ownership of the documentation containing the dim lodimensioningad cases, thermal/mechanical analysis, design justification files, qualification test plans, test results analysis, fly worthiness/qualification certificate files.
• Support as technical authority for validation of manufacturing & assembly measurements, NCRNCRNCReatments.
• Support to System in built-up of MCI model, LV LV anaeroalysis, LV LVLVructural analysis, Integrated Structure/thermal models.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field is essential.
• 8+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, with a focus on structural design, analysis, and testing in Space, Aerospace, or similar high-reliability fields.
• Extensive experience with structural development and analysis (including mechanical and thermal analysis) of complex systems, ideally for launch vehicles or spacecraft
• Proven experience working within industry standards like ECS, C, E
• PrEASAoficiency in industry-standard tools and software for systems engineering, such as modelling and simulation software, CAD tools, and data analysis software.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to pri taprioritizesks, meet deadlines, and manage multiple initiatives involving cross-functional teams simultaneously.
• Integrity, professionalism, and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion
• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills, with a strong attention to detail.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Previous leadership experience and the ability to mentor and guide other engineers.

Desirable Skills and Qualifications:

• Proficiency in structural analysis tools and software (e.g., FEAFEAFEAAD).
• Experience in safety and reliability analysis methodologies.

Personality

My client is a high-paced, sta custartuplture where you will be encouraged to take assume responsibility for tasks and see them through.
It is imperative that you take initiative, communicate openly and can collaborate with technical and non-technical team members.
You must be able to thrive in an international, diverse and multicultural environment.