Job Title:
Principal Design Engineer Mechanical
Location:
Portsmouth Naval Base. We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements – please
speak
to your recruiter about the options for this particular role
Salary:
Up to £54, 000 depending on skills and experience + bonus
What you’ll be doing:
Participating fully in Design Reviews either presenting information to the review or as part of the reviewing team i.e. assessor or chair
Carrying out relatively
complex
technical
analyses
and investigations, including evaluation and selection of technical options, and prepare reports with suggested recommendations to support the resolution of problems and the improvement of engineering capability
Preparing specifications, develop designs in line with specifications and all quality and technical standards, and
carry
out design appraisals in assigned areas to ensure all standards are maintained
Carrying out investigations into operational problems or developments, develop, and prepare solutions, individually or as a member of a project team
Supporting the identification of business opportunities and the preparation of bids in area(s) of
expertise
to facilitate the development of the highest quality bids
Checking processes of all information, as defined in the Quality Plan, contract specification and regulatory issues (e.g. Lloyd Rules, Maritime coastguard agencies, Def Stan
etc .)
Your skills and experiences:
Expert-level
knowledge of mechanical engineering design
principles, with the ability to apply this
expertise
to diverse design
challenges
and address technical issues across various engineering disciplines in Ship Engineering
Subject Matter
Expert
(SME) in mechanical piping systems, including auxiliary cooling, routed systems, and fastening, with a solid understanding of adjacent trades, particularly S&O, and practical knowledge of interfaces like bracketry
Knowledge of industry-standard tools, including Vault (or equivalent), SAP (or equivalent), Auto CaD, Inventor (or similar CAD tools like NX), and JIRA (or equivalent task
management
software), with a focus on tracking engineer availability and
managing
task performance (e.g., actual vs. estimated spends)
Understanding of the engineering life cycle, with
expert-level
technical drawing skills, including draughting and drawings for manufacture.
Strong
technical writing ability
Mentoring and training experience, including process derivation, skills
management, and the creation and delivery of training programs
HNC (or equivalent) in an engineering discipline, or possess equivalent experience, ideally working towards Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status
Benefits:
As well as a
competitive
pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts – you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.
The Design Services Mechanical team:
The Design Services Mechanical Team, based at Portsmouth Naval Base, is a dynamic group of 31 engineers delivering
expert
mechanical design integration for all current naval platforms. Your work will have an immediate, tangible impact, with your contributions directly shaping the vessels at the heart of UK defence. Join us to make a real difference by supporting those who serve and protect our nation.
As Principal Design Engineer Mechanical
Lead, you’ll provide
expert
engineering input across projects, conduct research, and develop new technologies to enhance BAE Systems’ knowledge base. You’ll track external innovations and drive the adoption of new technologies within the business.
Why BAE Systems?
This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder
etc .) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please
speak
to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.
Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export
control
restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict
the roles
you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All
applicants
must
as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where
applicants
must
typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for
the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.
Closing Date:
4th February 2026
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for
the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
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