Mechanical Design Engineer

Company: Randstad Digital
Apply for the Mechanical Design Engineer
Location: Central Bedfordshire
Job Description:

Mechanical Design Engineer (Aerospace & Unmanned Systems)

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and ambitious Mechanical Design Engineer (Aerospace) to provide technical leadership and hands-on design expertise for next-generation unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and all-electric aircraft platforms. In this role, you will lead multidisciplinary design challenges from concept through to integration, manufacturing, and testing.

You will play a central role in delivering innovative aerostructures, integrating advanced payloads, and implementing propulsion systems while maintaining rigorous engineering standards and design-for-excellence principles.

Key Responsibilities

  • CAD Design & Modeling: Lead day-to-day 3D CAD modeling, complex surfacing, assembly management, detailed drafting, and Bill of Materials (BOM) creation using SolidWorks.
  • Aerostructural Integration: Design, evaluate, and optimize core airframe structures, including fuselages, wings, landing gear, and internal structural framing.
  • Engineering Analysis: Conduct first-pass FEA (structural/stress) and CFD (aerodynamic) studies within integrated CAD suites to validate concepts prior to detailed design.
  • Propulsion & Payload Integration: Integrate all-electric propulsion systems (including eVTOL architectures) and mission payloads, assessing impacts on overall aircraft performance and weight distribution.
  • Prototyping & Manufacturing Selection: Identify appropriate manufacturing processes and materials for metallic structures and developmental composite components (including wet-layup techniques).
  • Design Standards & Quality (DFX): Apply robust design principles including DFM (Manufacturing), DFA (Assembly), DFMA, and cost/quality optimisation. Perform tolerance stack-up analysis utilizing BS 8888 and GD&T standards.
  • Systems Engineering & Safety Documentation: Author technical specifications, CONOPS, DFMEAs, commissioning plans, and technical risk assessments.
  • Technical Work Package Management: Lead specific technical work packages (WPs), managing task allocation, schedules, budgets, dependency identification, and technical risk mitigation.
  • Supplier & Stakeholder Liaison: Act as the primary technical point of contact for key technology suppliers, external partners, and internal multidisciplinary delivery teams.

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Posted: September 19th, 2026