Senior Design Engineer

Senior Design Engineer

While professional experience and qualifications are key for this role, make sure to check you have the preferable soft skills before applying if required.
Location: Southampton hybrid, 3 days per week on-site
Salary: £60-65K+ plus excellent benefits package. More may be available for the right candidate.
Travel: This role requires travel to a manufacturing plant in China estimated at around 1 week per quarter plus supplier visits. All travel is planned in advance.
A relocation package and Visa/Sponsorship support is available for this role if required.
About the Opportunity
Our client is a fast-growing maritime technology business developing wind-assisted propulsion systems that help reduce fuel consumption and emissions across global shipping.
They are now looking to appoint a Senior Design Engineer to join their growing engineering team. This is a hands-on role with broad involvement across the design lifecycle, from concept development through to detailed design , manufacturing release , and operational hardware.
Working closely with the Head of Engineering , you will take ownership of key subsystems, helping to deliver designs that are robust, manufacturable, cost-effective, and ready for production . This is an excellent opportunity to join a mission-driven business developing real climate-impact technology in a highly innovative environment.
Key Requirements
We are looking for an experienced Mechanical / Structural / Marine Engineer with strong expertise in mechanical design for production , manufacturability , and subsystem delivery in a demanding engineering environment. Youwillbeabletoevidence hands-on manufacturing experience and be confident in providing real-world feedback and learnings with natural "intuition".
You should bring:
Degree qualification in Mechanical, Structural, or Marine Engineering
Around 5-10 years hands-on experience designing mechanical systems in a production environment
Proven ability to deliver designs from concept through to production within marine, wind, offshore , or similar sectors
Strong proficiency in Siemens NX, Inventor , or equivalent 3D CAD tools
Experience working with fabrication, welding, or large structural assemblies
Strong understanding of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) principles
Proven experience driving cost reduction and improving manufacturability
Comfortable working in a fast-moving, high-accountability environment
Experience with class or certification requirements , such as DNV or LR
Whilst not essential, full or partial fluency in Mandarin would be of particular interest
Desirable experience includes:
Knowledge of structural testing, validation, and manufacturing techniques
You will also bring:
Strong practical engineering judgement
High attention to detail
The ability to balance creative design with engineering rigour
A proactive, curious, and improvement-focused mindset
The confidence to thrive in a startup-style engineering environment
Role & Responsibilities
As Senior Design Engineer , you will own the design and delivery of assigned subsystems, ensuring they are manufacturable, production-ready, and aligned with performance, cost, and delivery requirements.
Responsibilities will include:
Owning the mechanical design and delivery of subsystems from concept through to manufacturing release
Producing 3D models , manufacturing drawings , and supporting calculations
Owning manufacturability and production readiness of assigned subsystems
Applying manufacturing knowledge to improve design standards , manufacturability , and cost
Leading rapid resolution of design issues arising from manufacturing and supplier feedback
Owning the engineering interface with international suppliers , ensuring timely progress toward delivery
Guiding and reviewing work from more junior engineers to support quality and delivery
Championing high standards of engineering integrity , safety , and sustainability
Why Join? xwzovoh
This is a rare opportunity to join a business developing real-world clean technology for the global shipping market.
You will benefit from:
Working on real climate-impact hardware
High levels of ownership within a small engineering team
Broad exposure from concept through to production
The opportunity to grow with the business as the technology scales
A collaborative, innovative, and mission-led environment