Principal Mechanical Engineer

We're looking for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the design and development of world-leading electro-optical products used in autonomous tracking and drone interception systems.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys solving complex mechanical challenges with creativity, rigour and teamwork. You’ll take ownership across the full product lifecycle - from initial concepts and CAD modelling to verification, testing and iteration - working closely with our electronics and software teams to bring new products to life.

OpenWorks is a rapidly growing business operating globally with a passion for exceptional engineering and building on a legacy of defence innovation in the North East of England.

Our products provide ultra-high performance, real-time detection, tracking, identification and targeting of dynamic aerial threats. They have been deployed internationally to protect high profile military and civilian assets, and contribute towards the defeat of nuisance, misguided and maliciously deployed drones during operations.

We are very proud to have supported a wide range of law enforcement and military operators, protecting many of the most high profile sites and individuals around the world.

The amazing things we do are only possible because of a dedicated and passionate team.

We're afraid we're unable to sponsor a visa for this post.

Our benefits:

• Salary from £70k depending upon experience
• Flexible working options available. We recognise the commitment and care of our team in making OpenWorks the success that it is and understand that life and work don’t always fit neatly into set hours so we're happy to consider flexible working arrangements
• Relocation package available (within UK only)
• Performance related bonus
• 25 days holiday plus public holidays (+ long-service bonus days)
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Free breakfast and a free freshly cooked lunch served daily by Chef Mark and his team
• Private health care insurance
• Death in service cover to protect those close to you
• EV car scheme
• Pension scheme (matched employer contribution)
• Social fund for team gatherings
• Free eye tests and £75 towards a pair of glasses per prescription change​
• A high-energy and agile work environment, based in the beautiful Northumberland countryside
• A positive company culture - we enable change, encourage challenge and demonstrate commitment

What you’ll be doing:

In your first few months with us, your priorities will include becoming fluent with Autodesk Inventor and our internal design practices, building strong working relationships across the wider engineering team and developing a solid understanding of the Defence Standards relevant to the testing and verification of our products.

• Lead the design, development, verification and implementation of technically innovative and commercially competitive new products

• Take ownership of the maintenance and improvement of existing products to enhance quality, improve production efficiency and reduce costs

• Produce and maintain high-quality technical documentation, including CAD drawings, design calculations, BOMs, costing data and test reports

• Mentor and support other mechanical engineers, helping to grow skills and uphold engineering best practice across the team

• Set and monitor engineering standards, ensuring consistent processes and high-quality output across projects

• Attend and contribute to design reviews across the full product portfolio

• Multi-task effectively, balancing your own design and development work with supporting others and reviewing wider project work

• Quickly develop fluency in Autodesk Inventor and OpenWorks’ design and documentation practices

What we’re looking for:

• A 2:1 or higher degree in Mechanical Engineering

• Significant professional experience in product design and development, ideally in a complex, high-spec environment

• Expertise in 3D CAD (preferably Autodesk Inventor) and FEA (ideally Ansys)

• Excellent attention to detail

• Skilled in creative problem solving and structured engineering processes

• Able to manage time effectively and work autonomously

• Comfortable mentoring others and contributing to a positive, collaborative engineering environment

• Strong self-awareness and adaptable to fast-changing R&D demands

• Experience working to tight deadlines and budgets with a proven track record of delivering results

What you’ll get:

• Take on exciting engineering challenges: work on some pretty cool products with real-world impact.
• Make a real leadership impact: go beyond technical delivery. Mentor others, shape design culture and champion best practices across the mechanical engineering function.
• Bring your designs to life: see the direct results of your work as your concepts move from CAD models to fully tested, operational systems.
• Work as part of a cross-functional team: collaborate closely with talented engineers across electronics, software and systems disciplines to create truly integrated solutions.

As a small, fast growing company (with approx 70 people), we offer the opportunity for a professional to have autonomy and responsibility. You’ll directly see the impact of your efforts.

More about us:

Vision

Help protect the territory and airspace of NATO countries and their allies.

Mission

Be a world-leading provider of autonomous technology for Surveillance applications and Defence

Values

Be a Good Egg: Earn respect, have mutual trust and be honest

Do cool stuff: We develop cool tech with an awesome team, and we get stuff done

Be empowered: We are autonomous, reliable and take personal responsibility

We are one team: Look out for each other and the team

Things go wrong: Fail fast, learn and move on

Have fun: We’re doing amazing things with passionate people

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may close the role early due to high volumes of applications.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK, as we are not able to provide visa sponsorship.