Senior/Principal Mechanical Engineer

Job Description:

Salary Range: 

Senior Engineer £44,171 - £56,000

Principal Engineer £53,269 - £62,000 

Where this vacancy is being recruited across more than one grade, the successful candidate will be appointed to a specific assessed grade, and the applicable salary range will be that associated with the grade of appointment.

Leonardo UK operates a grade-based salary framework with broad bands. The salary range shown reflects the approved grade band for this role, or a narrower hiring range published within that band, and is benchmarked against the external market. Exceptions above the standard range are managed through governance controls to protect internal equity.

Your impact

Leonardo is a global leader in defence electronics and delivers systems for situational awareness, electronic defence and surveillance across land, sea and air. The Radar and Advanced Targeting line of business is uniquely positioned as one of the world's top designers, developers and manufacturers of radars, lasers and infrared countermeasure systems.

At Edinburgh, we have an opportunity for Senior and Principal Mechanical Engineers to join our team, where your role will be to design, develop and support our world leading radar products. You will be utilising state-of-the-art methods, technology and tools to explore all aspects of the development lifecycle, including stress and thermal analysis, requirements analysis, design, implementation, test, build and production support. You will interface with customers (internal and external) on many factors within the design and liaise closely with Engineers from other disciplines, particularly Systems and Electronics. You will have the opportunity to develop your skills and undertake training to enhance your capability within your role.

What you’ll bring

• Design innovative, optimised engineering solutions taking into account all requirements such as product quality, safety, reliability and testability.
• Perform detailed mechanical design and development using 3D CAD software.
• Deliver design solutions against requirements, within budget and timescales.
• Mentor, develop and coach engineers in terms of technical knowledge and soft skills.
• Provide technical direction/support on critical business programmes to ensure delivery of mechanical engineering excellence.
• Present or support robust engineering solutions at design and peer reviews to ensure technical accuracy of specifications, designs and reports.
• Producing Manufacturing Data packs with appropriate use of GD&T.
• Actively contribute to Work Package delivery elements to achieve desired Quality, Schedule and Cost.
• Continue professional development throughout your career by formal training and keeping up to date with the latest developments, which may aid performance.

Essential Skills, Qualifications and Experience for Senior Mechanical Engineer:

• Hold a degree in Mechanical Engineering (or a related discipline), or possess equivalent relevant professional experience, where you have undertaken Mechanical design activity through the product lifecycle.
• Hold Incorporated or Chartered Engineer status with the IMechE (or equivalent professional body), or be able to demonstrate the experience and UK-SPEC competencies required to achieve professional registration.
• Experience in the design of systems for highly regulated industries and for harsh environments, including but not limited to shock, vibration and temperature.
• Demonstrable proficiency in 3D CAD software (PTC Creo preferred), including modelling and drawing creation.
• Experience using ERP and PDM systems for configuration management and revision control (Teamcenter Unified preferred).
• Have the ability to perform first pass analysis with FEA and interpret Structural and Thermal analysis data.

Additional Essential Skills, Qualifications and Experience for Principal Mechanical Engineer:

• Demonstrable experience leading and directing Mechanical design activity throughout the product lifecycle, including technical leadership of teams, projects and/or line management responsibilities. Experience in reviewing and approving the release of Mechanical designs and data packs in accordance with business and industry standards.
• Experience working within multi-disciplinary teams to deliver solutions that meet customer requirements and programme objectives.
• Experience managing engineering work packages and supporting product lifecycle activities, including planning, delivery and risk management.
• Experience mentoring, coaching and developing engineers at different stages of their careers.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with experience of presenting at design reviews.
• Be a Chartered Engineer with the IMechE or equivalent, or alternatively possess and be able to demonstrate that you have the required experience and UK-SPEC competencies necessary to obtain professional registration at Chartered level.

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

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Primary Location:

GB - Edinburgh

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid