Senior Mechanical Engineer

Senior Mechanical Engineer Silent Sentinel

Location: Ware, Hertfordshire, with occasional travel to Sandy, Bedfordshire
Contract: 2-month contract initially, with potential to extend until a permanent appointment is made and potential for contract-to-permanent conversion
IR35 Status: Inside IR35
Start Date: ASAP ideally immediately, although a 2-week notice period can be accommodated

About the Role

Motorola Solutions is looking for an experienced Senior Mechanical Engineer to join the Silent Sentinel team and support the development and delivery of ongoing engineering projects.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on mechanical engineer who is comfortable working autonomously while collaborating closely with engineering, manufacturing, production, quality and external suppliers.

The successful candidate will play a key role in designing and developing long-range surveillance systems, with a particular focus on mechanical enclosures, mechanisms and components designed to operate reliably in demanding environments.

Experience from a range of engineering industries will be considered, with transferable mechanical design and manufacturing experience highly relevant to the role.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical enclosures, components and mechanisms for long-range surveillance systems.
• Design products suitable for harsh operating environments, including temperatures down to -40C, marine conditions and applications requiring compliance with relevant MIL-STD requirements.
• Create detailed 3D models, assemblies and mechanisms using SolidWorks.
• Produce accurate, production-quality 2D technical drawings, fabrication drawings, assembly drawings and Bills of Materials (BoMs).
• Create clear build guides and supporting documentation for production, manufacturing and quality teams.
• Design components and assemblies for manufacture and assembly (DFMA).
• Work with a variety of materials and manufacturing processes, including machining, 3D printing, laser cutting, folding and fabrication.
• Collaborate with the internal machine shop in Sandy and external suppliers to deliver engineering objectives.
• Develop specifications, prototypes and mechanical test fixtures.
• Carry out mechanical testing and verification of components and products, documenting results and producing reports.
• Conduct design and drawing reviews to ensure high-quality engineering output.
• Review drawings and documentation prior to release for manufacture.
• Support troubleshooting and engineering investigations during prototype testing and production.
• Identify and implement design improvements through the Engineering Change Request (ECR) process.
• Estimate the engineering effort required to complete proposed tasks.
• Communicate effectively with other engineering disciplines to ensure mechanical designs meet wider product requirements.
• Support other engineering teams and disciplines in achieving project objectives.
• Justify design decisions through appropriate calculations, analysis and written technical documentation.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in mechanical engineering and mechanical product design.
• Strong experience using SolidWorks, including:

• 3D modelling
• Assembly design
• 2D technical drawings
• Bills of Materials

Strong understanding of materials, material properties and manufacturing techniques.Knowledge of plating, coatings and fasteners.Experience designing for manufacture and assembly (DFMA).Ability to produce clear, accurate and detailed technical documentation.Understanding of mechanical testing, verification and product development.Ability to inspect and critically review engineering drawings before release.A pragmatic and methodical approach to engineering problem-solving.Excellent written and verbal communication skills.Ability to work independently, take ownership of tasks and seek support when required.Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary engineering team.Fluent written and spoken English.Ability to travel between Ware and Sandy at short notice.

Desirable Experience

• Experience designing products for harsh or challenging environments.
• Familiarity with IP ratings, particularly methods of achieving IP67 protection.
• Experience designing and conducting tests to verify mechanical performance and product quality.
• Experience with FEA and/or thermal simulation.
• Experience working with military, defence, surveillance, aerospace, automotive, industrial, marine or other highly engineered products.
• Experience producing ergonomic and aesthetically considered mechanical designs.
• Experience working with internal manufacturing teams and external suppliers.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate will be a self-motivated, detail-oriented mechanical engineer who can take ownership of designs from concept through to prototype, testing and production.

You should be comfortable making practical engineering decisions, working with manufacturing teams and suppliers, and producing documentation that can be understood and used independently by production and quality teams.

Attention to detail is particularly important, both when reviewing drawings and when testing prototypes or supporting production troubleshooting.

Candidates invited to interview should be prepared to demonstrate a basic portfolio of relevant mechanical design work.

Contract Details

• Initial contract: 2 months
• Extension: Potential to extend while a permanent appointment is identified
• Permanent opportunity: Potential for the contract to transition into a permanent position
• IR35: Inside IR35
• Start: ASAP, ideally immediately
• Notice period: Up to 2 weeks can be accommodated
• Location: Ware, Hertfordshire, with travel to the Sandy machine shop as required

£270 a day.