Mechanical Design Engineer

Hours:

37.5 hours

Are you a mechanical engineer who enjoys solving complex engineering problems, applying first‑principles thinking, and seeing your designs tested and validated in the real world?

As a Mechanical Design Engineer at A‑SAFE, you’ll play a key role in delivering robust, high‑quality mechanical solutions across our New Product Development (NPD) portfolio. This is a hands‑on engineering role where your work directly contributes to innovative, safety‑critical products used in industrial environments worldwide.

You’ll work closely with Product Design Engineers, Testing, Manufacturing and Commercial teams to ensure every design is mechanically sound, validated, manufacturable and commercially viable.

• Responsible for delivery of all assigned NPD projects/tasks, ensuring a strong foundation of mechanical principles with demonstrable effectiveness.
• Responding to Mechanical briefs with clear solutions and demonstrable mechanical thinking.
• Contribute actively to NPD projects, completing mechanical tasks as required alongside Product Design Engineers and other team members.
• Execute verification and validation practices, across internal and external assessments, at all stages of the NPD process, to ensure a validated, verified design.
• Collaborate with internal testing partners across mechanical projects, to ensure the effective assessment of mechanical concepts.
• Collaborate with internal and external manufacturing partners to ensure high levels of DFM and DFA at every stage.
• Carry out checks on CAD, drawings, and other deliverable documents to ensure a high level of output.
• Collaborate with commercial teams, to ensure design viability at every stage.
• Collaborate with adjacent A‑SAFE departments to ensure the flow through of project information.
• Communicating progress through periodic project updates, both laterally across the NPD and wider team, and upwards to Head of NPD and R&D Director.
• Observe and communicate project risks, issues and mitigating actions to Head of NPD and R&D Director.
• Mentor, guide and steer other members of the NPD team through professional, contextual and design‑based challenges.
• Represent the values of the NPD team and A‑SAFE in every aspect of work.

• Strong level of technical skill, across all NPD process phases – research, definition, concept generation, concept development, DFM, DFA and preparation for launch, with the ability to lead, and complete tasks at every stage.
• Strong understanding of core mechanical principles – mechanics of solids, materials (polymers) and stress analysis (core principles and via FEA), with ability to communicate and demonstrate principles to others.
• Strong level of capability in core mechanical design practices – CAD (Inventor), concept generation, prototyping, testing, drawing production, DFMEAs.
• Strong understanding of validation methods and practices, through both internal validation and external validation to standards.
• Strong awareness of manufacturing processes and considerations, with strong practical experience, particularly injection moulding, extrusion and processing of polymers, elastomers and metals.
• High level of awareness of commercial factors, with demonstrable understanding of designing to product and project budgets.

• A curious, analytical mindset with a passion for understanding root causes.
• High attention to detail and pride in engineering quality.
• The ability to organise, prioritise and manage multiple mechanical tasks.
• Confidence presenting ideas, explaining design decisions and contributing to technical discussions.
• A collaborative, team‑focused approach, this is not a “work in isolation” role.
• Motivation to see designs through testing, validation and manufacture.

You’ll join a growing, technically strong NPD team where mechanical engineering expertise is valued and encouraged. You’ll work on innovative, safety‑critical products that present real engineering challenges, from materials behaviour and impact performance to manufacturing constraints and validation requirements.

This role offers the opportunity to make a genuine impact, develop your…