Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Senior Mechanical Design EngineerPermanent | Oxfordshire | Full-time | Hybrid (primarily onsite)Please note: No visa sponsorship is available for this position.A growing engineering business is looking for a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to join its product development team, working on rugged industrial equipment designed for real-world deployment.This is a hands-on, onsite-focused role with genuine ownership-supporting design from early concepts through to detailed design, prototype build, test and production release.The roleYou'll sit within the mechanical engineering team and take responsibility for delivering high-quality mechanical design across a range of industrial products and assemblies.Working closely with manufacturing, testing and suppliers, you'll produce robust designs, drawings and documentation to support safe, manufacturable, low-volume production.What you'll be doingProducing detailed mechanical designs, 3D models and engineering drawings using SolidWorks, CATIA or similarCreating and maintaining BOMs, technical documentation and engineering recordsOwning design packages from concept → prototype → test → production releaseApplying DFM/DFA principles to improve manufacturability and qualitySupporting design reviews, engineering risk assessments and FMEA activitiesSolving mechanical engineering challenges around structural integrity, thermal management, sealing and assemblySupporting prototype builds, test and validation activityWorking closely with suppliers and cross-functional engineering teamsSupporting commissioning, installation and field deployment where requiredContributing to continuous improvement of engineering standards, templates and processesRequired background (must-have)Strong experience with heavy-gauge sheet metal design and construction welding environmentsUnderstanding of brake press work, bending constraints, bend relief, and the realities of low-volume productionA practical, hands-on approach: able to work independently, take clear notes, ask constructive questions, and get on with the workNote: Automotive body-in-white experience using heavy press tooling is less relevant for this roleWhat we're looking forDegree-qualified Mechanical Engineer (BEng/MEng) or equivalent practical experienceStrong mechanical design / product development backgroundStrong CAD capability (SolidWorks, CATIA or equivalent)Experience producing detailed engineering drawings, assembly models and BOMsSolid understanding of fabrication, machining and manufacturing processesFamiliarity with engineering change control and document management processesStrong problem-solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities