Job Title:  Principal Mechanical Engineer

Package:  Competitive Salary + Benefits

Role ID:    SF20278

Are you ready to be part of the future? At QinetiQ, we’re not just imagining tomorrow we are creating it. From cutting-edge defence technology to ground-breaking innovations our mission is to empower and protect lives. Join us as a Principal Mechanical Engineer at our Gosport site, where you will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology in partnership with some of the most brilliant minds.

The Role
As a Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will lead the delivery of engineering workstreams while providing technical direction and mentorship across teams. You will be instrumental in ensuring that engineering solutions are robust, innovative, and delivered to the highest standards.

Day-to-day, you will combine technical excellence, leadership, and mentoring to guide a multidisciplined team and ensure the successful delivery of high-profile, multi-year projects.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Lead and coordinate a multidisciplinary engineering team, ensuring delivery to scope, schedule, and budget while maintaining technical excellence
• Provide technical engineering expertise across design, analysis, and development activities, ensuring alignment with industry standards and best practices
• Act as a mentor and coach to engineers at all levels, fostering professional development and strengthening team capability
• Own and deliver complex work packages, overseeing design reviews, documentation, and engineering outputs to ensure quality and compliance
• Work closely with cross-functional teams and external stakeholders to develop integrated engineering solutions and support business growth initiatives
• Ensure engineering governance is applied consistently, acting as a technical reviewer for key programmes and maintaining adherence to recognised standards

Essential experience of the Principal Mechanical Engineer:

• Proven experience in a senior mechanical engineering role, including leading teams
• Strong background in mechanical design and engineering analysis, ideally within regulated or complex environments (e.g., maritime, defence, energy, or infrastructure)
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor and develop engineers, building high-performing teams
• Solid understanding of engineering standards, codes of practice, and design governance
• Experience managing delivery of engineering projects or programmes
• Proficiency with CAD tools and engineering analysis methods

Essential qualifications for the Principal Mechanical Engineer:

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering (BEng/MEng) or equivalent experience

We value difference and we don’t have a fixed idea when it comes to background or education, provided you can show the required level of experience and willingness to learn then we would like to hear from you. 

This role is 37 per week based at Haslar. Hybrid working patterns are available.

Haslar

Our facilities at the Haslar Marine Technology Park are state-of-the-art, including our ocean basin rotating arm, and marine towing tank, offering an unparalleled environment for testing and refining designs. Our marine technology offers our global customers a service to deliver constrained hydrodynamic model tests of surface ships, submarines, offshore structures, and renewable energy devices.

Why Join QinetiQ?

As we continue to grow into new markets around the world, there’s never been a more exciting time to join QinetiQ. The formula for success is our appetite for innovation and having the courage to take on a wide variety of complex challenges.

As a QinetiQ employee, you’ll experience a unique working environment where teams from different backgrounds, disciplines and experiences enjoy collaborating widely and openly as we undertake this exciting and rewarding journey. Through effective teamwork, and pulling together, you’ll get to experience what happens when we all share different perspectives, blend disciplines, and link technologies; constantly discovering new ways of solving complex problems in a diverse and inclusive environment where you can be authentic, feel valued and realise your full potential. Visit our website to read more about our diverse and inclusive workplace culture. www.qinetiq.com/en/careers/life-at-qinetiq

Our Benefits

• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Generous holiday allowance, with the option to purchase additional days
• Options to join Health Cash Plan, Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance
• Employee discount portal: Personal Accident Insurance, Travel Insurance, Restaurants, Cinema Tickets and much more
• We are proud to support the Armed Forces community by honouring the Armed Forces Covenant and maintaining our Gold Award standard in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme
• Volunteering Opportunities - helping charities and local community

Our Recruitment Process:

We want to make sure that our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible and we aspire to bring out the best in our candidates by creating an environment where everyone feels valued, heard and supported.  If you have a disability or health condition that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your Recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Many roles in QinetiQ are subject to national security vetting being completed, applicants who already hold the appropriate level of vetting may be able to transfer it upon appointment. A number of roles are also subject to additional restrictions, which means factors such as nationality or previous nationalities may affect the roles that you can be employed in.

Please note that all applicants for this role must be eligible for SC clearance, as a minimum.

UKSV National Security Vetting Solution: guidance for applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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