Principle Mechanical Design Engineer

Job content

Orbex are looking for a Principle Mechanical Design Engineer to lead a small team of design engineers while taking an active part in the design and development of mechanical and structural components for the Orbex Prime launch vehicle and its supporting ground segment equipment. As a Principle Engineer you will have significant responsibility for the technical delivery of the work streams owned by you and your team, supporting more junior engineers and playing a key, decision-making role in our technical development and technical arbitration.

You will be working primarily on design and development tasks for metallic and composite components from concept, through preliminary design and GD&T. You will work alongside our expert designers, analysts, manufacturing engineers and production team to deliver complete, flight-qualified components, all manufactured, tested and integrated in-house.

Orbex

Orbex is a leading micro-launch company with our Prime vehicle being prepared to launch from our home spaceport, Space Hub Sutherland. We are well placed to be one of the first operational micro-launch companies in Europe with over €85m of project financing secured, a number of customers signed up, our launch licence application submitted, and backing from organisations including UKSA and ESA.

We are a rapidly growing company with staff located between our production and test facilities in Forres, Scotland and Copenhagen, Denmark. Working on cutting-edge advances in rocket fuel technology, Prime’s carbon footprint is up to 96% lower than comparable vehicles, leading to innovations in propulsion and tank structures. A state-of-the-art re-flight system means we can recover and reuse our technology, and innovations in separation mechanisms mean we leave no debris in space.

Having developed in-house production capability, we can 3D print complex engines, produce full-scale carbon composite fuel tanks, and have avionics and software testing labs in both Scotland and Denmark. Based in Forres, you will be right in the heart of this fast-paced cutting-edge company, gaining a unique insight into what it takes to build a new launch vehicle for a buoyant commercial market.

The Position

Responsibilities

The position includes the following tasks and responsibilities:

• Design structural and mechanical components and assemblies of both the launch vehicle and its supporting ground segment equipment, including assembly and test fixtures. You will be doing detailed designs across a range of work packages, from the detailed design of bolts and fasteners to more complex primary and secondary flight structures.
• Provide hands-on engineering support to hardware prototype development and test,
• Managing multiple tasks and work packages in parallel with leading a small team of engineers and supporting the head of structures in leading the department.
• Support and collaborate with analysis and manufacturing across the product development lifecycle, owing products through an iterative design process.
• Although an appreciation of analysis and its underpinning principles would be beneficial, this role is focused on design

KeyQualifications and Experience

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in an Aerospace/Mechanical or another related engineering fields.
• Strong engineering intuition with an ability to recognise factors that are driving the performance of a design.
• Proven track record for delivery spanning the whole development lifecycle including, requirements capture, concept, detail design, design for manufacture (DFM), production and verification.
• Strong organisation skills, adaptable, and able to work under pressure to tight timescales across multiple concurrent workstreams
• Proficient in the use of CAD (SOLIDWORKS, CATIA, NX) and in the generation of technical and production drawings in accordance with relevant standards.
• Proactive and strong team player with excellent communication skills able to communicate with multi-disciplined and international teams.

Essential Experience:

• At least 10+ years’ experience in engineering design, ideally of high-performance or flight-critical components.
• Demonstrated experience across the full lifecycle of mechanical engineering developments.
• Working knowledge of aerospace and industrial engineering materials and their properties
• Significant experience of design and related tools, with the ability to run CAD but also to understand the underpinning maths.
• Solid understanding and application of GD&T.
• Deep understanding of composite materials and their associated manufacturing processes

Desirable Experience:

• Understanding of kinematics and derived tolerance specification.
• Familiarity with metallurgy, material selection and material coatings for space applications.
• Familiarity with spacecraft structural loads (quasi-static loads, random vibration, shock, thermo-mechanical).
• Working knowledge of structural sizing approaches by hand calculation and/or FEA
• Experience with mechanical and materials testing
• Experience with cryogenic fluids
• Familiarity with industry standards and references (e.g. MIL-HDBK-5/17, ECSS-E-HB-32, NASA-STD-5001, GSFC-STD-7000).
• Knowledge of mechanical components (e.g. bearings, shafts, transmissions, sealings).
• Proactive problem-solving skills such as failure analysis and root cause investigation.

Personality

Orbex is a high-paced, startup culture where you will be encouraged to take assume responsibility for tasks and see them through.

It is imperative that you take initiative, communicate openly and can collaborate with technical and non technical team members.

You must be able to thrive in an international, diverse and multicultural environment.

Location

This role is based in Forres at Orbex’s headquarters.

Orbex Forres is located at the foot of the Scottish Highlands, near Inverness. It’s close to the spectacular coastline, wild beaches and amazing wildlife of the Moray Firth, as well as being a short distance from the world famous Loch Ness, and Aviemore ski resort.

If you enjoy adventurous outdoor pursuits in extraordinary natural environments, the coast and highlands around Forres offer an ideal location.

Mountaineering, rock climbing, abseiling, hiking, mountain biking, cycling, camping, sailing, surfing, motorbiking and skiing are all within easy reach of our main UK factory, and many members of our team participate in adventure sports in the vast, beautiful settings of Sutherland.

If you enjoy drone flying, wildlife or landscape photography, some of the most spectacular vistas in the world are directly at your doorstep.

Security

You must be a UK or European citizen or from a country that is a signatory to the MTCR convention. You may be required to undergo a UK BPSS check which includes a criminal record check.

Benefits

For the right candidate, we offer an excellent benefits package that includes:-

• Competitive salary
• An equity stake in the company so you will really benefit from your hard work as the company grows and is successful.
• Our roles need to be on-site in Scotland due to the nature of the position, export controls and security, but we are happy to sponsor visas for you and your family and provide relocation assistance as required.
• Company Cycle to Work scheme