Overview

Job title: Mechanical Design Lead
Location: Cowes – Isle of Wight or Broad Oak. Hybrid and flexible working arrangements available. Salary: Up to £85,700 depending on skills and experience.

Part time and accruing hours available. Discuss options with your recruiter. This role focuses on the forefront of real-world demands in the defence industry, balancing operational excellence for existing products with opportunities to develop next‑generation radar products and contribute to strategy for new technology.

What you’ll be doing

• Apply the principles of engineering across the full development lifecycle to develop radar systems used by those who serve and protect us.
• Provide depth and breadth of expert knowledge to apply principles and concepts of systems engineering, ISO 15288, and specialist mechanical engineering expertise to development or problem resolution of complex shipborne structures with integrated sensor configurations.
• Provide technical and business leadership; may lead several engineering teams, including management and potential cost control of team activity.
• Analyse, define, evaluate, plan and deliver solutions to meet programme, business and customer requirements.
• Interface with customers, suppliers and other functions; act as an ambassador for engineering to these groups.
• Assist with development of engineering capability and skills; monitor professional development of engineers to meet future discipline requirements.

Your skills and experiences

• Subject matter expertise in Mechanical Engineering: Structures and Finite Element Analysis (Static and Dynamic Shock and Vibration) or equivalent experience.
• Ability to generate requirements and translate concepts into production-ready designs.
• Experience/knowledge of CAD and Mechanical Engineering Analysis, Modelling and Simulation tools.
• Experience of leading large-scale complex system designs.
• Experience of multiple aspects of an engineering lifecycle and knowledge of lifecycle models (e.g., Waterfall, Agile).
• Higher education (or equivalent experience) in a relevant STEM discipline.
• Achieved Chartered Engineer status or working towards it.

Benefits

Competitive pension scheme plus share plans; extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts. You may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Radar Systems Engineering team

The Mechanical Design Lead is a subject matter expert in Mechanical Engineering, responsible for the conceptual development of future shipborne integrated mast structures designed to house multiple radars, sensors, communications systems and ship services. This role offers opportunities to enhance skills and advance your career within a global business, with support for knowledge growth in contemporary radar techniques and leadership responsibilities.

Working arrangements

You will be able to enjoy flexible and hybrid working arrangements. The Cowes site is accessible from Southampton via regular foot passenger ferry and BAE shuttle service. Working approaches provide flexibility with hours depending on role and location, including part‑time hours and accruing hours with flexible start and finish times to balance work and home life.

Why BAE Systems?

We offer an inclusive culture that values integrity and merit, where you will be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and strive for inclusive recruitment processes.

If you have a health condition or disability that may affect performance in certain assessment types, please discuss potential reasonable adjustments with your recruiter. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified people and from BAE Systems employees who have been in their current role for 12 months or longer. Some roles require security and export control checks.

All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles require higher levels of Security Vetting, typically with 5 to 10 years of continuous service in the UK depending on the vetting level required.

Closing date

Closing Date: 24 September 2025. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications. Please submit your application as early as possible.