Job Specification: Senior Principal Design Standards Engineer
The Senior Principle Design Standards Engineer is a senior technical and leadership role within the engineering team, responsible for defining, maintaining, and improving design standards across mechanical and multidisciplinary projects. This role ensures that all designs—from concept through construction and operation—meet regulatory British standard requirements, additional industry standards, and best engineering practices, while supporting sustainable, low‑carbon, and energy‑efficient solutions.
A key focus of this role is mentoring, upskilling, and training engineering staff, particularly in structural design standards and best practices, ensuring the team develops the capability to deliver high‑quality, compliant, and innovative designs. The role combines technical authority with leadership, driving design excellence, standardisation, and professional growth within the engineering function.
1. Position Overview
2. Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development, implementation, and enforcement of design standards, technical guidelines, and best practices across mechanical and structural engineering projects.
- Provide senior technical leadership from concept design through construction and operational handover, ensuring all outputs meet quality, regulatory, and safety requirements.
- Conduct feasibility studies, conceptual design appraisals, and structural/stress analysis to validate engineering solutions.
- Oversee technical deliverables, ensuring compliance with APQP processes (Requirements, Process Flow, DFMEA, Design for Manufacture, Control Plans) and internal quality frameworks.
- Drive standardisation, modularisation, and repeatable design solutions to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance manufacturability.
- Continuously update and integrate manufacturing capabilities, tolerances, and process improvements into the design workflow.
- Research emerging engineering practices, technologies, and materials to identify opportunities for design optimisation and innovation.
- Upskill and mentor engineering staff, providing structured training in structural design standards, compliance, and best practices.
- Lead workshops, technical training sessions, and review forums to build team capability, improve design quality, and embed a culture of engineering excellence.
- Act as a subject matter expert in design reviews, audits, and project risk assessments, providing clear, evidence‑based recommendations.
- Ensure all designs are sustainable, energy‑efficient, and aligned with organisational objectives for low‑carbon engineering solutions.
3. Scope of Work
- Review, validate, and approve mechanical and structural design deliverables, including technical drawings, CAD models, and Bills of Materials (BOMs).
- Lead cross‑functional technical workshops and design review sessions to align project teams on standards, compliance and design intent.
- Maintain documentation of design standards, revisions, and lessons learned for continuous process improvement.
- Collaborate with manufacturing, quality and procurement teams to ensure designs are fully feasible, cost‑effective and manufacturable.
- Ensure that all design processes meet internal quality gates and applicable external standards, including ISO, ASME, BIM, ATEX & BS1090 and local regulatory requirements.
- Provide technical input for APQP processes, including DFMEA, control plans and process capability analyses.
- Deliver structured training and development programmes for engineers on structural design, standards compliance, and best practices.
- Standardised, verified, and compliant mechanical and structural designs ready for production or construction.
- Comprehensive documentation of design decisions, analysis results, and standardisation efforts.
- Reports summarising compliance with design standards, quality gates and regulatory requirements.
- Recommendations for continuous improvement in design methodology, tools and standards.
- Development and training plans for engineering staff, with measurable improvements in skills and technical competence.
- Logs and records of lessons learned and technical guidance shared across the team.
5. Required Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering; Chartered Engineer (CEng) status preferred.
- Extensive experience in detailed mechanical and structural design across concept, development and operational phases.
- Proven track record of leading design teams, mentoring engineers and implementing engineering standards.
- Strong foundation in APQP processes, including DFMEA, Design for Manufacture, Control Plans and process flow development.
- Demonstrated experience in feasibility studies, structural analysis and stress calculations.
- Deep understanding of manufacturing capabilities, tolerances and industry‑standard design practices.
- Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., AutoCAD 2D/3D, SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, CATIA, Creo or equivalent) and associated engineering analysis tools.
- Knowledge of relevant regulations, codes and standards, with the ability to ensure compliance without limiting innovation.
- Wimes and Water company specifications would be advantageous.
- Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy and technical rigor.
- Advanced analytical, problem‑solving and decision‑making skills.
- Ability to influence teams, lead standardisation and build capability through mentoring and training.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, capable of working across disciplines and senior stakeholders.
- Strategic thinking and vision for integrating sustainability and energy efficiency into design solutions.
- Organised, methodical approach with the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously.
- Commitment to fostering a culture of learning, professional growth and engineering excellence.
7. Communication & Reporting
- Provide regular technical updates and progress reports to the Engineering Director or Technical Management.
- Maintain detailed records of design approvals, revisions, lessons learned and training activities for audit and knowledge management purposes.
- Lead and participate in cross‑functional design reviews, workshops and technical meetings.
- Ensure all reports, presentations and documentation adhere to company templates, branding and quality standards.
8. Performance & Evaluation
- Performance will be assessed based on the quality, compliance and timeliness of design deliverables.
- Leadership effectiveness measured by team development, adoption of standards and process improvements.
- Impact on team capability through training, mentoring and upskilling will form a key part of evaluation.
- Continuous feedback provided to ensure alignment with strategic objectives, engineering excellence and innovation goals.
- Unsatisfactory performance, failure to meet standards or breaches of process may result in remedial action or termination.
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