Principal Thermal Mechanical Engineer (Radar / Defence)
Location: Cowes (Isle of Wight)
Duration: 6 Months
IR35 Status: Inside IR35
Working Pattern: 3 days onsite (full-time onsite for initial weeks)
Security Clearance: BPSS required (SC in progress)
Compliance: Subject to ITAR
Overview
We are seeking a Principal Thermal Mechanical Engineer with expertise in thermal management, heat transfer, and complex mechanical systems to support the development of advanced radar technologies within the defence sector.
This is a senior-level contract role suited to a mechanical engineering subject matter expert (SME) with strong experience across the full engineering lifecycle, including design, analysis, build, integration and test of high-performance systems.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead thermal mechanical engineering activities across radar programmes
- Design and develop thermal management systems, including heat exchangers and cooling solutions
- Provide technical leadership and mentoring to mechanical and CAD engineers
- Deliver solutions across the full engineering lifecycle (requirements to in-service support)
- Conduct and review CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and FEA (Finite Element Analysis)
- Support system integration, verification and testing of complex mechanical assemblies
- Perform design reviews, risk assessments and technical evaluations
- Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders including Project Managers and Technical Authorities
- Ensure compliance with engineering standards, processes and best practice
- Strong background in thermal mechanical engineering within defence, aerospace or complex engineering environments
- Proven experience designing and implementing thermal management systems and heat exchangers
- Experience across the engineering lifecycle (V-model or equivalent)
- Expertise in mechanical design, analysis and complex problem solving
- Experience leading or mentoring engineering teams or technical workstreams
- Experience with CFD, FEA and fluid/thermal simulation tools (1D/3D)
- Knowledge of composite materials and structural design
- Familiarity with engineering standards and regulated environments
- Chartered Engineer (CEng) status or working towards
Why Apply?
- Work on cutting-edge radar and defence systems
- Opportunity to act as a technical authority and SME
- High-impact role within a complex engineering programme
- Competitive contract rate with hybrid flexibility
Additional Information
This role is subject to security and export control restrictions, including ITAR compliance.
Candidates must be eligible for BPSS clearance, with Security Clearance (SC) in progress or obtainable.
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