Senior Mechanical Design Engineers

What if you could work with remarkable people on extraordinary things? What if the end result was something a little bit special? What if your role was mission critical?
For nearly 70 years, AWE has been at the forefront of nuclear weapons research and development. We have a critical mission: to provide the warheads for the UK’s ultimate deterrent - Trident. We also use our unique skills to provide wider UK government with counter-terrorism and nuclear threat reduction solutions.
It takes a special sort of person to work at AWE. What if that person was you?
AWE is currently looking for Senior Mechanical Design Engineers to contribute to the delivery of the Test and Trials Technology Centre. The successful candidates will directly contribute to the unique and extraordinary challenges of the Technology Centre, delivering the design and development of equipment for our world-leading test facilities and the experiments conducted with them.
Location: Aldermaston, Berkshire (on-site)
These are on-site, predominantly office-based roles with very limited scope for working from home
Package : £52,100 - £71,100 pa (depending on your suitability and level of experience)
Closing Date: 23rd January 2024
The Role?
The Test and Trials Technology Centre design, build, test and, substantiate the safety and effectiveness of the UK’s nuclear deterrent maintaining the Continuous At Sea Deterrent through pioneering science and computational methods. The successful candidates will directly contribute to the design and development of facility systems and equipment required for experiments. We are currently recruiting for several roles across the Technology Centre; a brief summary of the recruiting facilities is shown below.
Orion - Orion is our twelve-beam petawatt laser facility delivering high-energy plasma-physics experiments. To successfully operate the facility our engineer’s control and maintain a variety of bespoke mechanisms and structures, in vacuum and free-space, to the exacting tolerances required by optical systems.
Environmental Test Delivery Unit - ETDU operate a comprehensive range of mechanical test equipment and conduct environmental tests both on and offsite. These include Electrodynamic Shaker Systems, Drop Towers, Centrifuges, Climatic Trials and other tests. These trials allow us to simulate real worlds environments and gather valuable data to support computer-based analysis and contribute to future designs.
Hydrodynamics Delivery Unit - HDU- delivering explosively driven experiments required to verify computational models and in service systems. In our specially designed firing chambers, we field explosive trials to provide supporting evidence to current and future weapons programmes alongside managing and develop our high-pressure containment vessel used for toxic experiments. Data is recorded by a variety of advanced diagnostics, such as pulsed power X-Ray machines, high-power lasers, and high-speed cameras.
What will you be responsible for?

• All aspects of delivery - contributing to the conceptual design, detail design, manufacture, assembly, and test of equipment.
• Lead and deliver to the production and delivery of technical documents, reports, and presentations including specifications, design reviews, operational documents, and validation evidence for the engineering solutions.
• Identifying and driving opportunities for cost savings, efficiency, and business improvement.
• Management and support of Engineers in scoping, planning, and estimating future activities.
• Championing development of current and new technologies or capabilities.

What will you need to be considered? (Essential)

• An HNC/HND or Degree in Engineering (Mechanical / Aerospace / Automotive).
• Significant practical engineering experience, ideally combined with the use and knowledge of machine tools.
• In depth knowledge of mechanical engineering theory and practice, with a board knowledge of engineering design and manufacture.
• A good knowledge and experience of Project Management and delivery to Quality, Time, and Cost.
• Professional Registration with relevant Professional Body or willingness to pursue registration.
• A good knowledge of Quality Systems in a highly regulated industry.
• Good interpersonal skills, ability to work independently but also within a team, supporting colleagues to achieve the teams’ goals.
• Strong communication skills (written and oral).
• Strong organisational and problem-solving skills.

What will you need to be considered? (Desirable)

• Significant design experience of complex machinery - Ideally supported by extensive experience working with combinations of:
  • Optical systems.
  • Vacuum systems.
  • Pressure vessels.
  • Shaker tables.
  • Centrifuges.
  • FEA (Finite Element Analysis).
  • PLM (Product Lifecycle Management).
  • Rig’s & fixtures.

What will you get from us?
As part of our People Promise, AWE (one of the best 25 big companies to work for in the UK) has a range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• Time to recharge your batteries with 270 hours of annual leave (plus every other Friday off work)
• Consideration for flexible working arrangements so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know on your application if you wish to work part time
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development that include funding for the annual membership of a relevant professional body, access to mentors and training
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services
• A generous defined contribution Group Personal Pension (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your own contribution)
• Life Assurance
• Discounts - access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring for your family
• A host of voluntary & core benefits to suit your health and wellbeing - more information available on our careers site

Candidates must be willing and able to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role.
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Please note that you must be a British National to apply for a role with us.
Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide us will be used to encourage and support you through the application process and will be held only for this purpose in accordance with GDPR.