Overview

We're looking for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to lead the design and development of world-leading electro-optical products used in autonomous tracking and drone interception systems. This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys solving complex mechanical challenges with creativity, rigour and teamwork. You'll take ownership across the full product lifecycle - from initial concepts and CAD modelling to verification, testing and iteration - working closely with our electronics and software teams to bring new products to life. OpenWorks is a rapidly growing business operating globally with a passion for exceptional engineering and building on a legacy of defence innovation in the North East of England. Our products provide ultra-high performance, real-time detection, tracking, identification and targeting of dynamic aerial threats. They have been deployed internationally to protect high profile military and civilian assets, and contribute towards the defeat of nuisance, misguided and maliciously deployed drones during operations. We are very proud to have supported a wide range of law enforcement and military operators, protecting many of the most high profile sites and individuals around the world. The amazing things we do are only possible because of a dedicated and passionate team.

What you'll be doing

• Lead the design, development, verification and implementation of technically innovative and commercially competitive new products
• Take ownership of the maintenance and improvement of existing products to enhance quality, improve production efficiency and reduce costs
• Produce and maintain high-quality technical documentation, including CAD drawings, design calculations, BOMs, costing data and test reports
• Mentor and support other mechanical engineers, helping to grow skills and uphold engineering best practice across the team
• Set and monitor engineering standards, ensuring consistent processes and high-quality output across projects
• Attend and contribute to design reviews across the full product portfolio
• Multi-task effectively, balancing your own design and development work with supporting others and reviewing wider project work
• Quickly develop fluency in Autodesk Inventor and OpenWorks' design and documentation practices

What we're looking for

• A 2:1 or higher degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Significant professional experience in product design and development, ideally in a complex, high-spec environment
• Expertise in 3D CAD (preferably Autodesk Inventor) and FEA (ideally Ansys)
• Excellent attention to detail
• Skilled in creative problem solving and structured engineering processes
• Able to manage time effectively and work autonomously
• Comfortable mentoring others and contributing to a positive, collaborative engineering environment
• Strong self-awareness and adaptable to fast-changing R&D demands
• Experience working to tight deadlines and budgets with a proven track record of delivering results

What you'll get

• Take on exciting engineering challenges. Work on some pretty cool products with real-world impact.
• Make a real leadership impact. Go beyond technical delivery - mentor others, shape design culture and champion best practices across the mechanical engineering function.
• Bring your designs to life. See the direct results of your work as your concepts move from CAD models to fully tested, operational systems.
• Work as part of a cross-functional team. Collaborate closely with talented engineers across electronics, software and systems disciplines to create truly integrated solutions.

As a small, fast growing company (with approx 50 people), we offer the opportunity for a professional to have autonomy and responsibility. You'll directly see the impact of your efforts.

About us

Vision: Help protect the territory and airspace of NATO countries and their allies.

Mission: Be a world-leading provider of autonomous technology for Surveillance applications and Defence

Values: Be a Good Egg; Do cool stuff; Be empowered; We are one team; Things go wrong; Have fun

Location: Consett, England, United Kingdom