Principal Mechanical Engineer

Job Title: Principal Mechanical Engineer (Contract)

Location: Warrington, UK (3 days onsite required)

Contract: 12 months, Inside IR35

Job Purpose

As a Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will lead and oversee the delivery of engineering and technical tasks, utilizing your process expertise, domain knowledge, and engineering experience. You’ll handle complex technical issues, produce detailed technical reports and presentations, and ensure specifications are met in alignment with stakeholder requirements. Additionally, you will mentor, coach, and develop junior team members, contribute to business objectives, and build strong relationships with stakeholders. Working independently or as part of a small team, you will drive technical solutions while ensuring compliance with industry standards.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Delivery

• Serve as a subject matter expert, applying advanced principles to shape, design, and solve functional issues.
• Take ownership of highly complex engineering tasks within the specialty area.
• Guide less experienced team members, supporting their work and development through coaching and assistance.
• Adhere strictly to Health & Safety standards, ISO requirements, and best practices across projects.

Team & Stakeholder Management

• Lead and manage multi-disciplinary teams to ensure efficient, timely engineering output aligned with customer expectations.
• Oversee and mentor engineers/technical specialists, promoting cross-functional collaboration.
• Cultivate relationships with clients by facilitating open communication and transparency to manage technical and delivery challenges effectively.
• Drive the development of new business opportunities by engaging with potential clients and maintaining relationships with existing ones.

Quality & Compliance

• Technical oversight of engineering output, ensuring alignment with the agreed technical scope and project requirements.
• Review, verify, and approve deliverables—including calculations, technical analyses, reports, specifications, and method statements.
• Ensure compliance with applicable codes, standards, and company procedures across all engineering activities.
• Manage project and technical audits to share insights and ensure adherence to high standards.

Health & Safety & Best Practice

• Champion Health & Safety standards and foster a culture of safe practices within the team, ensuring adherence to all HSE policies.
• Promote a culture of engineering excellence, staying updated on industry best practices and driving change and development within the team.

Project & Resource Management

• Assess resource demands and skill requirements to ensure project needs are met.
• Contribute to learning and improvement initiatives during and post-project.
• Support tender processes by providing input on technical requirements and cost estimates.
• Manage the development of team members through performance reviews, feedback, and continuous communication.

Experience / Qualifications / Skills

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering or a related field, with significant, demonstrable experience.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.
• Proven track record of managing teams to deliver on a variety of technical projects, covering multiple complexities.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across disciplines.

Desirable:

• Membership in a relevant engineering institute or eligibility for registration with the Engineering Council.
• Experience in end-to-end project management, from concept design to Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) stages.
• Experience working on commercial and/or defense projects.

Behavioral Competencies

Leadership and Team Development

• Demonstrates values that prioritize safety, wellbeing, respect, and inclusion.
• Focused on individual team member development and engagement, ensuring team communication and feedback are clear and ongoing.

Resource Planning and Organization

• Ensures efficient resource allocation, aligning team capabilities with project demands to consistently meet customer expectations.