Mechanical Design Engineer in London

The way the world stores data is broken. Energy intensive data centres, fragile infrastructure, and systems never designed for long term sustainability are struggling to keep up with global demand.

Our client is taking a radically different approach. They are building a new class of cold data storage technology that encodes information as light within advanced materials, creating a more resilient and energy efficient alternative to conventional cloud storage. As this breakthrough technology moves from advanced research into real world deployment, the company is now hiring an Advanced Mechanical Design Engineer to help engineer the physical systems that make it possible.

This is a full time, onsite role based in Chiswick, London, working at the core of a deep tech hardware startup. This role is not about maintaining existing products or selecting catalogue components. The Advanced Mechanical Design Engineer will be responsible for designing bespoke mechanical and electromechanical systems that directly support novel optical and holographic processes. The work sits at the intersection of precision mechanics, motion systems, electronics, and experimental science.

The engineer will move fluidly between CAD and the lab, designing parts and assemblies in 3D, then building, testing, and refining them in the real world. Close collaboration with physicists, materials scientists, and embedded engineers is a daily reality, as concepts are rapidly prototyped, challenged, and improved. This is a role for someone who enjoys hands on problem solving and thrives in environments where requirements evolve as understanding deepens.

The Advanced Mechanical Design Engineer will take ownership of critical subsystems within the company’s core platform. This includes the design and development of precision mechanical and electromechanical assemblies, with particular focus on motion systems incorporating motors, actuators, bearings, sensors, and encoders. These systems must deliver repeatability, accuracy, and reliability in support of cutting edge data storage processes.

As system complexity increases, the engineer will own the integration of rigs and prototypes, ensuring that mechanical, electrical, and control elements function as a cohesive whole. They will be responsible for diagnosing and debugging electromechanical and control related issues, working closely with embedded and electronics engineers to resolve problems efficiently.

Hands on work is central to the role. Time will be split between detailed CAD design, producing drawings and assemblies, and practical lab work such as machining, 3D printing, assembly, and iterative testing. The engineer will continuously refine designs based on experimental results, tolerances, material behaviour, and failure modes, applying strong mechanical fundamentals to real world challenges.

Beyond execution, this role plays a direct part in pushing the boundaries of the company’s holographic storage technology. The Advanced Mechanical Design Engineer will be expected to develop innovative mechanical solutions where conventional approaches fall short, helping unlock new levels of performance and robustness across the system.

Our client is seeking a pragmatic and creative mechanical engineer with four or more years of experience in mechanical or mechatronics engineering, ideally within a high tech R&D or product driven environment. A master’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline is required, alongside strong 3D CAD capability and experience taking designs from concept through to physical prototypes.

Candidates should be comfortable designing for motion, understand core mechanical principles such as kinematics, materials, and tolerancing, and enjoy working in fast paced startup environments. Exposure to embedded systems, firmware development, Python scripting, or optics and photonics would be beneficial but is not essential.

In return, the company offers a competitive salary, 25 days annual leave, employer pension contributions, and the opportunity to work on genuinely world changing technology. For mechanical engineers who want to be close to the hardware, influence system level design, and help build the future of sustainable data storage, this role represents a rare and compelling opportunity.