Principal Mechanical Engineer - Rotating Equipment in Cheshire, Warrington

Great British Energy - Nuclear is an arm’s length body of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, dedicated to supporting the development and deployment of new nuclear technologies in Great Britain. We play a crucial role in advancing nuclear new build, ensuring the UK’s energy security, and achieving net-zero carbon emissions. Great British Energy - Nuclear focuses on fostering innovation, facilitating investment, and coordinating efforts across the nuclear industry to build a resilient and sustainable energy future.

We have an exciting and challenging opportunity for a Principal Mechanical Engineer position to join our Engineering & Design Services Capability working within the Nuclear Energy Sector. This is an exciting and challenging role where you will perform the Principal Mechanical Engineer role on a range of projects from Concept Studies through to Detailed Design. Working within a multi‑disciplinary team, you will lead the development of mechanical engineering deliverables—including calculations, analyses, reports, and specifications—ensuring high technical quality throughout.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leading mechanical engineering aspects of multi-discipline design projects, from feasibility to detailed design stages.
• Consult with stakeholders to develop and deliver innovative solutions tailored to their needs.
• Produce and oversee the creation of high-quality design and technical documentation.
• Provide quality assurance through surveillance, review, and checking of team outputs.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to deliver fit-for-purpose engineering solutions.
• Visit sites as required and promote further opportunities to enhance client relationships.
• Ensure safety is an integral part of mechanical engineering design and project delivery.
• Present and defend solutions to complex problems in client-facing environments.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience required:

• Considerable relevant experience.
• Strong mechanical engineering background, including material selection, tolerancing, geometric tolerancing, surface finishes and welding.
• Experience designing equipment.
• Knowledge of crane and lifting equipment design and associated standards (BS2573, LOLER, PUWER, Machinery Regulations).
• Design experience with mechanical/electromechanical machinery and general fabrications.
• Competent piping design engineer with working knowledge of ASME 31.3, PER, PSSR and CDM regulations, Safety Case compliance.
• Ability to produce design packages—including drawings, calculations, method statements, and risk assessments—suitable for manufacture and installation.
• Experience with space management, equipment layout, and supporting design through construction, commissioning, and plant operations.
• Familiarity with design guides, piping specifications, standards, and engineering practices.
• Understanding of nuclear safety case principles and ability to produce design substantiation for safety‑related equipment.
• Experience working in highly regulated industries; nuclear sector experience preferred.
• Knowledge of mechanical handling equipment and relevant nuclear regulatory requirements.
• Experience producing technical files for UKCA and Machinery Directive compliance.
• Understanding of Design for Assembly in nuclear environments and knowledge of machining/fabrication manufacturing processes.
• Capable of producing and checking mechanical engineering calculations and deliverables.
• Experience collaborating with stakeholders and multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Strong report‑writing skills; comfortable working under time and cost constraints.
• Able to manage own workload and drive completion of assigned work scopes.

Specifically for Mechanical Engineering, Rotating Equipment Speciality:

• Turbomachinery design principles (compressors, turbines, pumps).
• Vibration analysis and rotor dynamics (API 617/618/610).
• Condition monitoring (Bentley Nevada, FFT analysis).
• Lubrication and bearing design.
• Alignment, balancing, and commissioning.
• Performance curves and duty point analysis.
• Failure modes (seizing, vibration-induced fatigue, cavitation).
• Gas/steam turbine fundamentals (in nuclear: secondary cycle systems).
• Creating rotating equipment specifications.
• Vendor package reviews (GA drawings, P&IDs, control logic).
• Commissioning planning and factory acceptance tests (FAT/SAT).
• Reliability & maintainability assessments (RAM, RCM).

Qualifications:

• Chartered Engineer status with a relevant professional body e.g. IMechE.
• Degree in relevant engineering discipline.