At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead innovative design projects for driveline and transmission systems across various sectors.
- Company: Join Ricardo, a global leader in engineering consulting with a focus on sustainability.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, wellbeing programs, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace that values every voice and promotes career development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on sustainable solutions while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Degree in Mechanical Engineering and experience in mechanical design required.
The predicted salary is between 49500 - 60500 £ per year.
Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world. Ricardo, member of WSP, is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading-edge and innovative cross-sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world.
Purpose: Ricardo’s A&I Division are seeking an enthusiastic and dynamic Principal Design Engineer / Assistant Chief Engineer, you will be a part of the Global Mechanical Design team responsible for leading activities in the design of a wide range of Driveline & Transmission Systems for a variety of market sectors (Automotive, Aerospace, Defense, Marine, Clean energy), from clean sheet to production. You will take responsibility for leading a team of mechanical designers to deliver a particular mechanical system or complete product and will need to manage and work effectively with other Engineering disciplines to develop system level solutions to implement designs, that satisfy component, system, product, and client requirements. You will support the mechanical design team to grow our capabilities and skills and will cooperate with the business development team in developing proposals and responding to client queries.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Concept and definitive 3D mechanical design of systems, system assemblies and complex components such as transmission casings, rotating components, gears, injection moulded components.
- Detailed mechanical design work including basic stress calculations, FMEA’s, 2D detailing, 2D layouts, Tolerance stacks as required.
- Close cooperation with FEA, CFD and Simulation teams to ensure products meet design validation requirements.
- Close cooperation with manufacturing and process engineers to ensure products meet DFMA.
- Management of Bill of Materials.
- Creation of technical reports and documentation as required for engineering projects.
- Liaison with suppliers and other Ricardo departments to ensure the required information is available when needed and customer requests are dealt with in a timely manner.
- Responsibility for coaching and mentoring design engineers in design techniques and departmental processes.
- Ability to take on project roles such as Chief Designer or Chief Engineer as required by projects, ability to lead small- to mid-size project teams.
- Support to the business development team with inputs on mechanical design related details.
- Understanding of market sector trends and market development.
Qualifications and Experience:
- Degree (Bachelor or Masters) in Mechanical Engineering or similar field or with equivalent technical experience.
- Substantive experience in Mechanical Design Engineering.
- Broad range of mechanical design knowledge specializing in one of the following areas: Transmission, Hybrid transmissions, EDU’s.
- Solid understanding of mechanical engineering principles with ability to interpret FEA, CFD results and incorporate them in mechanical design.
- Solid understanding of manufacturing processes, and their impact on design, experience with DFMA.
- Ability to understand, produce and check 2D technical drawings to a high standard with high GD&T competency.
- 3D CAD skills with one or more major CAD systems (e.g. CREO, CATIA, NX).
- Experience with PLM systems, Windchill.
- Leadership of small teams.
- Advanced capabilities in Microsoft Office.
Personal Attributes:
- Confident, proactive and adaptive ability to take the lead in challenging situations to achieve company goals and objectives.
- Acting as a role model representing the company values.
- Strong technical and report writing communication skill in English.
- Excellent problem solving and analytical skills.
- Able to prioritize and organize multiple project workloads and tasks working to tight deadlines.
- Able to travel to support Ricardo’s worldwide client base.
Working with Ricardo: You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place. We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on. Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.
Wellbeing and work life balance: Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential. Our People are important to us, and we take pride in our wellbeing programs and policies that support individuals including flexible working, careers policy, mental health first aiders and readily available support through our extensive Employee Assistance program.
Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion statement: We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees and to ensure an inclusive culture, we are recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.
Next steps: Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date. Ricardo is a Disability confident employer please advise the recruitment team via recruit@ricardo.com if you require any adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process.
Principal Design Engineer / Assistant Chief Engineer - Driveline and Transmission Systems employer: Ricardo
At Ricardo, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, fostering a culture of inclusion and collaboration at our Shoreham Technical Centre and Leamington Spa locations. We offer flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance, alongside a comprehensive benefits package that prioritises your well-being and professional growth. Join us to make a meaningful impact in delivering innovative solutions for a safer and sustainable world, while being part of a diverse team that values every voice.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Design Engineer / Assistant Chief Engineer - Driveline and Transmission Systems
✨Get Your Hands Dirty at Engineering Events
Join local engineering meetups or industry conferences related to mechanical engineering. Whether it's a workshop or a career fair, these events are goldmines for networking and getting a foot in the door. Plus, you can showcase your passion and enthusiasm directly to potential employers like Ricardo.
✨Connect with Professors & Peers
Tap into your university’s resources—professors often have connections in the industry. Don’t be shy to ask about potential openings or recommendations. Your classmates might also know of companies hiring. Often, it’s who you know that gets you in front of the right people!
✨Highlight Your Projects and Practical Experience
When you land those interviews, make sure to talk about your hands-on projects or internships. Whether it's a design project or hands-on experience with CAD software, specific examples will make you stand out. Companies like Ricardo love to hear about practical applications of your skills.
✨Apply Directly on Company Websites
Check out the careers page of Ricardo and apply directly through there. It shows initiative and interest in their specific values. Plus, you'll often find openings that aren't advertised on job boards, giving you a better chance to land that full-time gig!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Design Engineer / Assistant Chief Engineer - Driveline and Transmission Systems
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Technical Expertise:In mechanical engineering, it’s vital to highlight your technical skills and projects. Make sure to include relevant software proficiency (like CAD tools) in your CV. If you've worked on specific engineering projects, detail your key contributions — we want to see how you’ve applied your skills in a practical setting!
Focus on Problem-Solving Examples:Employers in mechanical engineering love to see how you handle challenges. Use your cover letter to share specific instances where you’ve solved a complex problem or improved a design. This will show us you're not just knowledgeable but also capable of applying that knowledge effectively.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Include any relevant certifications or training that can set you apart from the competition. Whether it's coursework from your degree, a recognised certification, or extra training in new technologies, we love to see candidates who continuously improve their skill set. This tells us you're serious about your career in engineering!
Tailor Your CV for the Role:Don’t forget to customise your CV for Ricardo and the Principal Design Engineer / Assistant Chief Engineer - Driveline and Transmission Systems role specifically. Pull examples from your experience that align with the job description — it shows us you've done your research and are genuinely interested in becoming part of the team. We recommend applying through our website to ensure your application gets to the right people!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ricardo
✨Brush Up on Your CAD Skills
Since mechanical engineering often involves design processes, be ready to showcase your proficiency in CAD software like SolidWorks or AutoCAD. Bring along a digital portfolio or even some sketches that demonstrate your design capabilities — it’s a great way to show what you can bring to the table at Ricardo.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect technical questions that test your understanding of engineering principles and problem-solving skills. You might get hypothetical scenarios where you need to design a component or troubleshoot a mechanical system. Practising these types of questions will give you the confidence to tackle whatever comes your way!
✨Show Your Team Spirit
As a full-time mechanical engineer, collaboration is key! Be ready to share examples of past team projects or any experiences where you contributed to solving a complex problem with others. Demonstrating your ability to work in a team will resonate well with the interviewers at Ricardo.
✨Discuss Your Future Goals
Since this is a full-time position, your long-term vision is important. Be open about your career aspirations, whether it’s mastering a specific tool or leading projects. This shows that you're committed not just to learning but also to growing with Ricardo, making you a more appealing candidate.