Mechanical Design Engineer in London

TopStaff is recruiting on behalf of a growing British engineering start-up developing personal anti-drone protection systems. This is an ambitious, high-impact project at an exciting stage of development, and the team is looking for a Mechanical Design Engineer to take full ownership of their hardware and mechanical development. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role for an engineer who wants to build things that matter – from early concept through to working hardware in the field. The role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced, resource-limited environments, takes genuine pride in building complete systems, and is ready to step into a position of real technical and team leadership.

Responsibilities

• Take full ownership of all mechanical and hardware systems
• Design, build and continuously improve complex physical systems and products
• Develop and integrate new functionality into existing products
• Design and build test rigs and validation setups
• Support rapid prototyping and iteration cycles
• Drive new product development from early concept through to operational prototype
• Work closely with controls and software engineers to ensure full system integration
• Lead and grow a small team of technicians and junior mechanical engineers

What Success Looks Like

• Within the first 6–12 months, the successful candidate will be expected to deliver complete hardware systems from concept to working prototype
• Improve reliability, performance and testability of existing products
• Establish effective test rigs and validation processes
• Take full ownership of hardware development on new product lines
• Strong experience in mechanical design and hardware system development
• Proven track record of building complete systems from zero to one, including prototyping
• Experience in small teams or start-up / research environments
• Ability to take end-to-end ownership of hardware and mechanical solutions
• Commitment to working on-site in Ukraine for the majority of time over a two-year assignment
• Right to work in the relevant jurisdiction(s) required for the assignment
• NATO member state citizenship or Ukrainian citizenship – the client does not offer visa sponsorship
• The successful candidate will be required to undergo and pass a security clearance check
• Background in aerospace, defence or high-reliability engineering systems
• Experience designing test rigs and experimental hardware setups
• Experience working within multidisciplinary engineering teams

Who We Are Looking For

• A strong hands-on engineering mindset – you build things, not just design them
• High personal initiative – evidence of significant projects, competitions or other high-performance activities outside formal employment
• The ability to work independently and make good decisions with limited structure
• Personal responsibility and a results-oriented approach
• High work capacity and resilience in a fast-moving environment
• Flexibility to commit to an intensive, on-site role for an extended period

Leadership and Scope

• This role carries genuine leadership responsibility from day one:
• Manage one technician / junior mechanical engineer immediately, growing to a team of 2–5 within the first year
• Decision-making authority over all mechanical aspects of current and new products
• Input into team culture and hiring decisions
• Partial budget responsibility on the mechanical engineering side

Location

The first few months will be based in the United Kingdom. Thereafter, the role is primarily on-site in Ukraine for approximately two years.