Principal Design Engineer in Portsmouth

Location: Southampton hybrid, 3 days per week on-site

Salary: £70-75K+ (neg) plus excellent benefits package. More may be available for the right candidate. A relocation package and Visa/Sponsorship support is available for this role if required.

About the Opportunity

Our client is a fast-growing maritime technology business developing wind-assisted propulsion systems that help reduce fuel consumption and emissions across global shipping. They are now looking to appoint a Principal Design Engineer to join their growing engineering team. This is a hands-on role with broad involvement across the design lifecycle, from concept development through to detailed design and production-ready hardware. Working closely with the Head of Engineering, you will take ownership of key subsystems, helping to deliver designs that are robust, manufacturable, compliant, and ready for real-world use. This is an excellent opportunity to join a mission-driven business developing real climate-impact technology in a highly innovative environment and would suit someone genuinely motivated by sustainability and the opportunity to contribute to cleaner shipping.

Key Requirements

• We are looking for an experienced Mechanical / Structural / Marine Engineer with strong expertise in marine structural design, analysis, and classification-led approval.
• You should bring:

• Degree qualification in Naval, Mechanical, Structural, or Marine Engineering
• Around 5-10 years experience designing marine structures approved by classification societies
• Strong proficiency in Siemens NX, Autodesk Inventor, or similar 3D CAD tools
• Strong experience in structural analysis, including FEA and hand calculations
• Proven experience translating load cases into robust design requirements and validated structures
• Experience working directly with classification societies and supporting technical approval
• Experience with DNV, LR, NK or similar bodies
• Strong understanding of DFMA, structural integrity, and manufacturability
• Solution-driven approach
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, chaotic environment

Desirable experience includes:

• Experience in fatigue, buckling, and large welded structures
• Exposure to aero-structural systems or other performance-led structural design
• Experience validating models against real-world data
• Knowledge of structural testing, validation, and manufacturing techniques

Role & Responsibilities

As Principal Design Engineer, you will lead the design and structural development of key product subsystems, ensuring they meet performance, compliance, and delivery requirements. Responsibilities will include:

• Leading the mechanical design of subsystems in line with programme objectives
• Owning the development of wing geometry, balancing performance, structural integrity, and manufacturability
• Developing and managing load cases across classification and real-world operating conditions
• Translating load cases into clear design requirements
• Defining structural design philosophy and ensuring compliance with classification standards
• Performing and overseeing structural analysis and design verification
• Developing and improving in-house structural analysis tools and methods
• Leading technical engagement with classification societies
• Acting as the internal authority for stress and fatigue analysis
• Supporting and reviewing the work of more junior engineers where appropriate
• Promoting high standards of engineering integrity, safety, and sustainability

Why Join?

This is a rare opportunity to join a business developing real-world clean technology for the global shipping market. You will benefit from:

• Working on real climate-impact hardware
• High levels of ownership within a small engineering team
• Broad exposure from concept through to production
• The opportunity to grow and progress with the business as the technology scales