Graduate Engineer (Mechanical Design)

Are you a recent graduate or a junior mechanical design engineer looking for an exciting opportunity? With an expanding portfolio of innovative projects, we're seeking a talented and enthusiastic engineer to join our Mechanical Design Team at Drumgrange in Portland.

In this role, you'll be a key player in the full product development lifecycle, from concept to market, primarily within the defence sector. You'll work closely with electronic and software engineers, contributing to the design, prototyping, and testing of cutting-edge products. Your responsibilities will include creating comprehensive data packs, building first-of-type products, conducting quality control analyses, performing testing, and supporting production to ensure our products meet customer expectations.

As part of our team, you'll be involved in developing robust, safety-critical equipment for military applications across Land, Maritime, and Underwater domains. This requires a keen understanding of durable and ergonomic design principles, ensuring that our products perform reliably in some of the most challenging environments.

We offer a hybrid working arrangement, depending on project data classification, and the chance to work with one of the most adaptable and responsive engineering companies in the UK defence sector.

Why Drumgrange?

When you join Drumgrange, you will be joining one of the last independent, family-run engineering companies in the UK defence industry.

For a company our size, we have a wide portfolio of projects. From working out how to integrate land sensors onto their respective platforms to going out to sea to carry out trials, you can expect to work on a variety of interesting projects with meaningful, real-world impact with stakes that go beyond delivering value to the shareholders.

As a Drumgrange employee, you get a rare opportunity to be involved all the way through the engineering lifecycle, from the bid stage, research, design, development, through to product/capability integration and end-of-life support. With only a few levels between junior roles and senior management, hard work hardly goes unnoticed, and there are plenty of opportunities to create a change. So if you are looking to hit the ground running, have a passion for engineering excellence, and are interested in building a rewarding career that gives you a sense of purpose, you will be a great fit at Drumgrange.

What you'll do

·     Assist and liaise with project teams on mechanical aspects of products and systems.

·      Design bespoke equipment i.a.w defence standards in order to benefit the capabilities of the modern-day defence sector.

·      Select Materials, Manufacturing processes and integration methods in order to best suit the equipment’s use.

·      Liaise and provide technical advice to suppliers and internal departments to ensure the product is fit for purpose and to the design intent.

·      Advice and conduct testing to demonstrate compliance i.a.w Defence and International Standards.

·      Assist Quality and Production to ensure that the component of the end product is as per the design intent.

·      As required, support off-site support to problem solve, troubleshoot and assist in integration and testing of products and systems.

·      Ensure all data generated and design decisions taken are i.a.w best practices to ensure traceability.

·      Comply with all relevant Health and Safety requirements and safe practices and procedures operated by Drumgrange.

What you'll need

· ·      A relevant Engineering Qualification (s) at a Level 6 NVQ or Honour’s Degree.

·      A Level 3 qualification (NVQ 3, Advanced Apprenticeship or AS/A Level) linked to Math and Science (Physics).

·      Be proficient in English written/spoken, or at least to level B2 i.a.w CEFR.

·      Evidence of formal training in CAD software. (Inventor Preferred)

·      Previous experience in an engineering environment in order to understand fundamental principles.

·      Demonstrate a good level of verbal and written communication skills.

·      A good level of competency and methodical working process when using 3D design software (Inventor preferred but not essential)

·      Ability to work within a team on multiple projects simultaneously and deliver to challenging timescales within a small team environment.

·      A passion for practical problem-solving

·      A practical mindset towards designing user interface functionality and external factors.

·      Self-motivation with ambitions to learn at any opportunity, seeking improvements to work practices and keen to champion emerging technologies and materials that will benefit the business.

What you’ll get

      ·        Full engineering lifecycle with optional career path: Choose the direction of your career
·        Paid overtime or time off in lieu: Gain up to 24 additional paid days off per year or boost your salary with an authorised single-time overtime
·        Flexible working: We operate around the core working hours of 09:30 – 12:00 & 14:00 – 16:00
·        Role-specific allowances: Subject to individual projects and roles.
·        Holiday entitlement: 24 days per annum, plus public holidays. These are pro rata for part-time roles. A Christmas closedown occurs for most roles from 24^th December – 2nd January, utilising your holiday entitlement.
·        Pension scheme: Competitive employer contribution scheme
·        Private medical care: Access a network of 50+ private clinics and hospitals nationwide
·        Training and upskilling: We are committed to your continuous personal and professional development meaning that you have the opportunity to gain additional skills and qualifications
·        Monthly Payment Schemes: Save money on a new bicycle and cycling accessories and get fit too!
·        Company tech: Salary loans to purchase laptops, mobiles, and home office equipment
·        Relocation package: Available to selected candidates needing to relocate within easy travel distance of one of our offices - In line with HMRC guidelines - spend less time travelling and more time living

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and particularly from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our industry, including women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ individuals. Please be aware that many of our roles will be subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors including your nationality, any previous nationalities held, and your place of birth may limit the roles you can perform in our organisation.

We also support our Armed Forces communities, reservists and cadets and are proud advocates. Any companies wishing to contribute and benefit from a relationship with these organisations please reach out to us or visit https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/show-your-support/sign-the-covenant/