Mechanical Design Manager

MECHANICAL DESIGN MANAGER

Location: Herefordshire, UK (on-site)

Reports to: Senior Group Engineering Manager

Employment type: Full time, permanent

About HR Smith Group

With 60 years of engineering excellence, HR Smith is a family-run, vertically integrated aerospace business specialising in the design, manufacture and testing of aviation antennas and search & rescue systems.

We invest significantly in R&D (reinvesting over 20% of revenue) and operate a fully in-house design-to-qualification capability.

At HR Smith you’ll join a collaborative, agile organisation committed to innovation, quality and delivering mission-critical solutions for civil and military aviation markets.

The Role:

As Mechanical Design Manager, you will lead the mechanical design team, drive design excellence, ensure compliance with relevant standards, and deliver high-quality aerospace products from concept through to production.

• 
  
• Lead, mentor and manage a multidisciplinary mechanical design team (design engineers, CAD specialists, analysts)
  
• Develop and oversee mechanical design strategies, methods and processes aligned with company objectives
  
• Coordinate mechanical design activities for new product development, redesigns, sustainment and qualification programmes
  
• Ensure all mechanical design work meets customer, regulatory and manufacturing requirements (e.g. environmental, structural, vibration, EMC interplay)
  
• Work closely with cross-functional teams including electrical/system design, manufacturing, testing, quality assurance and supply chain
  
• Drive design for manufacturability (DFM), design for testability (DFT) and cost-effective solutions
  
• Maintain design documentation, change control, configuration management and design reviews in line with aerospace standards
  
• Champion continuous improvement, innovation, risk management and best practice within mechanical design
  
• Represent the mechanical design function in engineering leadership meetings and provide technical oversight and guidance
  

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• A degree (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline
  
• Significant experience in mechanical design within an aerospace or manufacturing environment, including prior team leadership or management experience
  
• Proficiency in SolidWorks and mechanical analysis tools (FEA, thermal, vibration, etc.)
  
• Strong understanding of mechanical engineering principles including structural analysis, tolerance and design principles, materials selection and manufacturability
  
• Proven track record of delivering complex mechanical design projects from concept to qualification and production
  
• Excellent leadership and people-management skills with organisational ability to prioritise work, manage resources and deliver to tight deadlines
  
• Desirable: experience with aerospace standards (e.g. DO-160, RTCA/DO-254, ISO9001/AS9100) and working in a vertically integrated manufacturing environment
  

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• Free onsite parking.
  
• Free refreshments (tea and coffee).
  
• Casual dress.
  
• Company social events.
  
• Opportunity for company bonuses.
  
• Cost of living reviews carried out annually by the Directors.
  
• 20 days holiday plus bank holidays and your birthday off (to be taken any time in the year).
  
• Long service holiday accrual scheme where you gain 1 extra holiday day per year from 5-10 years’ service up to a maximum of 26 days.
  
• Life Insurance Scheme – 3x annual salary.
  

If you want to find out more about one of Herefordshire’s largest hi-tech companies then please visit our website; www.hr-smith.com

If you are interested in this role, please email your CV to

The HR Department, H R Smith Group of Companies, Unit 416, Tarsmill Court, Rotherwas Industrial Estate, Hereford, HR2 6JZ