Principal Mechanical Engineer

PWHytek is currently recruiting for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to join an established engineering team delivering an innovative project within a highly regulated, safety-critical environment. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced engineer with a strong background in specialist machinery design who enjoys leading technical teams while remaining hands-on throughout the design and development lifecycle. Whether you're looking for a permanent position or your next contract, we'd love to hear from you. The Role As a Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will become an integral member of an experienced engineering team, supporting the design, development and delivery of specialist tooling solutions. You will play a key role in both the technical direction of the project and the successful integration of new systems. Key responsibilities include: * Supporting the design, development and refinement of specialist tool modules. * Leading and mentoring a medium-sized mechanical engineering team. * Driving technical excellence throughout the design process. * Supporting prototype build, testing and evaluation activities. * Investigating and resolving technical issues identified during testing and system integration. * Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary engineering teams to ensure successful project delivery. * Contributing to engineering reviews, design decisions and continuous improvement initiatives. About You To be successful in this role, you should have: * Significant experience in specialist machinery or complex mechanical equipment design. * Previous experience leading or mentoring engineering teams. * Strong mechanical design skills and the ability to solve complex engineering problems. * Experience working within highly regulated or safety-critical industries, such as Nuclear, Defence, Aerospace, Rail or similar. * Excellent communication skills with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams. * A proactive, hands-on approach to engineering and problem solving. What's on Offer? * Permanent or contract opportunities available. * Hybrid working arrangement based in Leicester. * Opportunity to work on technically challenging, high-profile engineering projects. * Collaborative and supportive engineering environment. * Long-term project work with excellent career development opportunities. If you're an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer looking for your next challenge, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today by sending your CV, or get in touch for a confidential discussion about the role