Contract Mechanical Design Engineers

Job description

The Role

We're expanding our contractor network and looking for experienced contract Mechanical Design Engineers (10+ years) to work on technically demanding product development across medical devices, scientific instruments, and compact devices.

This is hands-on, end-to-end mechanical work: architecture through detailed design, prototyping, analysis, and design for manufacture. You'll be working alongside electronics and embedded software engineers on integrated devices where the mechanical, electrical, and thermal aspects all interact.

What we're looking for

Core mechanical design:

• Advanced SolidWorks user, comfortable with complex assemblies, top-down modelling, mechanism design, and surfacing
• Architecture design of complex devices such as auto-injectors, inhalers, diagnostic instruments, cameras, or similar
• Integration of electronics into mechanical design, including thermal management and sealing
• Tolerance analysis and identification of critical chains for repeatable device function
• Hand calculations for quick decision making with limited information
• FEA (linear, non-linear, thermal), kinematic and dynamic mechanism analysis, and CFD (internal and external flows) in Ansys, SolidWorks Simulation, Abaqus, or equivalent
• Design for high volume manufacture, including injection moulding, sheet metal, and assembly methods
• Design for prototyping across machining and the various additive processes
• Practical workshop skills, hand tool use, prototype assembly, and the ability to switch between small (mm scale) and larger parts

Useful additional skills:

• Photorealistic rendering in Keyshot, SolidWorks Visualize, or similar
• Photoshop for product design work
• Concept and user-interaction sketching
• CNC programming, tool path generation, tool selection, and jigging for 3 to 5 axis machining

About you

Senior, hands-on, and happy working as part of a small team on hard problems. Comfortable making decisions with incomplete information and pushing concepts through to working prototypes.

This is a hybrid role, where part of your time will be spent on-site in our Cambridge office.

NOTE: At this stage we do not want to engage with recruitment agencies for these roles.

#MechanicalEngineering #ProductDesign #SolidWorks #FEA #DFM #ContractRoles #NoAgencies

Who are we?

Horizon Technology Consulting ltd is a Cambridge-based engineering consultancy specialising in complex systems work across electronics, embedded software, and mechanical design. We help product teams turn novel concepts into working demonstrators, early prototypes, and production ready designs working with clients across the UK and internationally.

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Cambridge

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

06-05-2026

Profession type

Design / Fashion

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English