Manufacturing Design Engineer

Job description

In a low-volume, high-value aluminium marine manufacturing company, the Production Designer works at the intersection of engineering and the workshop floor.

Unlike a high-level Naval Architect who focuses on hull physics, hydrodynamics, and general arrangements, the Production Designer's primary function is to take those conceptual engineering designs and model them into exact, build-ready parts. They ensure that every piece of aluminium and every marine system routed through the vessel fits together flawlessly on the first attempt.

Objectives:

• 3D Hull & Superstructure Detailing: Deconstruct 3D surface models / 2D drawings from Naval Architects into detailed, fabricator-ready structural components (such as frames, bulkheads, stringers, and hull plates).
• Generation of Workshop Assembly Drawings: Produce clean, highly descriptive 2D fabrication drawings, detailed isometric views, and specific sub-assembly diagrams tailored for manual weld teams.
• Exact Component Modelling: Maintain an accurate 3D "Digital Twin" of the vessel, integrating exact vendor dimensions for engines, gearboxes, and deck hardware to eliminate physical assembly interferences.
• Complex System Pathing: Model and detail the physical spatial routing for complex onboard systems, ensuring dedicated runs for fuel systems, hydraulic piping, steering linkages, and primary propulsion machinery.
• Spatial Clashing Resolution: Run interference checks between structural frames and system pathways within the CAD environment, catching and resolving spatial trade conflicts before parts are released to the floor.
• Detailed Bill of Materials (BOM) Compilation: Extract and manage exact manufacturing BOMs from the 3D model, listing raw plate weights, structural extrusion lengths, and specialized marine components.
• Design for Manufacture (DFM) Optimization: Standardise fold lines, flange lengths, and interlocking part joints (like tab-and-slot features) to make physical manual assembly as straightforward as possible.
• Regulatory Compliance Modelling: Ensure that structural details and system placements align precisely with MCA regulations and Lloyd's Register rules, keeping structural scantlings compliant with class design rules.

Qualification/Experience:

• Academic Foundation: A Degree or HND/HNC in Yacht Design and Production, Marine Design, Naval Architecture, or Mechanical Design Engineering. Extensive relevant drawing office experience in a commercial shipyard will also be highly considered.
• Advanced 3D Marine CAD Expertise: Advanced, demonstrable proficiency in dedicated marine 3D modelling platforms - specifically Solidworks.
• Plate Fabrication Drafting: A minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience detailing structural designs for fabrication, with an explicit focus on marine-grade aluminium alloys (5083 and 6082).
• Marine Systems Familiarity: Proven experience drafting or detailing layouts for mechanical marine infrastructure, including shaft lines, propulsion systems, steering gear, or complex fuel/hydraulic manifolds.
• Data Control & Revision Tracking: Practical experience utilizing Product Data Management (PDM) software to control version releases, CAD file hierarchies, and Engineering Change Requests (ECRs).
• Hands-on Metalworking / Mechanical Background: Prior practical experience working as an apprentice or fabricator on a shipyard floor, offering first-hand insight into how physical metal behaves under cutting and forming tools, or how marine systems are integrated into vessels.

Hazel Road, Woolston. Trafalgar Wharf Portchester. Hybrid

Department

Operations, Planning & Control

Job Title

Manufacturing Design Engineer

Experience

See Job Description

City

Hazel Road, Woolston. Trafalgar Wharf, Portchester. Hybrid

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Fareham

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Salary indication

Between £42,000 and £66,000 Per Month

Published at

01-11-2026

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