SoCode Recruitment
Principal Mechanical Engineer
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Principal Mechanical Engineer
Principal Mechanical Engineer
Hybrid role (Cambridge) โ Space-grade hardware for Earth observations
About the Role Socode are representing an innovative client developing pioneering space-grade hardware for Earth observation missions. We seek a Principal Mechanical Engineer to own and drive the full mechanical design lifecycle for a satellite payload, from initial concept to FEA, qualification, and eventual manufacture.
This is a high-trust, homegrown leadership opportunity in a fast-paced start-up environment. The first 3 months require full-time on-site presence (Cambridge), followed by a flexible 60/40 hybrid model thereafter.
Why Youโll Want This Role
An opportunity to: โ Own mission-critical hardware working on the design, analysis, and testing of a space-grade payload. โ Be visible from day oneโyour work will directly impact product success. โ Grow into a systems-level leadership role, expanding beyond mechanical discipline into technical ownership. โ Thrive in a unique, agile team, where autonomy and hands-on learning are valued. โ Benefit from a competitive compensation package including:
- Private medical & company pension
- 25 daysโ annual leave + all UK bank holidays
- Annual professional development allowance
- Exceptional chances for growth
Desired Skills & Qualifications
Essential
- A Masterโs Degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a directly related engineering discipline.
- 5+ yearsโ professional experience, including strong mechanical design and analysis across a product lifecycle (concept โ qualification โ manufacture).
- First-principles thinking: Confident in applying fundamentals like statics, dynamics, vibration, and heat transfer (degree-level study sufficient; not necessarily requiring equal expertise across all tasks).
- Strong FEA capability (though you neednโt be a daily specialist):
- Ability to lead full payload-level FEA analyses.
- Cumulated experience that proves you can drive complex analysis, including system-level correlations.
- NASTRAN experience (Siemens) is advantageous but may be covered for the right candidate.
- Demonstrated ability to ride the breadth of the mechanical engineering lifecycle:
- Design and analysis for machined & fabricated systems.
- Verbal/written communication skills, including producing clear technical documentation and collaborating across multidisciplinary teams.
- Proficiency in SOLIDWORKS as a design tool, with hands-on confidence.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet โ that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right โ and where to focus when applying.
Desired (but not strictly required)
- Passions or curiosity for space or aerospace, while in-house aerospace experience is not essential.
- Familiarity with thermal/vibrational analysis including empirical testing.
*The Day-to-Day
The role is not a senior-analyst position: you will be expected to lead mechanical expenditureโand grow into a full technical owner of a product. This includes:
- Deep involvement in payload development: From early design to detail manufacture.
- Executing payload-level FEA (not just subcomponents), leveraging FEA to validate orbital thermal & structural performance.
- Steering full structural, vibration & thermal analysis campaigns, including:
- Testing activities (planning โ execution โ analysis).
- Flaw correlation protocols as assessments progress.
- Giving hands-on reviews for junior engineers and supporting synergy across manufacturing, electronics, optics and systems teams.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Career Progression Within The Role
This is a definition-focused position, meaning your broader technical leadership will evolve with demonstrated impact each year. Youโll progress along a clear career roadmap:
- 0โ1 year: Begin as a technical specialist on vehicle-level design.
- 1โ2+ years: Leadership on full-payload structural architecture, building hands-on exposure to economics, compliance & contractor pipelines.
- Cross-training possibilities beyond mechanical (e.g. systems engineering).
For those new to leadership, this provides an opportunity to expand analytically and create a strong portfolio for future ownerships.
Ready to Apply?
If youโre seeking a role that offers impactful ownership, rapid development and the chance to drive meaningful design decisions in space hardware, this position could be an excellent next step for you.
Apply: Either submit your CV [via this job advert](link detail omitted) or reach out to me on LinkedIn for an informal chat.
โIt took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what Iโve been looking for.โ
Jessica, London
Skills