Senior Mechanical Design Engineer ARCA is supporting an engineering business to bring in an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer on a contract basis. This is a hands-on role focused on the design, development and engineering validation of heavy-duty vehicles and mechanical equipment, taking designs from concept through to manufacture. The work: * Mechanical design and development of heavy-duty vehicles and machinery * 3D CAD, assemblies and detailed manufacturing drawings * Design of fabricated structures, machined components and welded assemblies * Engineering calculations and FEA to validate mechanical designs * Analysis of stress, heat, fluid flow and vibration * Material selection, tolerancing, fits and technical specifications * Design for manufacture and assembly * Prototype development, testing and validation * Improving existing designs for performance, reliability, manufacturability, weight and cost * Investigating technical and manufacturing issues and developing practical engineering solutions * Working closely with manufacturing, quality, procurement and suppliers What they’re looking for: * Strong mechanical design experience within heavy machinery, off-highway, construction/agricultural equipment, specialist vehicles or another relevant heavy engineering environment * Proven experience taking mechanical designs from concept through to manufacture * Strong knowledge of fabricated structures, metals, machining and welding * Hands-on engineering calculations and FEA experience * Experience across structural/stress analysis, with exposure to thermal, fluid flow and/or vibration analysis * Strong understanding of DFM/DFA and practical manufacturing processes * Experience working with large mechanical assemblies * SOLIDWORKS experience preferred * Ability to work independently, make sound technical decisions and take ownership of engineering deliverables Details: * Contract: 3-6 months initially – Outside IR35 * Location: North Cambridgeshire – hybrid working