Mechanical Design Engineer

This is genuinely consequential engineering work. You just won't be able to tell anyone.

Minerva Defence is a UK sovereign defence technology company building the full stack of unmanned systems for modern warfare: hardware, software, networking, autonomy, navigation and effectors. Our mission is simple: to help ensure the UK and its allies can defend themselves in an era where major conflict is no longer unthinkable.

We are deliberately low-profile: no hype, no performative marketing, just execution. We ideate, design, and manufacture from start to finish right here in the UK. Our products are in active use on the battlefield today, delivering real operational impact in the most demanding environments. Despite operating largely in stealth, our team of 60 people is delivering disproportionate effect, with tens of millions in annual revenue across UK and non-UK customers.

Our culture is elite, innovative and mission-focused. We are built to be asymmetric: small in headcount, relentless in execution, and outsized in battlefield impact. We are looking for people who are not just talented, but committed: to the work, to the team, and to the purpose behind it.

This is the kind of work you will be proud of, even if you cannot talk about it. Mechanical design here carries real weight: you will own significant work packages, make decisions with full context, and contribute across a complex, multidisciplinary product. The gap between designing something and seeing it in production is weeks, not years.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical components and assemblies across the full product lifecycle, from concept through production release
• Produce CAD models and engineering drawings to the required standard, applying appropriate tolerancing, material selection and DFM/DFA principles so designs can be manufactured, assembled and supported at scale
• Perform engineering analysis and calculations to support and validate design decisions
• Work directly with manufacturing, assembly and quality teams to resolve technical issues and support build activities
• Participate in design reviews, presenting work clearly and responding to technical feedback
• Manage engineering changes and maintain accurate configuration control in line with company processes
• Support prototyping, testing and design iteration as products develop
• Contribute to engineering standards and processes as the team scales

Requirements

Minimum:

• Degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related discipline
• Demonstrable experience in mechanical design, including CAD modelling and engineering drawings
• Practical understanding of tolerancing, materials selection and manufacturing processes
• Eligible for UK security clearance: UK citizen or five or more years of continuous UK residency
• Able to work on-site in Herefordshire for the majority of the working week

Preferred:

• Proficiency in SolidWorks or a comparable parametric CAD package
• Familiarity with GD&T and BS 8888 drawing standards
• Experience in aerospace, defence, automotive, or another high-reliability engineering environment
• Experience with FEA or other simulation tools
• Comfortable building, testing, and iterating physical prototypes to validate designs
• Experience supporting or leading design reviews and engineering change processes

Benefits

We try to take the everyday pressures off your plate, so you can do your best work without worrying about the noise, and the benefits are built around that. It starts with real ownership: share options that vest over three years, so you hold a genuine stake in what we are building. You get a Claude Team account on day one and tools that keep up with you. Bupa private health is fully funded from your first day, the pension is a 6% employer contribution, and leave is generous, with 25 days plus bank holidays, your birthday off, and properly enhanced cover for both parents. The full detail comes with your offer.