The market for jobs hard going at the moment.  Well, good ones, at least.  Everywhere you look it seems as though another business is closing, restructuring or struggling in some way so being in a stable job is understandably important.

If finding a role where you have that, but that’ll also challenge you to be the best version of yourself appeals, you might want to hear more about this one.

Starting with the work; as a Mechanical Design Engineer you’ll be using Inventor to design complex special purpose machinery.  Every project is 100% bespoke so whilst you’ll probably find some crossover with elements of other projects, no 2 projects will be the same. 

I really want to stress that this isn’t your 3-metre straight line conveyor system that goes into a food site.  We’re talking gas combustion ovens, coolers, hot plates, dispensers and “pick and place” systems covering multiple fully automated product lines.

Culturally; this is a team that works closely together with the customers’ maintenance team in mind.  Sales actively encourage engineering involvement so there’s no risk of over promising.  That means you’ll have a chance to meet customer and be truly involved from concept all the way through to commissioning.  You’ll probably want to stay close to the electrical and software teams too, to make sure everything will run smoothly for the customer on delivery. 

The business is firmly on the acquisition trail.  That means they’re actively pursuing additions to their existing skillset either with completely new technology in a similar technical area or its desire to add in more advanced robotics capability. 

Right now, there’s quite a flat team structure.  That’s probably quite good if you’re keen to expand your knowledge and experience as an engineer but not so good if you’re hoping this’ll be a step into team leadership or something like that – might as well be honest rather than letting you think you’ll likely be running the place inside 5 years.  That said, as things continue to grow and expand there’s no saying you won’t take the lead on some pretty innovative and interesting projects that could see your opportunities to climb the ladder increase.

Salary wise; you’ll probably start on a base of around £40k - £42k, though I’d imagine that’ll grow as your time and influence on the team does.  It’s a company with really solid staff retention, which is never a bad sign.

The offices are in Nelson.  Just off the motorway and in a really nice new (ish) industrial unit.  You’ll be based there during the working week (site visits aside) – some people will see that as a dealbreaker, which is fair enough.  If you see it as a chance to collaborate with an experienced and growing engineering team on a massive growth trajectory, I really think we should speak.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a CV ready to go just yet.  We can cross that bridge when we come to it. 0161 250 5326 | daki@optima-cs.com  

Mechanical Design Engineer - £50k – Bradford

If you're looking for a role where you’ll just churn out the same old designs, this probably isn’t it. But if you’re ready to tackle some of the most complex manufacturing automation problems and want to help create solutions that set new standards, keep reading.

The company is growing quickly and need a solid Mechanical Design Engineer who can hit the ground running, contributing to their reputation for delivering complete process solutions—ones that help customers increase efficiency, cut costs, and eliminate defects. They need someone who can translate that reputation into mechanical design excellence.

From initial concept to final delivery, you'll be instrumental in bringing sophisticated automation solutions to life, working closely with customers to understand their manufacturing needs and then bringing them life using Solidworks. From designing automated assembly machines to manual tooling aids, your work will be central to improving how production happens on the factory floor.

You won’t be stuck in one area either, you’ll collaborate across departments—whether it’s electrical engineers, suppliers, or manufacturing teams—to ensure that every aspect of the project comes together seamlessly.

You’ll be based in Bradford and salary is around £50k to start with, though that could flex for the right person. Get in touch for more info – beth@optima-cs.com | 0161 250 5326