Mechanical Engineer - #187060

Job Type

Full-time

Description

LOCATION

Plymouth

REPORTING TO

Process Engineering Manager

About Us

G&H is a world leader in optical designing, testing and manufacturing. As experts in the technology of light, G&H works with customers to provide optical systems, assemblies, and components for demanding applications.

Headquartered in Ilminster Somerset, UK with primary operations in the USA and Europe, G&H is recognised for the breadth of our acousto-optic, electro-optic, crystal-optic, fibre optic, and precision optic products. G&H is recognised as the preferred source for OEMs in the life sciences, industrial, and aerospace and defence industries, with a history of quality and excellence that dates back over seventy-five years.

Our success is built on innovation, precision, and the talent of our people. We are committed to developing capability at every stage of a career, from apprenticeships and graduate pathways through to leadership development.

ROLE

As a Mechanical Engineer, you will play a key role in the design, development, and delivery of precision-engineered solutions to support complex optical and manufacturing projects. You’ll combine hands-on technical expertise with strategic thinking to ensure that all engineering activities meet operational, safety, and quality standards, while aligning with G&H’s values and procedures.

You will lead the interpretation of technical drawings and apply advanced Solidworks and analytical tools to develop robust engineering designs that meet both customer and internal specifications. Working closely with the Process Engineering team, you’ll create detailed engineering drawings and specifications to support seamless integration into manufacturing workflows.

Your role will involve managing and coordinating engineering projects to ensure timely delivery of critical components and solutions. You’ll design and implement cost-effective tooling and equipment modifications, with a focus on enhancing safety, performance, and throughput. You’ll also collaborate with internal stakeholders, subcontractors, and suppliers to resolve complex design challenges and deliver high-performing, manufacturable solutions.

With responsibility for overseeing installations, testing, and commissioning of new or modified equipment, you will ensure all engineering outputs are compliant, reliable, and production-ready. You will also contribute to customer quotations by preparing accurate costings for tooling and engineering work, and play a key role in training, reporting, and presenting both internally and externally.

Above all, you will uphold a strong culture of safety, professionalism, and continuous improvement, while fully complying with company policies, health & safety legislation, and engineering governance procedures.

Responsibilities

• Use research, analytical, and SolidWorks, to produce engineering drawings and designs.
• Manage projects to ensure products and deliverables are received on time.
• Develop engineering drawings and specification with the Process team to meet specific project, and production requirements.
• Design and implement cost effective tooling solution equipment modification and to help improve safety, reliability and throughput.
• Design solution to complex problems with, Manufacturing Engineers, sub-contractors, suppliers and customers.
• Develop, test and evaluate theoretical designs to ensure product can be made reliably and will perform consistently in the specified operating environments.
• Oversee installation and commissioning to ensure that engineering modification, tooling and equipment are installed and functioning according to specifications. Prepare and submit costs for engineering, or tooling expenses to the bid team to assist with the preparation of customer quotations.
• Provide training where required for new of modified equipment.
• Take the lead in assembling product lines when required.
• Skilled in practical, hands-on work with tools, including the ability to perform minor tooling modifications and assist with tooling assembly or adjustment tasks when needed.
• Produce reports and presentations for both internal and external customers.
  
  

Qualifications

• Minimum HNC/HND Level in Mechanical Engineering, BEng Degree preferred.
• Experience in a mechanical engineering role, ideally within a manufacturing or high-precision production environment
• Hands on experience in Mechanical Assembly.
• Proven experience with the use of SolidWorks design software and 3D printing.
• Project Management Experience
• Proficient in using tools for process analysis and documentation
• Familiarity with change control processes and regulatory/compliance standards (e.g., ISO 9001, AS9100)
• Excellent communication, documentation, and problem-solving abilities
  
  

G&h Benefits

• 25 Days annual leave plus UK Bank Holidays, increasing with length of service up to 30 days.
• Cycle to work scheme
• Site Bonus scheme
• Health & wellbeing cash plan
  
  

Notes: This job description is not intended to be exhaustive in every respect, but rather to clearly define the fundamental purpose, responsibilities and dimensions for the role. Therefore, this job description does not describe any individual role holder. In addition to the contents of this job description, employees are expected to undertake any and all other reasonable and related tasks allocated by their line manager.

The Company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunity or practices on the grounds of gender, race, religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by national laws under which the Company operates.

Potential candidates should be aware that many of the employment roles at Gooch & Housego are subject to government security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities that you may have previously held and your place of birth, could restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation.

All UK applicants must, as a minimum, be able to successfully complete security vetting to the UK government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard, which includes a criminal record check being performed. Many roles may also require higher levels of security vetting to be completed, where applicants must typically have been continuously resident within the UK for the past five to ten years.