LEAD ENGINEER - BALLISTICS & ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT Salary:Competitive,Full-timeofpaidpro-ratabasedon38hoursperweek Job Location:Bangor,Officebased JobType:Permanent Company:VikelaArmourLtd Benefits:Pension, 26 days holiday plus public holidays, option for upskilling and personal development ABOUT YOU You bring deep technical expertise and a hands-on mindset.
Whether it's developing novel components, refining advanced manufacturing processes, or running rigorous performance tests, you thrive at the cutting edge of physical product innovation.
Youre not just comfortable with complexity you lean into it, combining simulation, materials R&D, and rigorous testing to push performance forward.
Youreanaturalprojectowner,havingledhardwarefromconceptthroughtocertified production.
You take pride in your documentation and diligence and you know the value of data-driven iteration.
Youre collaborative, dependable, and motivated to deliver meaningful, field-ready products that protect lives.
KEY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE Toapplyfortherole,youwillneedtodemonstratethefollowing: BEng/MEng (minimum) in Mechanical, Materials, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline; higher degree preferred Expertise in protection systems including design and testing of composites Strong understanding of high-energy impact physics and material response under dynamic loads Previousexperiencewithadditivemanufacturingincludingparametertuningandprocess troubleshooting Proficient in SolidWorks and nonlinear FEA tools (Ansys, Abaqus) End-to-endownershipofatleastonehardwareproductfromconceptthroughprototyping and into released production ExperienceleadingmaterialsandprocessR&Dtoachieveperformanceandcosttargetsat scale Experiencementoringjuniorengineersandcommunicatingprogresstoinvestorsanddefence customers Open to travel across the UK, EU, and US as needed.
Above all, a Fantastic Attitude JOB SPECIFICATION AsaLeadEngineer,youwillbeinvolvedin: Product Ownership:Full cradle-to-launch responsibility for protection plates and extremity protection systems.
Design&Simulation:CreateCADmodels(SolidWorks),performnonlinearFEA (Ansys/Abaqus), and apply optimisation tools.
Additive Manufacturing:Operate and tune SLS polymer printing systems; optimise powder handling, laser parameters, and thermal cycles.
Ballistics R&D:Lead test planning, internal trials, and collaborate with accredited test houses; manage data analysis and redesign.
Materials & Process Innovation:Developandrefinepowderfeedstocks,slicingstrategies, and print conditions to meet cost/performance targets.
Compliance & Documentation:Author BoMs, DFMEAs, ISO quality records, and CE/UKCA technical files.
Stakeholder Engagement:LiaisewithMoD,DE&S,suppliers,andtestlabs;supportIP strategy and patent filings.
Team & Communication:Mentor junior engineers and interns; deliver progress updates to investors and defence customers.
HOW TO APPLY If you are confident in your ability to help us achieve our vision and would like to learn more, please submit your CV by clicking Apply below.
If you are successful at this first stage, you will be sent an email with further instructions.
Thank you for your interest, and Good Luck