Planet Recruitment are currently working with a well-established engineering and manufacturing business to recruit an experienced Principal Engineer to join their engineering team in Bedford.

This is a senior technical position offering the opportunity to take real ownership of engineering direction, product development and technical strategy within a specialist manufacturing environment.

The successful candidate will act as a key technical authority, working across design, R&D, product development, manufacturing and customer projects, while supporting the wider engineering team and helping to drive continuous improvement and innovation.

The Role

As Principal Engineer, you will:

• Provide senior technical leadership across engineering and product development.
• Take technical ownership of pump hydraulic design and structural integrity.
• Lead R&D and innovation projects, introducing new technologies and improving existing products.
• Translate customer requirements and technical specifications into effective engineering solutions.
• Work closely with Sales, Engineering, Quality, Production and Contract Management throughout the project lifecycle.
• Drive Design for Manufacture (DFM) and value engineering initiatives.
• Support product standardisation, cost reduction and improved time-to-market.
• Provide technical input into product selection, design, testing and validation.
• Support customers and end users with technical guidance relating to equipment installation, operation and maintenance.
• Lead technical investigations and root cause analysis, including FMEA and 8D methodologies.
• Ensure products comply with relevant industry and regulatory standards.
• Support the development of emerging technologies, including condition monitoring.
• Act as a technical lead for ATEX compliance across relevant products.
• Mentor and support engineers, promoting best practice and continuous improvement.

About You

We're looking for a highly experienced Mechanical Engineer with a strong background in industrial rotating machinery, ideally involving pumps, motors or similar equipment.

You will ideally have:

• A degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• 10+ years' experience in mechanical engineering design and analysis.
• Strong experience with centrifugal pumps, hydraulics and application engineering.
• Knowledge of mechanical integrity, materials, thermal dynamics, electromechanical systems, rotordynamics and vibration.
• Experience working to recognised industry standards such as ISO, API and Hydraulic Institute (HI).
• Experience in design validation and product testing.
• The ability to interpret complex engineering drawings and technical specifications.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Good commercial awareness, with the ability to balance engineering requirements against cost, customer expectations and business objectives.
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to work with customers and internal stakeholders at all levels.

Desirable Experience

Experience in any of the following would be advantageous:

• Water industry experience.
• Product management.
• SolidWorks, MathCAD, Ansys FEA or CFX.
• Vibration, noise analysis, condition monitoring or failure diagnostics.
• Electrical MCC panels, including operation, installation and testing.
• Chartered Engineer status (CEng) or a desire to work towards chartership.

Why Apply?

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced engineer looking to step into a role where they can have a genuine influence on technical direction, product development and engineering strategy.

Rather than being purely design-focused, the position offers exposure across R&D, manufacturing, commercial decision-making, customer requirements and product strategy, making it an ideal opportunity for someone who wants to operate at a senior technical level.

To find out more, please call Adam or Scott on 01865 257455

INDENG