Design & FEA Model Preparation Engineer (Mechanical)

Location: Fareham, Hampshire
Salary: £35,000 - £40,000
Working Pattern: Hybrid working available following an initial three-month induction period

Looking to develop your mechanical design career while gaining exposure to FEA and structural engineering?

We’re looking for a talented and enthusiastic Design & FEA Model Preparation Engineer to join an established engineering team based in Fareham.

This is an exciting opportunity for a mechanically minded engineer with strong 3D CAD skills to work on innovative product development projects while developing their knowledge of Finite Element Analysis (FEA).

The role offers a varied combination of mechanical design and FEA model preparation, with approximately 60% focused on mechanical design and 40% on preparing CAD models for structural analysis.

You’ll be working on next-generation heat exchanger technology, supporting products used across exciting and evolving sectors including data centres, heat pumps and hydrogen technologies.

Joining an experienced engineering team, you’ll receive training and support while developing your technical expertise and contributing to projects with global applications.

The Role

You’ll be involved in both mechanical design and the preparation of engineering models for analysis, with responsibilities including:

Mechanical Design 

• Creating and developing 3D mechanical designs using Autodesk Inventor.
• Producing and maintaining detailed 2D engineering drawings.
• Working with complex mechanical assemblies and sheet metal components.
• Supporting the development of heat exchanger products from concept through to initial production.
• Maintaining Bills of Materials (BOMs) and associated technical documentation.
• Improving existing product designs, considering performance, reliability and manufacturability.
• Supporting prototype development, initial manufacturing and product improvements.
• Collaborating with international engineering and manufacturing teams.

FEA Model Preparation 

• Preparing and simplifying complex CAD models for Finite Element Analysis (FEA).
• Removing unnecessary geometric detail while retaining important structural features and load paths.
• Defining model elements such as thicknesses, connections and interfaces.
• Working alongside structural engineers to ensure models are suitable for analysis.
• Identifying and resolving geometry and meshing issues.
• Checking model accuracy and documenting engineering assumptions.
• Helping improve and standardise CAD-to-FEA processes.

What We’re Looking For

We’re particularly interested in engineers with a strong mechanical design foundation and good 3D CAD capability, who are keen to expand their knowledge into FEA and structural engineering.

You’ll ideally have:

• A degree or relevant qualification in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Good working knowledge of Autodesk Inventor.
• Experience creating 3D models and producing 2D engineering drawings.
• An understanding of mechanical assemblies and manufacturing processes.
• The ability to work with complex CAD models and engineering documentation.
• Strong attention to detail and a methodical approach to problem-solving.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively.
• A genuine interest in developing your technical knowledge of FEA and structural analysis.

Desirable: Any exposure to FEA, structural analysis, meshing or software such as ANSYS, Abaqus or LS-DYNA would be advantageous. Experience with sheet metal design, CAD automation or Autodesk Vault would also be beneficial.

Importantly, you don’t need to be an experienced FEA Engineer. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with solid mechanical design and CAD skills who wants to broaden their engineering expertise and develop into the FEA field.

What’s On Offer?

• Competitive salary of £35,000 - £40,000
• Hybrid working available following an initial three-month induction period.
• Structured training and support from an experienced