Principal Thermal Engineer

Leonardo

Principal Thermal Engineer conducting thermal analysis and advising on design for Defence products. Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to meet performance and environmental requirements.

Posted 6/23/2026full-timeBasildon • 🇬🇧 United KingdomLead💰 £53,259 - £70,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Conduct thermal analysis of mechanical designs to assess performance and safety using thermal analysis software, CFD techniques, and classical hand calculations.
Provide expert guidance on cooling strategies and recommend thermal design improvements as required.
Advise on materials and manufacturing techniques with an emphasis on thermal performance and mechanical integrity.
Define thermal requirements and develop methods for verifying compliance across Leonardo products.
Drive innovation in thermal design, introducing new technologies and methodologies.
Support product development through all phases—from design and testing to final certification.
Deliver thermal solutions that meet performance requirements on time and within budget.
Contribute to technical documentation, including material for peer reviews and stage/gate approvals.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Degree in Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering
Post-graduate experience in Thermal engineering.
Proven expertise in thermal analysis, with a track record of developing equipment for challenging and extreme operating environments.
Proficiency in CFD tools, preferably Ansys Icepak and Ansys Fluent, alongside a solid foundation in classical hand calculation methods.
Experience of environmental test methods for design verification and working knowledge of design certification for land based and airborne equipment.
Knowledge of Regulatory Standards including but not limited to: Def Stan 00-970, Health and Safety HSE Regulations including Hazardous Waste Regulation.
Compliance with Pressure Equipment Regulation, Pressure System Safety Regulation and Fluorinated Gas Regulations.
Awareness of equipment safety compliance requirements, including the ability to support inspection processes and generate fault and failure reports.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence the direction of both internal and external customers.
A proven problem solver with a practical, pragmatic approach.
Ability to take ownership of work packages, planning and scheduling own workload and the work of others.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity.
All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
Flexible hours with hybrid working options.

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Hard Skills & Tools

thermal analysisCFD techniquesclassical hand calculationsthermal design improvementsthermal requirementsdesign verificationenvironmental test methodsthermal engineeringproblem solvingplanning and scheduling

Soft Skills

communication skillsinfluencingownershippragmatic approach