Mechanical Design Engineer- Interior/Exterior

Yacht Designer

Company Overview

We are a world-class British builder of luxury bluewater sailing yachts, recognised internationally for exceptional design, engineering excellence, and high-quality craftsmanship. With a long-standing heritage in yacht building, we deliver bespoke sailing yachts designed for offshore performance, comfort, and safety. Our teams combine modern digital design methods with hands-on production expertise to produce truly premium vessels.

The Opportunity

We're looking for an Yacht Designer to join a busy in-house Design team working on exterior and interior designs , collaborating with designers, naval architects, and project managers to take exterior concepts through to production release.

Based in Southampton or Wroxham, you'll produce detailed exterior outfit and deck-layout designs, assemblies, and fabrication drawings, and provide ongoing technical support throughout the build cycle. This role suits someone who enjoys combining creative exterior design with practical engineering and production realities, working closely with build teams and suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and maintain detailed drawings aligned to project plans, build schedules, and new-product programmes
• Develop and maintain an accurate 3D digital model ("digital twin") of the yacht for production use
• Produce, manage, and control technical information relating to exterior outfit and supporting engineering data
• Release design packs and coordinate with external suppliers and fabricators
• Support surface modelling and GRP tooling design activities
• Provide project teams with technical input to support customer decision-making and specification selections
• Work closely with production teams to identify issues early, resolve design/buildability challenges, and reduce rework/lost time
• Maintain and update design databases (e.g., drawing registers, weight estimates, sail/deck plans, general arrangements)
• Design deck fittings, standard parts, bespoke components, and custom fabrications
• Develop designs for stainless steel and other metalwork fabrications
• Design exterior mechanical systems and installations (e.g., pushpits, passerelles, biminis, deck hatches)
• Provide clear, accurate technical documentation to enable efficient build and installation

About You (Required Skills & Experience)

• Proven experience in a comparable design role (marine preferred)
• Strong 3D parametric CAD capability (experience with NX is desirable)
• Strong 2D AutoCAD drafting skills
• Understanding of fabrication/manufacture in stainless steel, aluminium, and composites
• Good understanding of mechanical systems and installations
• Practical knowledge/interest in sailing yachts and how systems are used in the real world
• Ability to interpret and produce detailed technical drawings and design documentation
• Confident communicator, comfortable working closely with production teams and translating design intent into buildable solutions
• Competent in Microsoft Office (especially Excel)
• Proactive, organised, and able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines

Qualifications / Desirable Experience

• Degree (or equivalent experience) in Design, Engineering, or similar
• Practical experience within the marine industry
• Knowledge of naval architecture principles
• Understanding of sailing systems (e.g., hydraulic rams, furlers, winches)
• Experience designing/specifying exterior yacht components and systems