Mechanical Design Engineer Jobs North West | SimWest
Mechanical Design Engineer Jobs & Career Opportunities in the North West
You design machinery that needs to work in the real world. Your next career move deserves the same practical thinking.
SimWest connects Mechanical Design Engineers with manufacturing, machinery and automation businesses across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside. Actively looking or quietly open to the right role? We’d like to hear from you.
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Confidential registration. No fee to candidates. No CV sent to employers without your agreement.
Design Engineer is more than a job title or a CAD package
You might be developing a complete production line, producing detailed drawings for fabricated assemblies, or solving problems with a machine that’s already on the workshop floor.
We take the time to understand the equipment you’ve worked on, the level of design responsibility you hold and what you’d like from your next role. That helps us distinguish a genuinely relevant opportunity from another generic job advert.
Not actively job hunting? That’s absolutely fine. Register your CV confidentially and tell us what might make the right opportunity worth considering. You can decide whether to take a conversation further.
If you'd like to explore the profession in more detail, our Design Engineer Occupational Profile covers the responsibilities, skills and career opportunities associated with design engineering.
The details that make a role worth considering:
✓ More interesting machinery or technically challenging projects.
✓ Better salary, benefits and long-term progression.
✓ Working closer to home or reducing your commute.
✓ More involvement from concept through to manufacture and assembly.
✓ A team, working environment and culture that suit you.
If salary is an important consideration, explore our 2026 Design Engineering Salary Survey for further insight into design engineering pay.
Mechanical Design Engineer opportunities for different career stages
We support machinery manufacturers and engineering-led businesses recruiting across a range of mechanical design positions, from developing engineers to experienced technical leads.
Junior & Intermediate Design Engineers
Build your experience in 3D CAD, production drawings, assemblies, fabrication and practical machinery design.
Mechanical Design Engineers
Take ownership of equipment, sub-assemblies or complete machinery projects across concept and detailed design.
Senior, Lead & Principal Design Engineers
Bring technical leadership, design reviews, project responsibility and mentoring to ambitious engineering teams.
3D CAD platforms
SolidWorks · Autodesk Inventor · Solid Edge · PTC Creo · AutoCAD · Other 3D CAD
The right opportunity depends on your wider engineering experience as well as the software you use. Some employers are open to transferring between CAD platforms.
Machinery & engineering backgrounds
Special-purpose machinery · Conveyors and materials handling · Packaging equipment · Industrial automation · Food and process machinery · Production lines · Fabrication and assemblies
Your experience doesn’t need to be in one particular industry. Transferable equipment and design experience can be valuable.
Design engineering careers across the North West
From our Manchester base, we work with engineering and manufacturing businesses throughout the North West. Tell us where you’re based and how far you’d realistically travel, so we can focus on opportunities that fit your life as well as your experience.
Areas include Manchester and Salford, Bolton and Bury, Wigan and Warrington, Blackburn and Preston, Liverpool and Merseyside, Cheshire and Chester, Stockport and Oldham, and wider Lancashire.
Office-based, hybrid and other arrangements depend on the employer and vacancy.
How to join the SimWest Design Engineer network
You don’t need to apply for a specific job to start a conversation. Let us know about your experience and we can consider you for relevant opportunities as they arise.
1. Register confidentially
Use SimWest’s secure CV submission form to share your details and engineering experience.
2. Tell us what suits you
We can discuss your CAD skills, machinery background, salary expectations, preferred location and career goals.
3. Explore relevant opportunities
When something potentially suitable arises, we’ll explain the role and let you decide whether to proceed. We will not send your CV to a client without your agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be actively looking for a new job?
No. You can register if you’re actively searching, open to the right opportunity or simply interested in understanding what’s happening in the market.
Do you only recruit engineers from machinery manufacturers?
Machinery manufacturing, automation, capital equipment and industrial engineering are key areas of focus. We can also consider engineers from other sectors where their design experience is transferable to the roles we handle.
Which CAD software should I have experience with?
We regularly encounter roles involving SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge and other 3D CAD packages. Employers have different requirements; some are open to engineers moving between systems.
Where in the North West do you recruit?
Across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside, including Manchester, Bolton, Bury, Blackburn, Preston, Warrington, Stockport and Liverpool. Individual opportunities vary by location.
Will my CV be shared with employers without permission?
No. We discuss relevant roles with you and obtain your agreement before presenting your details to an employer. For information about how we handle your data, read our privacy policy.
Is there a charge to register?
No. There is no fee for candidates to register or use our recruitment service, and registration does not guarantee that a suitable role is currently available.
The right Design Engineer role might not be advertised yet
Register with SimWest so we can learn what you design, where you want to work and which opportunities you’d consider. Whether your next move is soon or further down the line, the conversation starts with you.
Register your CV confidentially
No CV ready? Email hello@simwestengineering.co.uk to start a conversation, or give us a call on 0161 706 1065
SimWest Engineering Recruitment – Engineering recruitment. Properly understood.