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AUV Mechanical Design Engineer
National Oceanography Centre
Design
Southampton, UK
GBP 43,703-47,941 / year
Posted on Oct 7, 2025
AUV Mechanical Design Engineer
National Oceanography Centre, Southampton
Permanent
Full time
£43,703 - £47,941
Who are we?
We are the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) - the UK’s leading institution for integrated coastal and deep ocean research. Through our ground-breaking research, collaboration, and game-changing innovation we work to gain a deeper understanding of our ocean, helping every living thing on our planet flourish.
We are made up of a dynamic and vibrant community focused on solving challenging long-term marine science problems, underpinning international and UK public policy, business and societal outcomes.
The ocean has the potential to provide the solutions to so many of the social, economic and environmental challenges we face worldwide. To truly harness the value of the ocean, we put ocean research, science and discovery at the heart of our culture.
Join us in shaping the future of oceanographic research and contribute your unique perspective to our organisation.
About the role
The Marine Autonomous and Robotic Systems (MARS) group at the National Oceanography Centre develops, operates, and maintains the UK’s marine science robotic fleet. The fleet consists of AUVs, subsea gliders, unmanned surface vehicles, ROVs, and Towed Underwater Vehicles. We operate our systems worldwide, deploying our research equipment in the Arctic, Antarctic, and the deep oceans in between. Our systems have surveyed, photographed, and sampled the oceans around the world. The focus of the team’s work is to support the marine scientist community and commercial customers in their efforts to understand the ocean and to monitor the associated resources.
Within MARS, the Development Teams are tasked with designing the next generation of robotic systems and supporting infrastructure which will support ongoing scientific data gathering requirements. The mechanical team designs, develops, and maintaining equipment for marine scientific research, focusing on the challenges of extreme ocean environments. The NOC has pioneered the development of marine autonomous systems for many years. You can find more information on our website: https://noc.ac.uk/technology/technology-archive/autosub-development.
About you
You will have a solid background in mechanical design for complex systems, able to take responsibility for your projects from initial concept to completion. You will also need solid experience of utilising 3DCAD (Autodesk Inventor an advantage), be comfortable both using hand calculations and appropriate numerical analysis tools (ANSYS an advantage), during the design process. Experience of all areas of development throughout the full engineering development life-cycle is highly desirable, as is experience in some aspects of marine engineering.
Why NOC?
We offer a generous set of benefits, including:
- 30 days contractual annual leave, plus 3.5 extra closure days and bank holidays
- a 10% employer contribution pension scheme
- access to our Employee Assistance Programme, offering free and anonymous support on mental, physical, emotional, health and financial issues
- access to a flexible benefits portal offering online discounts, cashback and eGift cards
- a Cycle2Work scheme allowing employees to acquire bikes and accessories
- a great working environment with a number of social events, including summer and Christmas celebrations
- we are proud to be a Living Wage Employer
Location
This position will be based in Southampton. The centre is well connected by public transport and has ample cycle parking in addition to free onsite car-parking with over 40 EV charging points.
We may be able to offer financial support for applicants who will need to relocate for this position.
Please note under current UK immigration rules, NOC is only able to sponsor candidate who meet the relevant VISA requirements. Unfortunately, this means that sponsorship is limited to certain categories of applicants such as those with a PhD in a relevant discipline or those qualifying under other exemptions. Applicants who do not meet the visa criteria will need to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.
Submitting an application
Please click ‘Apply for this job’ and submit an up-to-date CV and cover letter. If you are unable to apply online, please contact the NOC recruitment team at careers@noc.ac.uk / 07355 676794.
Before submitting your application please ensure you have reviewed the attached job description and person specification.
We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We actively encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position, as we strive to create a supportive and equitable environment where all voices are valued and heard.
Those seeking employment at NOC are considered solely on their qualifications, skills and experience, without regard to gender, gender identity, age, race, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, relationship status, family status (including pregnancy / maternity leave) or any other protected characteristic.
There is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the position and declare a disability. NOC is an Investors in People organisation.
Date advert posted: 06/10/2025
Closing date: 02/11/2025. This vacancy may close earlier depending on the number of applicants.
Please note we are not accepting applications via recruitment agencies for this position.