Mechanical / Design Engineer (software development and simulation focus)

We are primarily looking for a mechanical or design engineer who enjoys using software and coding to solve physical engineering problems.

About Haigh Engineering

Haigh Group is a specialist equipment manufacturer delivering benefits in healthcare and water quality worldwide. We're committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation to deliver impactful solutions that improve the lives of people and the health of our planet. We're dedicated to simplifying compliance and making our systems easy to use and maintain, even in highly regulated sectors. Our diverse client base includes around half of NHS hospitals and all UK wastewater companies, impacting millions of lives daily.

A core focus of the business is the creation of new technologies and intellectual property that underpin future products. Our small engineering team combines software, simulation, and practical engineering to rapidly explore and validate new ideas.

Our Culture

We foster a culture of innovation, ownership, and freedom. We value collaboration, creativity, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. We're looking for individuals who are passionate about their work, eager to learn and grow, and committed to making a long-term contribution to our company.

Location

The R&D facility is based in the vibrant Milton Park area near Didcot, Oxfordshire, offering a stimulating environment with on-site amenities and convenient access to transportation.

The Role

We are looking for a mechanical, design, or similar engineer who enjoys using software and programming to solve real-world engineering problems. With a keen aptitude and interest in software development to help accelerate innovation through software development, modelling, and automation.

This role is ideal for a high-performing graduate or early-career engineer who enjoys applying software to solve real engineering problems - from building internal tools and simulations to exploring new technical concepts and supporting the creation of patentable technologies.

Within this role, you will be fully involved in the intellectual property development process, spanning idea generation, prototyping, and critical analysis. Your key responsibility within the team will be developing software that speeds up experimentation, simulation, and engineering analysis, enabling faster and more creative innovation cycle.

This role will also provide the opportunity to develop software and systems spanning the wider business.

Key responsibilities

• Developing software tools and simulations to support engineering and product development.
• Building automation and analysis tools that accelerate experimentation and design iteration.
• Applying AI and modern development tools to enhance engineering workflows.
• Exploring and modelling new technical concepts to support the creation of new intellectual property.
• Supporting the development and critical evaluation of inventive ideas and patent drafts.
• Collaborating with engineers to turn early-stage concepts into testable prototypes.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree (typically 2:1 or above) in Mechanical Engineering, Design Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Strong programming ability and experience in Python, C++ or similar languages.
• Ability to use software to solve technical or engineering problems.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Curiosity and interest in exploring new technical ideas.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Desirable Experience

• Experience with simulation tools (e.g. OpenFOAM.)
• Experience building engineering or scientific software tools.
• Experience with 3D/modelling tools (e.g. Blender)
• Experience with AI-assisted development tools.
• Hands-on prototyping or experimental engineering experience.
• Previous industrial experience in an engineering or software development role.

Why join Haigh Engineering?

Haigh provides the perfect environment to challenge and develop graduate engineers through a wide range of technical and practical challenges. Alongside seeing your impact through from conceptualisation to physical solutions deployed in the real-world. Specifically, the role will provide the opportunity to:

• Work on novel technologies and patentable ideas, not just incremental development.
• Use software to solve real-world engineering challenges.
• Be part of a small, highly capable engineering team where your work has direct impact.
• Gain exposure to software, simulation, invention, and physical engineering in one role.

If you are an engineer who enjoys building software tools, modelling complex systems, and applying code to real-world engineering problems, we encourage you to apply. Please submit your CV and a cover letter highlighting your relevant skills and experience. We look forward to hearing from you!

Applications should be submitted to Laura Thirkettle via the button below.