Design Engineer - Refrigeration

Chelmsford Area, Essex
Up to £50,000 + Excellent Benefits

Are you a Design Engineer with experience in refrigeration systems, thermodynamics, or heat transfer? Would you like to work on cutting-edge laboratory equipment used by leading research and life sciences organisations around the world?

Our client, a global manufacturer of advanced scientific equipment, is seeking a Design Engineer to join their growing R&D team. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the development of innovative ultra-low temperature refrigeration systems and play a key role in bringing new products from concept through to manufacture.

The Role

Working within a multidisciplinary engineering team, you will be responsible for the design, development, testing, and continuous improvement of refrigeration systems used in highly specialised laboratory equipment.

You will support the full product development lifecycle, applying engineering principles, mathematical modelling, and practical testing to deliver reliable, high-performance solutions that meet customer, regulatory, and manufacturing requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop ultra-low temperature refrigeration systems for new and existing products.
• Perform engineering calculations, thermodynamic analysis, and mathematical modelling to predict system performance.
• Produce and review refrigeration system specifications and technical documentation.
• Work closely with suppliers and manufacturing teams to ensure designs are practical, cost-effective, and manufacturable.
• Plan, conduct, and analyse refrigeration system testing and validation activities.
• Identify opportunities for product improvements, cost reductions, and performance enhancements.
• Support root cause investigations relating to quality issues and customer feedback.
• Maintain documentation in line with ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 quality standards.
• Research emerging technologies and contribute to future product development strategies.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Strong knowledge of thermodynamics and heat transfer principles.
• Experience designing or developing refrigeration systems or thermal management products.
• Experience supporting new product development projects.
• Knowledge of structured product development or phase-gate processes.
• Understanding of Design for Manufacture (DFM), FMEA, and ISO 9001 design controls.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a practical, hands-on approach.

Desirable Experience

• MSc or PhD in Heat Transfer, Thermodynamics, or a related field.
• Experience with RefProp, Flownex, SolidWorks, or similar engineering software.
• Knowledge of F-Gas regulations and hydrocarbon refrigerants.
• Experience working within Agile development environments.

Benefits

• Salary up to £50,000 with annual salary reviews.
• Flexible working hours (Monday to Friday).
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• Option to buy or sell up to 5 additional holiday days.
• Private medical insurance.
• Enhanced pension scheme.
• Free on-site parking.
• Employee wellbeing programme.
• Regular company social events.
• Ongoing training and genuine career progression opportunities.

If you have experience as a Design Engineer, Refrigeration Engineer, Thermal Engineer, Mechanical Design Engineer, Product Development Engineer, R&D Engineer, or Heat Transfer Engineer, we would love to hear from you.

Contact Julia at Prime Appointments for more information or apply today.

Please note: Candidates requiring sponsorship now or in the future cannot be considered for this position.