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.
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.
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.
Salary range: £43,703 – £47,941
Application deadline: November 2, 2025
