Design Engineer (12 month FTC)

Red Bull Powertrains; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job description

For many fans of Formula One, the sport exists between lights and chequered flag on a Sunday afternoon. It begins and ends with the exploits of the drivers on the track. But this is merely the tip of the spear. The reality of modern F1 is that of a complex and intertwined operation, every part of which needs to perform near its limit if success is to be achieved. From the pit crew searching for the ultimate repeatable pit stop, to the inspiration of the designers, the application of engineers and the herculean efforts of an army of fabricators and machinists. Much of our success is thanks to the diversity of thought and spectrum of skill sets held within the team, our ability to recognise unique contributions from individual team members is just a part of why we love what we do.

Job Description

Design Engineer – 12 Month FTC

Red Bull Powertrains has an exciting opportunity to join our technical office as we transition from building our team’s first Power Units to refining them into a race-ready package, all aimed at delivering the most competitive car on the 2026 Formula One grid. We are seeking a Design Engineer to join our Build Tooling team and drive the future of motorsport innovation. You will be based at our innovative engineering and manufacturing facility in Milton Keynes, designed to produce high-performance Power Units for the 2026 engine regulations. In this role, you’ll be responsible for designing specialist build tooling utilising and developing our state-of-the-art measurement and building techniques to allow the build of the most powerful and dependable power units on the F1 grid. Maximising the effect of this group will require a highly dynamic approach and use of advanced technology, automation tools and the latest methodologies.

Key Accountabilities:

1. Design, implement and maintain robust tooling to accurately, repeatably, and reliably measure and build all aspects of the power unit.
2. Design support from assembly to integration into the engine build facility taking ownership of each Project using a Bill of Materials system (BoM) against which orders can be placed and delivery tracked.
3. Accurately estimate activity timescales and provide regular progress reports.
4. Consulting with & managing suppliers to deliver dedicated engineering solutions.
5. Verify hardware and tooling setup requirements with relevant stakeholders.
6. Develop new and refine existing procedures to standardise measurements and build.
7. Maintain a library of build tooling hardware solutions suitable for a variety of applications in close collaboration with the Power unit design teams and Build Teams.
8. Function as a focal point for relevant build design questions and problem solving.

Key Competencies:

1. You will have relevant design experience in the field of state-of-the-art engine build and tooling, ideally with top class racing background.
2. Detailed understanding of the current F1 power unit.
3. Bachelor and/or master’s degree in mechanical engineering (or related field) and a wide range of mechanical and systems design engineering experience, preferably with practical experience from working within similar fields of engineering.
4. A solid understanding of manufacturing techniques, materials, and processes along with influencing design factors such as lead times.
5. Proficiency in all aspects of 3D CAD (Siemens NX) including part, assembly, manufacturing drawing generation and the application of GD&T to BS8888.
6. Dynamic and driven with a desire to learn new techniques and understand modern technologies.
7. Confidently undertake tolerance studies, analyse, and overcome technical challenges with workable and innovative solutions.
8. Methodical and patient approach to working even during times of high pressure, with a good focus on balancing quality and time.
9. Excellent communication, presentation, coordination, and organizational skills.
10. Initiative-taker and confident decision maker with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of the team.
11. A passion for engineering and racing, ideally with experience building engines/cars professionally or personally.

Not only is this a fantastic Design Engineer role, but it is also a fantastic team to work with here at Red Bull Powertrains. A good salary is just the start; there are many other benefits too such as our bonus scheme, private health care cover, life assurance scheme, workplace nursery scheme, company contributed pension scheme, on site gym & fitness classes, free daily food allowance, and a cycle to work scheme; but above all, the job satisfaction doesn’t get any better than the feeling of making a real contribution to our championship winning grand prix cars.