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The Design and Development team works in a fast paced environment at the intersection of cutting edge maritime technology and defence capability requirements. Collaboration, adaptability and precision are central to the Company’s culture. The team is closely integrated with Kraken’s engineering and operations functions, ensuring seamless translation of customer needs into practical solutions.

As a Principal Naval Architect, you will provide senior technical expertise and guidance across multiple projects, supporting the design and development of high-performance marine craft from concept through to delivery. Acting as a subject matter expert, you will work alongside project Leads and multidisciplinary teams to solve complex engineering challenges, improve technical quality, and ensure consistency of approach across the organisation.

Working closely with the Design Director (Technical Authority) and Design Manager, you will contribute to the development of engineering methods, tools, and standards, while supporting the delivery of robust, high-performance, and compliant vessel designs.

• Provide specialist technical guidance across multiple projects in areas including hydrodynamics, stability, performance, and vessel integration.
• Support Project Leads in defining, developing, and delivering robust naval architecture solutions.
• Lead the resolution of complex, critical, or high-risk technical challenges.
• Review and endorse key design outputs, including calculations, analyses, reports, and technical documentation, prior to Technical Authority approval.
• Contribute to hull form development, stability strategies, and vessel performance optimisation activities.
• Support weight control and management strategies, ensuring vessel-level design integrity and coherence.
• Promote consistency and best practice in engineering approaches, tools, methodologies, and standards across projects.
• Contribute to the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of naval architecture methods, tools, processes, and standards.
• Participate in design reviews, ensuring technical risks, assumptions, dependencies, and decisions are clearly identified, assessed, and communicated.
• Act as a technical interface with internal stakeholders and external organisations, including clients, suppliers, and classification societies.
• Support business development activities through concept studies, feasibility assessments, and technical input to bids and proposals.
• Mentor, coach, and support the professional development of senior, junior, and graduate engineers.
• Identify, communicate, and help mitigate technical risks, capability gaps, lessons learned, and opportunities for continuous improvement.

• Degree-qualified in Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, Ship Science, or a closely related discipline (BEng, MEng, or equivalent).
• Extensive experience in naval architecture, ship design, and marine craft development.
• Demonstrated track record of delivering vessel design solutions across multiple projects and/or complex programmes.
• Strong technical knowledge of hydrostatics, stability, hydrodynamics, and vessel integration principles.
• Proven experience using stability analysis software, such as Paramarine or equivalent industry-standard tools.
• Ability to analyse and resolve complex engineering problems, providing sound technical judgement and guidance.
• Good understanding of classification society requirements, industry standards, and applicable regulatory frameworks.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience in reviewing, assuring, and approving technical calculations, analyses, reports, and design documentation.
• Capable of providing technical leadership, mentoring engineers, and supporting the development of engineering capability.
• Ability to identify, assess, and manage technical risks throughout the design and delivery lifecycle.
• Commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and the application of engineering best practice.

• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status or actively working towards professional registration.
• Experience within high-performance marine, defence, naval, or advanced craft sectors.
• Specialist expertise in one or more naval architecture disciplines, such as hydrodynamics, foils, stability, seakeeping, or performance modelling.
• Experience applying advanced engineering analysis techniques, including Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and integration with Finite Element Analysis (FEA).
• Understanding of composite structures, lightweight design principles, and advanced materials used in marine applications.
• Experience supporting business development activities, including bids, concept design studies, feasibility assessments, and early-stage vessel design.
• Familiarity with engaging and liaising with classification societies throughout design, review, approval, and certification processes.
• Proven experience mentoring engineers and contributing to the development of technical capability within engineering teams.
• Ability to provide subject matter expertise and technical leadership within multidisciplinary project environments.
• Demonstrated commitment to innovation, continuous improvement, and the advancement of naval architecture best practice.

• Provide technical leadership across vessel design and development activities
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to solve complex challenges
• Take ownership of critical technical decisions and drive them through to implementation
• Apply rigorous engineering judgement throughout the product lifecycle
• Support and mentor engineers across the wider organisation
• Maintain high standards of quality, safety, and professionalism
• Contribute to innovation and continuous improvement within the engineering function

• Work on cutting-edge autonomous maritime technology
• Influence the design and development of next-generation vessel platforms
• Join a highly collaborative and technically ambitious engineering team
• Solve challenging real-world engineering problems
• Play a key role in the growth and evolution of Kraken's maritime capabilities
• Enjoy genuine ownership, responsibility, and technical impact

• 25 days holiday per year, plus paid bank holiday
• After two years’ consecutive service, one additional day’s annual leave up to a maximum of five additional days annual leave
• Holiday buy/sell, up to five days per calendar year
• Flexi working, core hours 10:00 to 15:00, subject to departmental requirements
• Private Medical Insurance with optional family cover
• Pension scheme with a 5% employer contribution, there is no cap on the employee contribution level
• Life assurance 3x salary
• Group Income Protection 3x salary, subject to eligibility
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing mental health and wellbeing support
• Professional membership reimbursement

Due to the nature of our work many of our roles require a UK nationality and the ability to obtain a security clearance. Applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment must meet the requirement of right to work in the UK and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information and will be subject to Government security checks.

Kraken Works Limited is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination and offers equal opportunities to all. Applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships.