Product / Mechanical Design Engineer
Our product development team is growing, and we are looking for another talented engineer to join us at our Windsor studio.
Are you looking for a role where you can work across genuinely varied products, technologies and markets, taking ideas from early concept through engineering, prototyping and ultimately into manufacture. Designworks is an award-winning, multidisciplinary product design and engineering consultancy based in Windsor. For more than 30 years, our team has helped clients develop innovative products across sectors including medical and life sciences, consumer products, technology, toys and social entertainment.
Our in-house capabilities span product design, mechanical engineering, electronics, embedded software, prototyping, model making and production support, enabling our engineers and designers to work closely together throughout the complete product development process.
As part of our continued growth, we are looking to strengthen our product design and engineering team with an experienced Product Design Engineer / Mechanical Design Engineer.
The Role
You will join our multidisciplinary, on-site studio team and take an active role in the development of products from early-stage concepts through detailed mechanical design, prototyping, testing and manufacture.
This is a hands-on consultancy role with a high level of responsibility and considerable project variety. You will be expected to manage your own workload, contribute across multiple projects and work effectively within demanding commercial timescales. Working alongside our industrial designers, engineers, electronics team and in-house Modelshop, you will help transform conceptual ideas into robust, manufacturable and commercially viable products.
You will be confident producing manufacturing-ready 3D CAD and detailed engineering drawings, with a strong understanding of materials, tolerances, manufacturing processes and design for manufacture and assembly.
Projects can vary significantly in both scale and sector, from complex medical and life-science equipment through to consumer products, interactive experiences, toys and technology-led products. You will typically be involved throughout the development process, including research, concept development, engineering, prototyping, testing, refinement and production support.
Applicants should be educated to degree level or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design Engineering or a closely related discipline, with a minimum of four years' relevant industrial experience.
Key Responsibilities
• Develop mechanical engineering solutions that meet client, user, manufacturing and commercial requirements.
• Establish a clear engineering route from initial brief through prototype development and manufacture.
• Work directly with clients and project stakeholders to understand requirements and achieve the best possible product outcome.
• Produce detailed mechanical designs using both conventional and non-conventional manufacturing methods.
• Design components for processes including injection moulding, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, casting, pressing, extrusion, additive manufacture and other rapid manufacturing techniques.
• Develop manufacturing-ready 3D CAD assemblies and component data using SolidWorks.
• Produce technical component and assembly drawings to appropriate ISO standards.
• Integrate electronic hardware, PCBs, mechanisms, sensors, motors, batteries and other components into product assemblies.
• Select suitable materials and manufacturing processes based on functional, commercial and production requirements.
• Support research, development, testing and technical investigation on live projects.
• Assemble, test and debug prototype products, mechanisms and development rigs.
• Work closely with our in-house prototyping and Modelshop teams.
• Liaise with external manufacturing partners including CNC machining, moulding, fabrication, sheet metal and specialist production suppliers.
• Generate product requirements, functional specifications and supporting engineering documentation.
• Produce and maintain engineering Bills of Materials.
• Maintain accurate engineering records, CAD data, drawings and document revision control.
• Support the preparation of project proposals, technical presentations and client pitches.
• Support products through prototype manufacture, design refinement and, where required, production introduction.
Experience working within an ISO 13485 quality environment would be advantageous but is not essential.
Key Requirements
• A minimum of three years professional experience within product design, mechanical engineering or product development.
• A 1st or 2:1 bachelor's degree, or equivalent qualification, in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design Engineering or a related discipline.
• Strong engineering fundamentals.
• Excellent working knowledge of SolidWorks.
• Experience producing manufacturing-ready CAD and detailed engineering drawings.
• Strong understanding of engineering materials, particularly plastics and metals.
• Good knowledge of manufacturing processes and Design for Manufacture and Assembly.
• Experience developing products from concept through prototyping and manufacture.
• Experience integrating electronic hardware and mechanical components within product assemblies.
• Strong practical problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Comfortable working independently while also contributing as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Able to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable presenting engineering concepts and solutions to clients.
• Commercially aware and able to balance engineering performance, manufacturing requirements, cost and programme.
• Diligent, organised and detail focused.
• A positive, practical and open-minded approach to problem solving and teamwork.
• Fluent written and spoken English.
Experience within a product design consultancy, MedTech, medical devices or life sciences would be particularly advantageous.
Benefits
We want Designworks to be somewhere talented people can build a long-term career while continuing to work on interesting and technically challenging projects.
Our benefits include:
• Competitive salary, dependent on experience.
• Paid overtime where applicable on chargeable client projects.
• 24 days' annual leave plus the 8 statutory Bank Holidays.
• Annual leave increasing to 25 days after five years' continuous service and 27 days after ten years.
• Options to carry over, buy or sell holiday subject to company policy.
• Workplace pension administered through Legal & General.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Free on-site parking.
• Relocation support for suitable candidates moving to the area.
• Access to the company works van for employees aged 25 and over, where required.
• Relevant professional training and development courses funded by the company.
• Regular company social events throughout the year.
Perhaps the biggest benefit, however, is the variety of work. As a relatively small, multidisciplinary consultancy, you will not spend years working on a single component or product programme. Our engineers work directly with clients and get exposure to a wide range of industries, technologies, materials, manufacturing processes and commercial challenges.
You could be developing a medical device one month, an interactive consumer product the next and then working with our Modelshop or electronics team to solve an entirely different engineering challenge.
We also work hard to maintain a friendly, informal and collaborative studio environment.
We typically organise at least five company social events each year, ranging from BBQs, escape rooms and race days to slightly less organised long lunches in Windsor.
And, yes, there is also a suitably excessive fancy-dress Christmas party and Secret Santa every year.
Most importantly, Designworks aims to be a flexible and empathetic employer that recognises people do their best work when they are trusted, supported and enjoy being part of the team.
Are you the right person to join our award-winning product development team? For more information and to apply for this role, please email careers@designworkswindsor.co.uk with your CV, portfolio, and cover letter outlining why you are interested in this role. Due to time constraints please be aware we can only respond to successful applicants.