Product Design Engineer

£34,000 - £36,000 a year - Full-time, Permanent

Join our successful in-house New Product Development team, designing and developing innovative pet products as a Product Design Engineer.

About the role:

We are an ambitious, design-focused company, and our unique products are made using a wide variety of manufacturing processes and materials, including plastic mouldings, metal fabrications, fabric and wood.

Our fully equipped on-site prototyping workshop with 3D printers, metal-working and woodworking tools, gives you everything you need to bring ideas to life quickly and effectively. You will be given real responsibility from day one, and your input will make a tangible and measurable difference.

This is a hands-on role with variety at its core. You can expect to be involved across the full design and development cycle, from initial concept through to manufacture, working alongside a talented and driven team.

Your responsibilities will include:

Concept design and development

Model making and testing

Form and colour development

3D CAD part and assembly modelling

Detailed technical drawings

Project costing and feasibility

Design for manufacture (DFM) and design for assembly (DFA)

Working closely with suppliers and manufacturers

Product improvements

Packaging design

Engineering administration, including maintaining design documentation, bills of materials and project records.

About you:

Essential:

At least a 2:1 bachelor's degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Manufacturing or Mechanical Engineering

2 or more years of relevant industrial experience

Proficiency in 3D CAD modelling, assemblies and technical drafting

Experience producing comprehensive technical drawings

A broad knowledge of manufacturing processes and materials, in particular plastic mouldings and metal fabrications

A working knowledge of tolerancing, quality control, DFM and DFA

A dynamic, hands-on, problem-solving approach with confidence in building prototype models

Good working knowledge of spreadsheets

An organised and methodical approach

Ability to work both collaboratively and independently

Strong written and verbal communication skills, across both technical and non-technical audiences.

Desirable:

Experience with Onshape; experience with any comparable parametric CAD package will be considered

Prior experience working directly with manufacturers and suppliers

Experience in packaging design.

A passion for people and pets!

Product Design Manager

£52,000 - £57,000 a year - Full-time, Permanent

Join our successful in-house New Product Development team as a Design Manager, leading a dedicated team of engineers within a wider team of design and engineering professionals, all based at our beautifully designed Malthouse office headquarters in Banbury.

About the role:

Reporting to the Chief Design Officer, you will be one of three Design Managers, each responsible for a team of typically three to four Design Engineers.

We are an ambitious, design-focused company, and our unique products are made using a wide variety of manufacturing processes and materials, including plastic mouldings, metal fabrications, fabric and wood.

Our fully equipped on-site prototyping workshop with 3D printers, metal-working and woodworking tools gives your team everything they need to bring ideas to life quickly and effectively. In this role, you will have real ownership and accountability, with your leadership making a tangible and measurable difference to the business.

This is a hands-on management role with variety at its core. You will lead a team of Design Engineers while remaining actively involved across the full design and development cycle, from initial concept through to manufacture. You will be both a people leader and a technically capable engineer, equally comfortable mentoring your team and rolling up your sleeves on complex design challenges.

Your responsibilities will include:

People Management

Managing, coaching, and developing Design Engineers to reach their full potential.

Recognising and nurturing future talent within the team.

Recruitment and onboarding of new team members.

Managing holidays, attendance, and performance for designated team members.

Conducting regular performance reviews to identify efficiencies and opportunities.

Rewarding and disciplining employees in line with company policy.

Project Management

Direct Management and coordination of product development projects from brief to launch.

Tracking and reporting on project progress, timelines and deliverables.

Delivering projects on time and within budget.

Spotting opportunities for improvement and knowing how to bring new ideas to life in a compelling way.

Commercial & Supplier Management

NPD cost management and negotiation.

Managing product development budgets and expenses.

Raising and placing first order and tooling purchase orders.

Identifying, evaluating and selecting suppliers throughout the development phase, working collaboratively to overcome challenges, define the best route to manufacture, and build strong, lasting partnerships set up for long-term success.

Managing NNN agreements with suppliers.

Product Design & Engineering

Driving critical design decisions throughout the full product lifecycle - from initial brief to customer delivery - spanning material and process selection, form and colour, user interactions, assembly design and serviceability.

Working across a diverse range of product types and manufacturing processes, including plastic injection moulding, blow moulding, extrusion, metal fabrication and casting, electromechanical, fabric, wood and structural packaging.

Concept derivation and detail design.

2D and 3D CAD modelling and engineering drawings.

Prototyping, validation, user trials and testing.

Tooling and production support.

Quality control and responding to product faults.

Controlling component count and cost, with a focus on continuous improvement and cost reduction.

Engineering administration, change implementation and control.

Liaising with suppliers and manufacturers.

About you:

To be successful in this role, we're looking for someone who has:

At least a 2:1 bachelor's degree in Product Design, Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering or Industrial Design.

3 or more years of relevant industrial experience.

Proven experience managing and developing a team, with a track record of supporting individuals to grow and perform at their best.

Demonstrated experience managing multiple product development projects simultaneously, delivering on time and within budget.

Excellent coaching and people management skills.

Proficiency in 3D CAD modelling, assemblies and technical drafting - we use Onshape.

Experience producing comprehensive technical drawings.

A broad knowledge of manufacturing processes and materials, in particular plastic mouldings and metal fabrications.

A working knowledge of tolerancing, quality control, DFM and DFA.

Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects of varying scale simultaneously.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, across both technical and non-technical audiences.

Great attention to detail.

Self-motivated with the initiative to innovate and drive change.

Working with overseas suppliers.

Competent with spreadsheet formulae and interpretation of data.

A passion for people and pets!