Do you enjoy working within product development? Are you collaborative? Are you fast paced with an agile approach? If you have answered yes, then we have an opportunity for a Senior Design Engineer to join the Engineering department at our manufacturing site based in Whitstable.

Position Summary

The Senior Design Engineer will play a pivotal role in the company’s product innovation efforts, leading the design and development of both new and existing products, focusing on New Product Development (NPD) and ongoing product maintenance. Reporting to the Head of Engineering, this role will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, production, and compliance, to ensure product designs are innovative, manufacturable, and meet industry standards.

As the design expert, you will also guide and mentor a team of engineers, ensuring technical excellence in product development. In addition to driving NPD, the role involves improving existing products by optimising design, performance, and cost-efficiency. This position is key to ensuring all products are designed for production, meet regulatory requirements, and align with business objectives.

Main duties and responsibilities

Product Design and Development:

• Lead the design and development of new and existing products, with a focus on New Product Development (NPD)
• Serve as the primary design expert, ensuring innovative, high-quality designs that meet performance, regulatory, and customer requirements
• Develop detailed 3D CAD models, drawings, and technical specifications for new products and components, ensuring compliance with BS 8888 standards
• Apply Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (ISO GPS), ensuring accurate tolerance and dimensional control across all designs
• Work closely with the Senior Production Engineer to ensure product designs are manufacturable and efficient for large-scale production
• Lead Product specification development ensuring accuracy of design ensuring product always fits and functions as intended
• Lead DFMEA’s managing risks of development cycle

Leadership and Team Management:

• Guide, mentor, and oversee a team of engineers, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment
• Ensure the team meets project milestones and adheres to technical design standards throughout the product lifecycle
• Lead design reviews and ensure technical guidance is provided across the team

Design Optimisation and Continuous Improvement:

• Improve and refine existing product designs, focusing on performance optimisation, manufacturability, and cost-efficiency
• Identify opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement in product design, leveraging the latest materials, technologies, and industry trends
• Utilise Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and other design validation tools to enhance product robustness and reliability where necessary

Regulatory Compliance and Documentation:

• Ensure that all product designs comply with industry regulations, certification standards, and company policies
• Create and maintain detailed technical documentation, including 3D CAD models and technical drawings, for both new and existing products

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with production, engineering, compliance, and quality teams to ensure smooth transitions from design to production
• Provide technical support during the testing and certification phases, addressing design-related issues as needed

Prototype Development and Testing:

• Oversee the creation and testing of prototypes, ensuring they align with design intent and regulatory standards
• Collaborate with testing teams to evaluate prototypes and make design improvements based on test results
• Ensure all design-related documentation is current and accessible to relevant teams
• Stay informed of industry trends and best practices, integrating new ideas into product designs

Required Experience

• 5+ years of experience in product design, with a focus on designing products for medium to high-volume manufacturing, preferably in a regulated industry, with proven success in developing new products on time, to cost, and to specification
• Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., Inventor, AutoCAD) for 3D modelling and technical drawing creation
• Strong understanding of Design failure mode and effect analysis (DFMEA), Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles, working in collaboration with production engineering
• Proven expertise in applying BS 8888 standards, ensuring all technical drawings fully comply with the standard and meet industry best practices for accuracy and clarity
• Proficiency in Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (ISO GPS), ensuring proper tolerance and dimensional control in designs
• Strong problem-solving and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across engineering, production, and quality teams
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to mentor and lead junior engineers
• Experience with engineering change management

Desirable Experience

• Familiarity with industry regulations and standards related to fire safety, testing, and certification

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