Design Engineering Technical Developer

Cranfield University; Cranfield; On-site; GBP 28,929 - 33,825; Full time

Job summary

A leading postgraduate university in the UK is seeking a Design Engineering Technical Developer on a fixed-term contract. The successful candidate will support the development of innovative sanitation solutions as part of the Cranfield Circular Toilet Project. This role involves creating detailed CAD models, enhancing prototypes, and leading a technology stream. Ideal applicants should have a Master's Degree and solid experience with SolidWorks. The position offers a competitive salary with opportunities for flexible working arrangements.

Qualifications

• Ability to create detailed CAD models for sanitation system components.
• Experience in preparing engineering drawings and technical specifications.
• Skills in optimising designs for manufacturability and cost-effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Provide critical support in design engineering and prototype development.
• Lead the development of sanitation technology within the project.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team on complex engineering challenges.

Skills

SolidWorks

CAD modelling

Prototype development

Innovation through patents

Education

Master's Degree

Job description

Join to apply for the Design Engineering Technical Developer role at Cranfield University

This range is provided by Cranfield University. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences

Manufacturing, Materials and Design

Design Engineering Technical Developer

Fixed Term Contract for 12 months

Full time starting salary is normally in the range of £28,929 to £33,825 per annum

Location: Cranfield, Bedfordshire

We welcome applications from passionate, skilled, committed individuals to join our team.

About the Role

The Design Engineering Technical Developer will provide critical support to the Senior Lecturer in Product Design Engineering and the Centre for Digital Design Engineering team in design engineering and prototype development for the Cranfield Circular Toilet Project, a Gates Foundation‑funded initiative developing next‑generation sanitation solutions for global deployment. This role is essential to address the significant increase in prototyping deliverables, to ensure timely delivery of project outputs to commercial partners.

The successful candidate will work on breakthrough innovations in sanitation technology, contributing directly to solutions that will impact global health and sustainability for billions of people worldwide. By leveraging extensive knowledge in design engineering and proven capabilities in prototype development, the Postholder will help deliver multiple new prototypes on schedule. This role offers the opportunity to work independently on complex engineering challenges while collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, making a tangible difference in advancing Cranfield’s reputation as a leading powerhouse of innovation in design engineering.

About You

You should hold a Master’s Degree. You should also be good at creating detailed CAD models for all sanitation system components and assemblies, preparing engineering drawings and technical specifications, and optimising the designs for manufacturability and cost‑effectiveness.

You should have excellent SolidWorks skills in modelling 3D parts and working systems, preferably with experience in developing sanitation‑based technologies. A demonstrable track record of innovation through patents and prototyping is an advantage. You must be able to show evidence that you are a named inventor on any innovation you are presenting. You must be able to independently lead the development of a technology stream within Cranfield’s reinvented toilet portfolio, with minimal oversight.

About Us

As a specialist postgraduate university, Cranfield’s world‑class expertise, large‑scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships are creating leaders in technology and management globally.

Cranfield’s Manufacturing, Materials and Design Theme has been following the ambitious strategy of developing a roadmap for Sustainable Manufacturing and Materials Sectors for 2050 by applying fundamental science and thought leadership via conceiving and maturing in the concepts of Smart, Clean and Green manufacturing solutions agnostically across all sectors and through all tiers of the supply chain. This is to support the national aspiration of Net Zero UK by 2050.

We offer world‑class and niche postgraduate level research, education, training and consultancy. We are unique in our multidisciplinary approach, by bringing together design, materials’ technology and management expertise. We link fundamental materials research with manufacturing to develop novel technologies and improve the science base of the manufacturing research. Our capabilities are unique, with a focus on simulation and modelling, and sustainability. They also include work in composite manufacture, metallic glasses, nanomaterials (graphene, carbon nanotubes, coatings and sensors), low‑energy casting, thermal barrier coatings, and Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM).

Our Values and Commitments

Our shared, stated values help to define who we are and underpin everything we do: Ambition; Impact; Respect; and Community.

We aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together and realise their full potential. We are a Disability Confident Employer and proud members of the Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme. We are committed to actively exploring flexible working options for each role and have been ranked in the Top 30 family friendly employers in the UK by the charity Working Families.

Working Arrangements

Collaborating and connecting are integral to so much of what we do. Our Working Arrangements Framework provides many staff with the opportunity to flexibly combine on‑site and remote working, where job roles allow, balancing the needs of our community of staff, students, clients and partners.

How to apply

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Dr Matt Collins, Senior Lecturer in Product Design Engineering, on
[e-mail]

Apply online now. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details on
[e-mail]. Please quote reference number 5180.

Closing date for receipt of applications: 18 January 2026. We reserve the right to close this advert prior to the stated closing date if sufficient applications are received, so we encourage you to submit as soon as possible.

Additional Information

• Seniority level: Not Applicable
• Employment type: Contract
• Job function: Engineering, Research, and Other; Industries: Higher Education