Lead Design Engineer

Kodu; Droitwich Spa; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus up to 10%

Pension

Private medical after six months

Holiday: 25 days + bank holidays + buy

Staff discounts

Product after probation

Job summary

Vax in the UK is creating an Advanced Development team and seeks a senior designer-engineer to lead concept generation for either the wet stream (pumps, spray, etc.) or the dry stream (vacuums, airflow). You'll frame briefs, build fast demonstrators and mentor junior engineers while pushing prototypes toward production.

This on-site role reports to the Head of Advanced Development, with two seats and four days a week in Droitwich.

Qualifications

• A degree in Mechanical or Product Design Engineering is required.
• Proven concept development and rapid prototyping experience.
• Hands-on motorised product experience or airflow/fluid systems is ideal.
• Strong CAD and engineering skills with stakeholder communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead concept generation for your stream and build demonstrators.
• Define product architectures and collaborate with suppliers and design teams.
• Mentor junior engineers and present trade-offs to senior stakeholders.
• Transfer proven technology into New Product Development (NPD).

Skills

Concept development

Rapid prototyping

Mechanical design engineering

CAD proficiency (CREO/NX/SolidWorks)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Product Design Engineering

Tools

CREO

NX

SolidWorks

Job description

Set the concept direction for what Vax makes next, and still build the demonstrators yourself. You'd lead either the wet stream (carpet washers, spray extraction, steam) or the dry stream (vacuums and airflow) in a brand new Advanced Development team, starting close to a blank sheet.

Vax is one of the best-known floor care names in the UK, behind millions of vacuums, carpet washers and home cleaning products, and part of TTI, the global group behind Milwaukee and Ryobi. It is bringing new product development back to the UK and building an Advanced Development team to work out what Vax products become next.

The role

You'll lead concept generation for your stream and do much of it yourself, framing the problem from a loose brief, building working demonstrators and prototypes fast, and proving or killing the key risk early. You'll define product and technology architectures, work with suppliers and industrial design, and mentor the junior engineers around you. You'll present trade offs, risks and technical summaries to senior stakeholders, and hand proven technology into NPD.

What you'll need

• A degree in Mechanical or Product Design Engineering, and proven experience taking products from concept through to production, not just detailed design or sustaining work.
• A track record of concept development and rapid prototyping in a design, build and test culture, starting from a loose brief and proving ideas with working demonstrators.
• Hands-on experience with motorised products, either fluid systems such as pumps, pressure, spray or thermal for the wet seat, or airflow, motors and cleaner heads for the dry seat.
• Strong CAD and core engineering, with CREO, NX or SolidWorks all welcome, plus the communication skills to lead, mentor and present to senior stakeholders.

The details

• Reporting to the Head of Advanced Development
• Two seats, one leading wet and one leading dry
• Four days a week on site in Droitwich
• Occasional travel to suppliers
• An easy drive from the M5 corridor
• Start: ASAP
• Bonus of up to 10%, plus pension
• Aviva private medical after six months
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, with three more to buy
• A free Vax or TTI product after probation, plus staff discounts

What it isn't

This isn't a role with a finished process and a clear brief waiting for you. The function is being built now, so you'll frame problems yourself and work with ambiguity. It isn't a pure management seat either. You lead, but you're in CAD and on the bench most of the week. And it's four days a week on site in Droitwich, so be sure the commute works before anything else.