Senior Mechanical Design Engineer (Inclusive Design)

ENGINEERINGUK; Bath; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading charity, Designability, is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer to lead innovative product design for improved accessibility. The role combines creative engineering with user-centered design to enhance the lives of disabled individuals. Candidates should possess relevant qualifications and a strong portfolio of past work, showcasing their ability to solve design challenges.

Benefits

Flexible working

Generous annual leave allowance

Substantial employer contribution pension scheme

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience designing physical products.
• Portfolio showcasing relevant past work & projects is required.

Responsibilities

• Designing innovative consumer products.
• Organising or participating in user trials.

Skills

Innovative problem solving

Applied experience of materials and manufacturing processes

Proven practical knowledge of manufacturing processes

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design or Industrial Design

Job description

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Senior Mechanical Design Engineer (Inclusive Design)

Employer Designability Location Regular presence at our offices in Bath plus some remote working Salary £35 000 - £42 000 FTE per annum (dependent on skills and experience) Closing date 9 Jun 2025

JOB TITLE: Senior Mechanical Design Engineer (Inclusive Design)

Location:Regular presence at our offices in Bath plus some remote working

Hours:37.5 hours per week

Contract type:Permanent full time

Salary:£35 000 - £42 000 FTE per annum (dependent on skills and experience)

Designability is a national charity that supports disabled people to live with greater independence.

Our expertise is in person-centred design: to understand the needs, challenges and aspirations of disabled people by placing them at the heart of everything we do. Through this approach, we gain invaluable insights which we combine with creativity and specialist skills to help inform decisions throughout every stage of a project. This results in innovative, engaging and practical designs of accessible products and services to transform the everyday lives of disabled people.

Over the last 50+ years, we have worked on a range of pioneering projects from the multi-award-winning Accessible Pushchair design and national guidance on Accessible Electric Vehicle Charging to our flagship Wizzybug powered wheelchairs for very young children. We collaborate with organisations, businesses and partnerships to help create positive change in the world of accessible design. To date, we’ve transformed over 300,000 lives in the UK.

As a charity, we respond to specific needs with the aim of our products and services reaching those who need them, whilst also inspiring new markets to blossom. We strive for a future where disabled people live the life they choose, every day.

We’re beginning an exciting period of growth in the Design & Innovation team, with a growing portfolio of impactful products and services to deliver over the coming years.

Our new research strategy brings a pipeline of new challenges and ideas, leading to corporate partnerships and new opportunities in our design consultancy business.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join our welcoming and dynamic team at an exciting time of growth across our charity, and to make a meaningful difference through our work supporting disabled people to live with greater independence.

We are looking for aSenior Mechanical Design Engineer(Inclusive Design)who has the followingESSENTIAL CRITERIA(please ensure that all the below criteria are clearly addressed in your cover letter):

• A degree qualification in a relevant subject such as Mechanical Engineering, Product Design or Industrial Design.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience of innovative problem solving, designing physical products.
• Applied experience of materials and manufacturing processes.
• Proven practical knowledge of manufacturing processes including machining, metal forming, plastic moulding, and additive manufacturing.
• Proven track record in the development and design of innovative consumer products.
• Experience in organising or participating in user trials.
• Portfolio showcasing relevant past work & projects and demonstrates the ability to lead a project and deliver success individually and with a team -to be provided as part of application.

All applicants must be willing to undergo safeguarding checks, including checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service and employment references.

A legal right to work in the United Kingdom without the need for visa sponsorship is required - Designability is not able to provide visa sponsorship.

Benefits that come with working for Designability
Looking after its employees is important to Designability – supporting everyone to be happy and healthy means that we live our values of being creative, practical and inclusive and in turn meet our mission to enable disabled people to live with greater independence. We offer a range of employee benefits, including flexible working, a generous annual leave allowance and substantial employer contribution pension scheme.

Designability is a Real Living Wage and Disability Confident Employer. We are committed to recruiting the best person for the job, based solely on their ability and individual merit as measured against the criteria for individual roles; through a process that is fair, open, consistent and free from bias and discrimination.

All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, disability status or length of time spent unemployed. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to making reasonable adjustments.

‘Offer an Interview’ Scheme:

Designabilitywelcomes applications from disabled applicants and is committed to offering an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role,as set out in the job description**.

If you wish your application to be considered under the ‘Offer an interview’ scheme’,please indicate this in your covering letter, or [e-mail]

To apply:

Please submit yourCV, a covering letter(detailing how your skills and experience meet the essential criteria detailed above and in the Job Description) and yourportfoliovia the Apply Now link.

We are happy to provide information about this role in alternative formats where possible and receive applications in alternative formats.Please [e-mail] should this be required.

Recruitment Process Overview

Applications open: Tuesday 27th May 2025

Applications close: Monday 9th June 2025 at midnight

Selected Invitation emails for pre-chats: Thursday 12th - Friday 13th June 2025

Monday 16th – Friday 20th June 2025 (Brief introductory conversations, via Teams or by phone to meet the candidate and give both parties the opportunity to ask appropriate questions about the role and the candidate’s experience)

First round of interviews Monday 23rd – Friday 27th June 2025: online or in person, depending on candidate availability

Second round of interviews (final stage) Monday 30th June – Friday 4th July 2025 in person, at the Designability office

The first interview will focus on your CV and include a set of structured questions based on the requirements of the role.

The second interview will be based on a design task, which we are providing now to allow sufficient time for preparation:

Task:Identify a common household object that poses usability challenges for disabled individuals. Describe the issue and propose a practical improvement or redesign.

For the second interview, candidates will be expected to prepare and deliver a presentation based on their response to the task. The presentation should demonstrate the full development process — from initial concept through to production — highlighting all relevant stages, decisions, and considerations involved in creating an effective and feasible solution.

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