Industrial Design Engineer

UPC Displays; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Paid holidays

Health insurance

Stable, family-owned workplace

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Your work gets built - guaranteed

Job summary

UPC Displays is seeking a practical, creative designer to take a concept from idea to production-ready. You will own the full arc: conceive it, model it, document it, and hand it to the shop floor ready to build.

A background in manufacturing or fabrication is a real advantage; solid AutoCAD skills and 3D modeling experience are essential. You will join a hands-on, family-owned team in Madison, WI.

Qualifications

• Solid working knowledge of AutoCAD; Blender or other 3D modeling experience is a strong plus.
• Ability to produce clear, complete technical drawings and BOMs.
• Comfortable managing own work with minimal supervision.
• IT fluency for files, cloud storage, and tool integrations.
• Strong communication to explain design decisions to non-engineers.
• Exposure to ERP systems (Odoo) is helpful, not required.
• 2+ years in manufacturing, design, or fabrication is preferred.
• Recent technical college grads with strong portfolios are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Take customer needs and translate them into original design concepts from rough sketches to refined models.
• Build 3D models and produce complete drawings and BOMs for shop floor production.
• Manage your own projects: file organization, version control, drawing updates, documentation.
• Collaborate with production teams to ensure designs can be built as intended.
• Support adoption of new tools and processes to improve speed and consistency.
• Contribute to continuous improvement by proposing better methods.

Skills

Attention to detail

Strong portfolio

Good communication

Self-directed

Team collaboration

Education

Technical college degree

Tools

AutoCAD

Blender

Odoo ERP

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Who We Are

UPC has been designing and manufacturing retail store fixtures and point-of-purchase displays in Madison, Wisconsin since 1978. We operate out of a 120,000 sq ft facility, and we're family-owned, growing, and hands-on at every level. If you've ever walked into a store and noticed how a product was presented - the fixture that held it, the display that drew your eye - there's a good chance someone like you built it.

We work with real customers on real problems, and our design and engineering team is central to that. We're not a big anonymous corporation. Your ideas will be seen, your work will be built, and your fingerprints will be on the final product.

The Role

We're looking for a practical, creative designer who can take a concept from idea to production-ready - independently, and without a lot of hand-holding. This isn't a role for someone who only sketches and hands off to someone else. You'll own the full arc: conceive it, model it, document it, and hand it to the shop floor ready to build.

The right person thinks visually, works methodically, communicates clearly, and finds genuine satisfaction in seeing their design become a physical thing. Some background in manufacturing or fabrication - even as a hobbyist - is a real advantage here.

What You'll Do

• Take customer needs and translate them into original design concepts - from rough sketches to refined models.
• Build 3D models and produce complete, accurate drawings and BOMs ready for shop floor production.
• Manage your own projects: file organization, version control, drawing updates, and design documentation.
• Work directly with production teams to make sure what you designed can actually be built as intended.
• Support the adoption of new tools and processes that make the team faster and more consistent.
• Contribute to continuous improvement - when you see a better way to do something, you say so.

What You Bring

We're more interested in what you can do than what your resume says. That said, here's what tends to predict success in this role:

• Solid working knowledge of AutoCAD. Blender or other 3D modeling experience is a strong plus.
• Ability to produce clear, complete technical drawings and BOMs - not just pretty renders.
• Comfortable managing your own work: you don't need someone checking in on you every day.
• Enough IT fluency to manage files, formats, cloud storage, and design tool integrations without getting stuck.
• Good communicator - you can explain your design decisions to people who aren't engineers.
• Experience with or exposure to an ERP system (we use Odoo) is helpful, not required.
• 2+ years in a manufacturing, design, or fabrication environment is preferred - but show us your portfolio and let's talk.
• Recent technical college grads with strong portfolios are encouraged to apply. So are career changers who've spent time in a shop or fabrication environment and taught themselves CAD. We care about capability and drive, not just credentials.

Tools You'll Use

• AutoCAD (primary CAD platform)
• Blender (3D modeling)
• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator - as needed)
• Odoo ERP (for project and BOM management)
• Google Drive / file sharing and cloud collaboration tools

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Paid holidays
• Health insurance
• Stable, family-owned workplace
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Your work gets built - guaranteed

UPC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.