Design engineers help make product ideas a reality by working out the technical aspects of a design, including materials, appearance, functional features and product safety. They may estimate production costs and manufacturing feasibility.
A background in art, design and engineering will help a person be successful as a design engineer. Other essential qualities for this role include mechanical and computer skills as well as problem-solving and analytical skills, so don’t forget to list these things in your design engineer job description.
Because workers in this field often work as part of a team of designers, good organization, communication and interpersonal skills are indispensable. Examine the design engineer job description template below to get a better feel for how you should advertise this position within your company.
Design Engineer Job Summary
Are you an experienced designer with a sharp understanding of production processes and designing for manufacturing? Do you know your way around CAD programs, 3-D printers and product testing strategies? Would you refer to yourself as a problem-solver? Our company is seeking a design engineer with at least five years of experience to work with our in-house product concept team. In this engaging role, you would have the freedom to experiment with multiple processes, technologies and tools to help make our products come alive. If you are a lifelong tinkerer with an educational background in engineering and design, we would love to hear from you today.
Job Responsibilities
- Collaborate with clients and in-house design, engineering and production teams to create and troubleshoot concepts and prototypes as part of the product development process
- Create mockups, sketches, drafts and blueprints using a wide variety of materials, including both traditional drafting and sketching tools and computer-aided technology
- Brainstorm with clients and team to refine and enhance prototypes or revisit successful products for updating
- Estimate production costs, including time, tools, labor and materials needed to produce, market, distribute and replenish final product on client’s desired schedule
- Study distribution opportunities as well as availability of maintenance services if a product goes to market
- Research manufacturing feasibility and present findings to the team for troubleshooting and fine-tuning of production timeline
- Participate in design and product review to bring planned or prototyped products into closer alignment with client and creator vision as well as popular and market demand
- Contribute to the design of marketing collateral, including product manuals and specification documents, as well as coherent packaging and advertising imagery
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Bachelor’s degree in 3-D design or mechanical engineering
- Open, collaborative communication style
- Ability to take criticism and rework a design from scratch
- 5 or more years of experience with 3-D modeling
- Strong knowledge of CAD
Preferred:
- Experience with cost estimation and inventory projection
- Experience as part of a brainstorming or engineering team
Design Engineer Job Responsibilities
As already discussed, you should use bullet points to write your design engineer job responsibilities section. This makes it easy for jobseekers to quickly review the post to determine their interest in — and fit for — the job. The easier it is for them to read, the better results you receive. Most jobseekers assess a job post in less than a minute. If your post incorporates too much information or is too difficult to read, then you might miss out on the perfect person for the position simply because you did not pass the initial review of the posting.
Although you want to make it easy for jobseekers to read, the job responsibilities section remains the meatiest of the design engineer job description. You want to include the most important duties and tasks for which the position is responsible. However, do not simply create a laundry list of every task imaginable. Instead, focus on 6-8 key responsibilities and duties. Incorporate language to attract attention and make it easy for jobseekers to envision themselves taking on the role.
Below are a few ideas of responsibilities to include in your design engineer job description:
- Design and manage designs of products according to client specifications
- Assist other departments when they need technical assistance regarding design specifications
- Meet with quality control and testing departments to determine necessary adjustments to the original design
- Assist sales department in determining fee quotes for custom made products
Design Engineer Job Specifications
Do not dismiss the job qualifications and skills section of your design engineer job description. Through listing the core essential qualifications for the position, you make it easy to weed out the unqualified candidates. Not only do you and your hiring team have something against which to judge applicants, but jobseekers also easily determine for themselves their fit for the position. This provides you with a better pool of applicants, saving you time and frustration during the hiring process.
You might not be the best person to decide which skills and qualifications to include in the design engineer job description. If you do not have sufficient knowledge of the role, and thereby are unsure of what type of background the position requires, then meet with staff members who have this knowledge. This ensures you develop a post with accurate design engineer job specifications. This might include experience, training, education, technical skills, proficiency in certain software and soft skills.
Below are a few examples of specifications to include in your job post:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering; master’s degree preferred
- years of experience as a design engineer
- Proficiency in Auto CAD, GoldenGate, BDA and ADS simulation tools
- Strong problem-solving skills