Product Development Engineer

ABOUT THE ROLE

Comber based.

Reporting to the Design Manager, this is an exciting opportunity for a creative and driven designer or engineer to join our dynamic Development team within Eakin R&D. The successful candidate will come with experience in product design or development engineering. The role will require the post-holder to lead functional design projects and work within multi-disciplinary teams on product development programmes.

The diversity within the Group product portfolio will provide excellent opportunities for the successful candidate to work on outcome-driven device development to support all our ostomy, surgical and respiratory businesses. 

KEY ACTIVITIES

 As part of the Development Team within Eakin R&D, the successful candidate will:

• Work with our Innovation and Product Insights Teams to identify desired outcomes and unmet needs.
• Work with Products Insights Teams to translate user insights into user specifications and product requirements.
• Apply innovative design methodology to develop product concepts to address desired outcomes.
• Refine concepts through prototyping, functional lab testing and evaluation.
• Project management including planning, budget and resource control.
• Contribute as a team member to allocated work-streams within development projects, to meet project targets and ensure end-product meets with customer expectations and operational needs.
• Provide input to and author technical reports and design documentation for internal and external users to review, ensuring that the content is accurate and informed.
• Adopt a continuous improvement approach by proactively seeking out personal development opportunities by learning and attending training courses to ensure that department has right skills to deliver business needs.
• Build relationships with external consultancies and academic institutions, working on product development projects and improve internal technical and design capabilities.

 Job Specific Accountabilities 

• Translate user insights into product requirements.
• Use CAD software to create and review detailed designs and drawings.
• Ensure product designs are fit for purpose, feasible and designed to cost.
• Manage project budgets and resources to meet timelines and milestones.
• Create prototypes to gain feedback from stakeholders and test functionality.
• Work with the Industrialisation Team to ensure that design intent is kept throughout the manufacturing and production processes.
• Ensure all design and development documentation is completed in line with the quality management system and medical device regulations.
• Ensure regulatory compliance throughout the development process, for example undertaking product risk assessments.

 Decision Making and Influence

• Required to make decisions within remit above and to escalate issues with significant risk/implication to relevant senior management.
• Use a range of standard and well-established methods to guide decisions and ultimately establish themselves as a thought leader within the company.

 Other

• To adhere to the company’s Equal Opportunities policy and Dignity at work policy in all activities and to actively promote equality of opportunity wherever possible.
• To be responsible for your own health and safety and that of your colleagues, in accordance with the company’s’ Health and Safety policy.
• To adhere to the company’s Quality policy and Environmental policy.
• To undertake other duties as may be reasonably required.

KEY SKILLS

Essential 

• Educated to Degree level in Product Design, Industrial Design, Mechanical or similar engineering qualification.
• Proven project management experience.
• Able to demonstrate expertise in understanding user requirements, developing ideas, turning them into concepts and refining them into commercial products.
• Proficient in both 2D and 3D CAD / surface modelling systems, preferably Solidworks.
• Practical experience of plastic injection moulding, injection mould design and other manufacturing methods.
• Experience in Photoshop/Illustrator, sketching and 3D rendering to visualise concepts/products.
• Excellent presentation skills
• Able to demonstrate working knowledge of experimental diligence and the ability to collect, analyse and interpret data.
• Experience of incorporating inclusive design in product development.

 Desirable

• Experience gained in a medical device company.
• Further Post Graduate qualifications such as a Masters degree.
• Experience in the following:
  o 3D printing and other prototyping techniques
  o Qualitative research techniques
  o Product risk management
  o Tolerance analysis
• Knowledge or understanding of Human Factors research techniques and implementation.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Internal

• Working with the R&D Innovation team to identify desired outcomes and user needs.
• Working with the Insights teams to develop user requirements and specifications.
• Working within the Development team to design and develop user centric products within market and commercial constraints.
• Working alongside Mechanical Engineers to ensure that design requirements/concepts are robust.
• Working alongside Industrialisation Engineers to ensure that product designs are realised.
• Working alongside the Clinical and Regulatory team to test and validate product designs.
• Ensuring that our new and existing products maintain regulatory compliance by working closely with our regulatory affairs teams across all Eakin Businesses.
• Be able to work in a multi-functional team and to build relationships with peers.

 External

• Suppliers
• External Consultants and HCP
• Universities
• Test houses
• Medical device users

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Budget / resources: Be able to Plan and Control project budgets and staff resources
• Required to travel from time to time to support activities at other sites and to meet with suppliers. 

COMPETENCIES

Problem solving – Generates and promotes solutions.  Sees clearly which is the best way forward.  Able to make decisions and commitments within appropriate time frame.

Team Working – Enjoys participating in group activities and likes to work in close proximity with other people.  Is ready to collaborate with and support others and is willing to co-operate and compromise for the overall good.

Leadership – Likes to take charge of, control and direct the people and activities in their work arena.  Clearly sees the way ahead, influences and encourages others to follow their lead in order to achieve goals.

Supporting Others – Enjoys supporting other people and is prone to getting involved and trying to help them when they have problems. Is comfortable to contribute to joint endeavours and enjoys team work.  Is willing to let other people depend on them.

Analytical – Enjoys analysing qualitative data but also considers quantitative and seeks to identify and explore they key elements in information before making commitments.  Tends to like to use facts and figures when planning and reporting and is concerned about accuracy and detail.

Information Gathering – Enjoys dealing with and refers to factual data.  Likes to be well informed and drills down into details.  Prefers to access wide range of information and opinion before making decisions and when solving problems.

Planning and Organising – Thinks things through well in advance and maps out future activities, taking the key stages and requirements into account.  Likes to monitor to ensure that things are implemented and delivered effectively.

Quality Orientation – Is precise, pays attention to details, checks things and ties up ‘loose ends’.  Has a strong conscience about getting things right and seeks to ensure that decisions and solutions do not involve undue risk, adheres to policy and standards.

Oral Communication – Talks readily and confidently to people, expressing themselves with obvious ease.  Speak out and makes themselves heard, often playing a leading and influential role in debate and discussion.

Technical expert –full breadth of technical knowledge and can operate as a technical advisor, influencing others to achieve goals without relying on hierarchy. Keeps up to date on changes within their field and implements plans to ensure organisation is in a state of readiness.  Participates in industry and professional associations.