Design And Development Engineer

Design engineers improve product performance and efficiency while researching and developing new manufacturing ideas and systems.

Typical Salary

£20,000 To £55,000

Typical Hours

38 to 40 a week

between 8am and 6pm

How To Become a Design And Development Engineer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
an apprenticeship

College / University

You'll normally need a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree to become a design engineer.

engineering product design
industrial design
computer-aided design engineering
engineering design and manufacture
materials science

1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You may be able to start by taking a product design and development engineer degree apprenticeship.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

design skills and knowledge
knowledge of engineering science and technology
the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
analytical thinking skills
persistence and determination
the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
thinking and reasoning skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties would depend on the project, but could include:

research (using mathematical modelling to work through new developments and innovations)
design (turning research ideas into technical plans for prototypes using computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-assisted engineering (CAE) software)
testing (collecting and analysing data from prototype testing)
modifying designs (ahead of manufacture or installation)
reporting (writing or presenting to project managers and clients)

Working Environment

You could work in an office.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can get more details about engineering careers and training from the The Institution of Engineering Designers and Tomorrow's Engineers.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.