Why We’re Hiring Now
We’ve evolved. We used to design and hand off. Now we design, build, test, iterate, and bring things to market. Sometimes we even invest in them. That model demands more from us technically. It demands people who can lead.
We work across defence, medical, industrial, and consumer. Projects for BAE Systems. Ocuwell eye care systems. thinAir portable oxygen therapy – the device used by Paralympic gold medalist Jaco Van Gass.
We need someone at deputy level who can help us scale that capability without compromising what makes npd different.
What Actually Matters
8+ years of real product development. CAD skills that run deep. You’ve taken things to market. Not concepts. Things. You understand design for manufacture. You’ve led complex technical work. You can mentor.
Bonus: FEA experience. Systems thinking. Supplier negotiations. The ability to reverse-engineer why a design decision was made and explain it to a client.
What doesn’t matter: The exact shape of your background. The industry you came from. What matters is rigour, curiosity, and the confidence to say ‘this approach won’t work’ when you mean it.
What You Get
£48k-£55k depending on experience and how you approach leadership. Based in Preston. One flexible work-from-home day per week. Real ownership of major projects. Variety. Access to our expanded manufacturing facilities – 3D printing, CNC, testing labs. A budget to grow your specialism. And crucially: you work only on products that genuinely deserve to exist.
You’ll be part of a team that prototypes, tests, iterates, and gets things built. Not a team that designs and hopes.
The Role
Senior Product Design Engineer
Preston, Lancashire | Full Time | On-site + Hybrid
£48,000 – £55,000 (DOE)
Who We Are
At npd, we believe in design that does good. We’re not about next season’s gimmicks – we solve real-world problems through thoughtful, technically rigorous product development. We’ve built a reputation as a UK product design agency that takes on the ‘impossible’: deeply technical challenges across consumer, industrial, healthcare, and sustainability sectors.
Based in Preston, with spaces in Manchester and London, we live by the philosophy that great design deserves more than a good sketch. We make things, test them, iterate, and bring them to market – and when something is worth it, we invest ourselves.
We only work on projects we truly believe in. If a product doesn’t deserve to exist, we’re not afraid to say no.
What You’ll Do
Lead major, cross-functional product programmes, owning everything from concept to manufacturing and launch.
Act as a deputy to the Head of Design – shaping technical strategy, mentoring engineers/designers, and raising the bar on design excellence.
Apply specialist skills (FEA, systems engineering, complex mechanical design, sustainability, or other deep technical expertise) to drive innovation.
Champion the full product lifecycle: CAD, prototyping, DfM, testing, supplier engagement.
Deliver to clients with confidence: present, workshop, and consult on design decisions grounded in real engineering.
Help foster our collaborative, outcomes-driven culture, mentoring mid- and senior-level talent across the studio.
What We’re Looking For
8+ years in product design or mechanical engineering (or equivalent)
Proven experience getting real products to market, not just concepts
Strong CAD skills + deep understanding of design for manufacture
Experience leading complex technical programmes
Strategic thinker with excellent communication skills
Hands-on with prototyping, testing, and supplier-facing engineering
Bonus if you have:
FEA / simulation experience
Systems engineering or embedded / electronics integration
Experience leading client workshops or cross-domain teams
What You’ll Get
£48k-£55k, depending on experience and leadership level
Hybrid working: based in Preston with 1 flexible work-from-home day, depending on project phase
Real ownership of projects
Variety: consumer, industrial, sustainable, and high-impact projects
Training / development budget to grow your specialism
Collaborative, ‘hands-dirty’ culture – we prototype, test, iterate, get things built
A sense of purpose: we choose work that deserves to exist and creates positive impact
Why Join npd?
You’re not just designing for handoff – you’ll shape real products that go to market. You’ll work with an ambitious, mission-driven team rooted in Lancashire, proud of our local impact and global reach.
You’ll lead from the front – not just in design, but in engineering, sustainability, and strategy.
Ready to make good things real?
Send your CV + portfolio (or links to shipped work) to hello@npd.studio – we’d love to talk.
Book a free consultation
