design engineer.

As an electrical design engineer, you can specialise in developing and designing electronic products. For example, you will develop products that are used in medical equipment or power and electrical networks. You can also create prototypes for electronic devices.

As a visual design engineer, you can specialise in the visual side of new products. You will be responsible for designing shapes and the overall visual impression. You focus on the product’s design and make sure that customers’ products are attractive and easy to use. Especially the latter, working on the products’ functionality and efficiency, is an important part of the overall impression.

As a mechanical design engineer in the industry, you often work on drawing/creating new products and components, often with the help of CAD. You can also work in the automotive industry. Mechanical design engineers work with different parts of the development process such as concept development, visualisation/modelling, calculation, design, construction, prototype creation up to final production implementation.

Here are some of the more common tasks that a design engineer has.

• Consulting with customers and colleagues: As a design engineer, you will be part of meetings with customers and colleagues to develop specifications and requirements for new products. You need to identify the customer's needs related to the product to be developed, and then work on the design. You also ensure the functionality of the final product as well as its visual structure and shape.
• Clarify customers concepts and ideas: As a design engineer, one of the challenges is to "translate" customers' ideas and concepts into actual designs and products. With the help of their ideas, you will be able to develop proposals for product design using various software tools. You also collaborate with other engineers to take the existing ideas and turn them into concrete product proposals and feasible final products.
• Test the product design: An important part is also to test the product design that has been developed. You build prototypes and draw up the design specifications that need to be followed. But before production, you test the prototypes to make sure that the product will be durable. After you have carefully tested the design, you provide suggestions for improvements where needed.
• Assist in the manufacturing process: It’s not only the product design itself that is the focus for a design engineer. During the manufacturing process, you also contribute your expertise to identify potential improvements that can be made to streamline the entire process and the final product.

A design engineer can work in a range of different industries and sectors, from manufacturing companies to the space industry. Your work is basically based in an office environment, where you use computers and software to develop your product design.

The work can also include creating product prototypes in a laboratory environment, and depending on your area of expertise, it may also involve visiting manufacturing sites and industries. Some travel may also be part of the job, in order to meet different customers.

There is also the possibility to work remotely to some extent, for example during the product design phase, when a lot of time is spent in front of the computer.

Who your colleagues are depends on which industry you work in, but project manager, industrial design engineers and different types of engineers are common colleagues for a design engineer. When you work in an office environment, you will also have colleagues who work in completely different areas and in other departments of the company. It can be about accounting assistants, managers also administrators.

Basically, being a design engineer is a full-time job with up to 40 working hours per week. There is often some flexibility in the working hours, but office hours between 8 and 5 are common.

At certain times, you might need to work overtime or during less convenient hours to meet deadlines for different projects. There are design engineers who work part-time or on a project basis, but most commonly you have a permanent full-time position.

Another alternative could be that work as a consultant via a staffing agency. That way, you get to be out with different clients and work on various projects. You can also work as a self-employed person and then as a subcontractor, where you have greater opportunity to regulate your own working hours to a certain extent.

A design engineer has good job opportunities since it is a profession needed in a range of different industries and companies. To become more attractive to employers, you can specialise in specific areas, for example in equipment design, where you then become an electrical design engineer. Some design engineers also choose to become industrial engineers.

There are many advantages to finding an open position as a design engineer through Randstad.

• various development and career opportunities 

• an experienced contact person who can assist you when needed

• many open jobs in your area

• full-time or part-time work depending on the job/assignment

Do you want a permanent position as a design engineer? A temporary job as a design engineer is often a good first step towards a permanent position. Every year, several people get a permanent job with employers thanks to a temporary job that has gone through us at Randstad. In addition, many companies recruit their permanent employees directly through Randstad.

Having an engineering education as a foundation is important to be able to work as a design engineer. There are several different courses you can take and then specialise as a design engineer, but there are also university and college programmes that are directly aimed at a career as a design engineer. Continuing your studies after a bachelor's degree, to study engineering at master's level, is an advantage when applying for jobs as a design engineer.

If you don’t manage to get into an engineering programme, you can apply for an internship or a course that combines theory with practical training. It’s a good way to make contacts with a potential employer while you learn the job as a design engineer.

It cannot be underestimated that work experience plays a big role when you want to work as a design engineer, or as any other type of engineer. The longer you have worked as an engineer, the more attractive you can become for employers. Design engineer is a job where you also need to continuously develop your skills. In other words, those who have worked for a long time have had the opportunity to build up their knowledge over time.

In the job as a design engineer, you work with advanced computer programs and software to create prototypes and drafts for product designs. Having a deep understanding of the tool helps you become a good design engineer, who finds efficient product and design solutions. That’s why you need exceptional technical skills.

As a design engineer, you will draw up design drawings and specifications for products. This requires strong mathematical skills. You will also need to make estimates of how much raw material is needed for the product. For this, you need a solid mathematical foundation, so you can make drawings and calculations of material availability in production.

In the role of design engineer, you work within a scientific and technological field, but you still need strong creativity to develop product design and find new ideas to improve existing products. A creative streak helps you to find new ideas and solutions to try, as well as ways to make previous products even better.

An analytical way of thinking is also important, in terms of critical thinking and good observation skills. Analytical competence makes it easier for you to diagnose and identify problems, as well as find solutions that make the prototypes effective and allow production to begin. Your analytical way of thinking also makes it possible to find ways to make different parts of the process more efficient.

Being able to be a team player and collaborate with others is important as a design engineer, since the job will be carried out in teams with other engineers. You need to be able to listen to others, take feedback on board and have the courage to contribute your own expertise. Helping to create a positive working environment is also important for a design engineer.

To be able to work in a team, it’s important to be communicative, but that’s also important in other parts of the job as a design engineer. You need to communicate clearly with clients to be able to meet their needs. In addition, you need to communicate with colleagues to make sure you’re all heading in the same direction.

As a design engineer, you are involved in several stages of the process, from the initial idea to the realisation of an idea and production. Your task is to identify complex design problems, develop innovative design solutions, evaluate different options and carry out thorough tests, all while meeting a deadline.

Usually, advanced qualifications are needed to get a job as a design engineer. It is a job that often requires a university or college degree as an engineer. There are several different engineering programmes that make it possible to work as a design engineer in professional life. There are also internships that allow you to develop in the role of design engineer, while learning more about the job.

If you love creating new and innovative product designs, working as a design engineer will be very satisfying. It’s a lucrative job that gives you the chance to be creative, but it’s also a job where you get to be involved. The career opportunities as a design engineer are good.

As a design engineer, it’s important to have a creative streak, an eye for design, and mathematical skills since it’s an engineering role. If you have all these qualities, you’ll be able to create a product design that makes the customer happy and can later be used in production.

It's easy to apply for a job as a design engineer via Randstad. Search among our open positions in your area. Then send in your CV or your personal letter or apply via LinkedIn.

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