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Design, development and research engineer

Between 2006 and 2009, 0.8% of employed doctoral graduates, or 110 doctoral graduates in total are known to have been working as design and development engineers six months after graduation.

Job description

Doctoral level design and development engineers are typically found in research roles outside the higher education sector at the start of their careers, although many do enter higher education research roles.

Design/development engineers are engineers involved in research of new products or processes. These positions can often be very skilled and require considerable technical and practical knowledge and experience. A significant proportion of role are taken up by graduates from postgraduate backgrounds and it is the most common role in engineering, after mechanical engineering roles, that new doctoral graduates enter.

Design and development engineers will typically research the solutions to problems using innovative methods or technology. They may need to design new equipment or even facilities to achieve the desired outcome and to test them, and they are commonly responsible for the evaluation of the outcomes of the project they address.

Design and development engineers are found in a range of sectors and settings, where new technology or processes may need to be developed to solve a problem.

Typical work activities

The work of a design and development engineer can vary considerably, but typical activities include:

  • analysing a problem as part of academic research or as part of solution designing for a company's portfolio of services
  • identifying solutions by applying established research methods, by learning and adapting new methods, and by using analytical tools and mathematical and statistical models
  • carrying out computer-based data analysis and evaluation using software such as MATLAB or OPNET
  • conducting numerical simulations or library research
  • working collaboratively with company/university colleagues, across teams and also with other partners worldwide and across industry
  • presenting findings to group and departmental meetings, to design and development teams, to collaborative partners or to senior management
  • implementing process controls and devising test methods to assess the production process
  • validating new processes and showing that they are an improvement
  • working with product pipelines at various stages of development
  • developing formulae, specifications and label declarations, and ensuring compliance with the finished product specifications
  • advising on equipment modification to enable process changes for new product development
  • reading and writing technical reports and specifications, and maintaining appropriate records
  • initiating and generating ideas based on reading and research.

Entry requirements

Development teams are often multidisciplinary, but generally candidates have an engineering background.

A postgraduate qualification is not necessary, but may confer a significant advantage, particularly if it includes relevant work experience. This is a role particularly suited to doctoral graduates with a strong engineering and research background.

Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:

  • practical skills
  • good communication skills for effective liaison and teamwork
  • excellent problem-solving skills, analytical skills and attention to detail
  • excellent organisational skills and the ability to work on several tasks or projects concurrently
  • commercial acumen and an awareness of the business value of work undertaken
  • presentation skills - to present ideas and findings to colleagues and customers
  • the ability to work effectively in a team as well as independently, with minimum supervision
  • drive, enthusiasm and self-motivation
  • an aptitude for mathematics and statistics, and highly developed it and technical skills.

Salary

  • range of typical starting salaries is £20,000 - £29,000.
  • range of typical salaries with experience is £32,000 - £39,000.
  • range of salaries at a senior level with substantial experience is £52,000 - £65,000.

Salaries vary according to geographical location, sector and size of organisation. Higher salaries are possible with relevant postgraduate qualifications. Salaries vary according to level of experience.

Sector and disciplinary information

Sector information

Doctoral graduates from 2006-9 working in this occupation were known to be employed in the following profiled sectors six months after graduation:

Disciplinary background

The most common disciplinary backgrounds for doctoral graduates (2006-2009) entering design and development engineer jobs were:

Career stories

None available

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