Product Development Engineer

At Eakin Healthcare, care is at the heart of everything we do.

We are a family-owned global medical device company driven by a simple vision: Where Care Leads, Hope Follows. For more than 50 years, we've been developing innovative healthcare solutions that make a meaningful difference to the lives of patients around the world.

Today, our team of over 700 colleagues operates across three UK manufacturing sites, 12 international sales and distribution centres, and exports to more than 60 countries worldwide. From market-leading Ostomy and Respiratory therapies to our trusted Respond home delivery service, we're committed to improving lives through innovation, quality and exceptional care.

We don't just care for the people who use our products and services, we care for our colleagues too. That's why we're proud to be recognised as a Great Place to Work®, creating an environment where people can thrive, grow and make a real impact.

If you're looking for a career with purpose, where your work matters and your contribution is valued, we'd love to hear from you.

WHY JOIN US?

We’re good at what we do – come and join us and you can benefit from:

• Blended Working
• Bonus
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays (rising to 28)
• Option to buy holiday days
• Wellbeing Programme
• Health Cash Plan
• Pension
• Life Assurance
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Referral Scheme
• Long Service Awards
• Free Parking

JOB OVERVIEW

Job Title: Product Development Engineer

Reporting to: Design Manager

Hours per week: 37.5

Shift Work: No

Travel: Travel to other group sites from time to time

Direct Reports: None

JOB PURPOSE

The Product Development Engineer will join the Development Team within Eakin R&D, leading functional design projects and contributing to multidisciplinary product development programmes across the Group’s ostomy and respiratory portfolios.

The role will translate user insights and unmet needs into product requirements, develop and refine concepts through prototyping and testing, and produce robust designs and technical documentation that meet customer, operational, quality and regulatory requirements.

The successful candidate will bring a product design or development engineering background, combining creativity, technical capability and project management skills to deliver outcome-driven medical device development.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with the Product and Insights Team to identify desired outcomes, unmet needs, user specifications and product requirements.
• Apply innovative and inclusive design methods to create product concepts that address user and business needs.
• Refine concepts through prototyping, functional laboratory testing and evaluation.
• Use 2D and 3D CAD software to create and review detailed designs and drawings.
• Plan and manage project activity, budgets and resources within agreed parameters.
• Contribute to allocated workstreams within development projects, ensuring project targets, customer expectations and operational needs are met.
• Prepare accurate technical reports, design documentation and supporting material for internal and external review.
• Build relationships with external consultancies and academic institutions to support product development and strengthen internal technical capability.
• Complete design and development documentation in accordance with the quality management system and applicable medical device regulations.
• Maintain regulatory compliance throughout the development process, including completion of product risk assessments.
• Make decisions within the role’s remit and escalate issues with significant risk or implications to the appropriate senior management.
• Promote continuous improvement and maintain relevant capability through learning, development and training.
• Follow company policies relating to equal opportunities, dignity at work, health and safety, quality and the environment.
• Undertake other reasonable duties as required.

AS A SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE YOU’LL HAVE:

Essential

• Degree in Product Design, Industrial Design, Mechanical Engineering or a similar engineering discipline.
• Proven project management experience, including planning, budget and resource control.
• Demonstrable experience of understanding user requirements, developing ideas and progressing concepts into commercial products.
• Proficiency in 2D and 3D CAD and surface-modelling systems, preferably SolidWorks.
• Practical experience of plastic injection moulding, injection mould design and other manufacturing methods.
• Experience using Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, sketching and 3D rendering to visualise concepts and products.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Working knowledge of experimental methods and the ability to collect, analyse and interpret data.
• Experience incorporating inclusive design principles into product development.

Desirable

• Experience gained within a medical device company.
• Postgraduate qualification, such as a master’s degree in a design-related subject or equivalent.
• Experience of 3D printing and other prototyping techniques.
• Experience of qualitative research techniques.
• Experience of product risk management and tolerance analysis.
• Knowledge of human factors research techniques and their application.
• Experience conducting intellectual property landscaping and identifying opportunities for innovation.
  

COMPETENCIES

1. Customer Focus – Builds strong customer relationships and delivers customer-focused solutions.
2. Manages Complexity – Makes sense of complex, high-volume and sometimes contradictory information to solve problems effectively.
3. Cultivates Innovation – Creates new and better ways for the organisation to be successful.
4. Action Oriented – Takes on new opportunities and challenging work with urgency, energy and enthusiasm.
5. Collaborates – Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
6. Plans and Aligns – Plans and prioritises work to meet commitments aligned with organisational goals.
7. Interpersonal Savvy – Relates openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
8. Nimble Learning – Learns through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures to improve.

The closing date for applications is: Wednesday 11 November 2026

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We value different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives and are dedicated to providing equal opportunities for all.

Early Closure Statement

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage early submission.

Right to Work in the UK

Please note that Eakin Healthcare is unable to provide sponsorship for this role. Applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application.