Product Design Engineer (Graduate / Early Career)

Build Real Products. Learn Fast. See Your Designs in the Real World.

If you’re a graduate or early-career engineer who wants more than just screen-based CAD work, this role is for you.

At Keencut, you won’t be designing things that live only in PowerPoint decks. You’ll work on real, precision-engineered products, from first sketch, to prototype, to full production, and see them used by customers around the world.

About Keencut

Keencut designs and manufactures precision cutting equipment for the wide-format printing and sign-making industry. We’re based in Corby and everything we do, from designing, prototyping, and manufacturing, happens in-house.

We’re an engineering-led business where:

• Design decisions matter
• Manufacturing reality matters
• Collaboration beats silos

You’ll work closely with design engineers, machinists, and production teams to create products that are practical, robust, and built to last.

The Role

This is a development-focused Product Design Engineer role, ideal if you:

• Have completed an industrial placement or internship, or
• Have around 1–2 years’ experience in design or manufacturing

You’ll join our R&D team and get hands-on with mechanical design, prototyping, testing, and production support. This is not a purely conceptual role; you’ll learn how products are actually made, assembled, and improved.

Expect to get stuck in, ask questions, and grow fast.

What You’ll Be Doing

Your responsibilities will grow as you do, but you’ll be involved in:

• Designing mechanical components and assemblies using 3D CAD (Alibre)
• Taking ideas from concept → prototype → production
• Creating manufacturing drawings and technical documentation
• Designing with manufacturability, cost, quality, and assembly in mind
• Working with processes like CNC machining, sheet metal, extrusion, casting, and additive manufacturing
• Supporting prototype builds, testing, and validation
• Helping solve real production and quality issues
• Collaborating with manufacturing teams and suppliers

You’ll see how your work impacts the shop floor and the final product.

How You’ll Grow

As your confidence and experience build, you’ll:

• Take ownership of components and sub-assemblies
• Lead defined design tasks or small projects
• Develop deep knowledge of products and manufacturing processes

There’s a clear progression path into more senior product design and engineering roles.

What We’re Looking For

Essential

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design Engineering, or similar
• Strong interest in mechanical product design and manufacturing
• Working knowledge of 3D CAD (SolidWorks, Inventor, Alibre, or similar)
• Understanding of engineering materials and manufacturing principles
• Practical, detail-focused problem-solving mindset
• Willingness to learn, take feedback, and get hands-on
• Team player with good communication skills
• Able to commute to Corby or willing to relocate

Nice to Have (But Not Required)

• Industrial placement or early-career engineering experience
• Experience producing manufacturing drawings
• Exposure to CNC machining, turning, or sheet metal
• Prototyping, CAM, or basic FEA experience
• Awareness of tolerances and quality-driven design

What You’ll Get

• Real responsibility on real, production-ready products
• Mentoring from experienced design and manufacturing engineers
• Access to in-house manufacturing and prototyping facilities
• A clear development plan and long-term career opportunity

Benefits include:

• Company pension
• Bonus scheme
• Casual dress
• Free on-site parking
• Early Friday finish (1 hour early)

Work Authorization

UK work authorization required (sponsorship not available for this role).

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent, Graduate

Pay: £25,000.00-£28,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company pension
• Free parking
• On-site parking

Application question(s):

• Do you require visa sponsorship now or in the future?

Education:

• Bachelor’s (required)

Work Location: In person

Apply on The Career Guard