development engineer
A development engineer designs new products or improves existing products to increase revenue for a company. That means you need to know the phases of the product development cycle to design, develop and create new product ideas for businesses.
As a development engineer, you can work in any industry that manufactures products for consumers, from pharmaceutical industries that create medical equipment to mechanical toys. It is crucial to understand mechanical engineering principles to succeed in your role, especially designing or developing equipment and gadgets. Some development engineers also spend their careers developing systems or components that facilitate the use of products.
job description of a development engineer?
As a development engineer, before you design a product, you conduct market research to identify gaps, targeting users and similar products in the market. From the research, you can decide on the features to incorporate for your product to stand out or develop a new concept that meets the needs of consumers. After creating the prototype and design, you collaborate with engineers and other specialists in the field to ensure the product meets the quality standards. You also engage the marketing teams to build a marketable product with promising returns on investment.
Would a career in IT and tech as a development engineer suit your problem-solving skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a development engineer role.
average salary of a development engineer
The salary of an entry-level development engineer according to National Careers, is £24,000 per year. Your earnings increase to £50,000 annually when you are a senior development engineer with adequate experience and skills. Most companies offer additional compensation for successful products. For instance, you will enjoy bonuses and overtime pay for working long hours. Some companies also offer shares to development engineers for creating successful products in the market. Other standard benefits include medical insurance, transport allowance and contribution to a pension scheme. You also enjoy paid vacation time.
how to boost your earning potential as a development engineer
As a development engineer, your compensation package relies on numerous internal and external factors. Internal factors like education, skills and experience determine the value you add to an employer and how much they are willing to pay. If you have spent many years in the profession, an employer can consider a higher salary due to your skills and expertise. Having educational qualifications and certifications to back up your skills also improves your salary prospects.
External factors that impact your compensation package include location and industry. Some industries produce complex products, and your salary reflects the technical expertise required in the role. For instance, developing medical equipment is challenging compared to building toys and other consumer products.
types of development engineers
As a development engineer, you use your expertise to create products, from conceptualisation to the final stage of production. In some cases, you have to specialise in the following areas:
- product design engineer: your job is to plan and build a functional product for your employer from the idea provided. You research various ways to implement the concept and prepare the technical drawings and prototype. You can also improve on existing products.
- project development engineer: your role is to supervise the entire product life cycle process, from idea conceptualisation to releasing the product to the market.
- test development engineer: your job is to run quality assurance tests and ensure a product meets the industry standards. You also analyse the efficiency and functionality of the product.
- technical development engineer: as a development engineer in charge of the technical aspects, you create the blueprints and drawings and check the artist renderings for practicability.
working as a development engineer
As a development engineer, you work on all stages of the product creation process to ensure a product meets the company's standards. Discover typical duties and work schedules of development engineers.
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duties and responsibilities
As a development engineer, your daily tasks and responsibilities include:
- researching the viability of new product ideas: your job is to conceive new product ideas for the company. When you have an idea, you perform market research to determine its viability based on the target audience and the product features that could improve its functionality.
- designing products: you are in charge of converting the research findings into design plans and creating prototypes using computer-assisted engineering (CAE) or computer-aided design (CAD). You also consult various stakeholders and analyse data from prototype testing to generate the final designs used in production and may work alongside with industrial designer.
- determining the manufacturing specifications: when the upper management approves your product design, you work on the manufacturing specifics. For instance, you determine the materials, manufacturing procedures and techniques to produce a quality product.
- testing: as a development engineer, you need to test your idea at every stage, from its prototype to the sample released to the market. Beta testing helps gauge the market reception, while quality assurance testing ensures the product meets the industry standards.
- designing upgrades and improvement: as a product's market grows, you need to find ways to improve its functionality and efficiency to ensure it serves a broad audience. Hence, you can follow the first product with a series that suits various market niches or improve the existing products with additional features.
- writing reports: your job also involves documenting every stage of the product development process. You present the reports to the upper management to assist in decision-making and measuring the product's viability.
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work environment
As a development engineer, you work in various industries, from manufacturing to consumer goods production firms. The work environment often varies depending on the industry and your roles. During the design stage, you will work in an office environment to analyse field data and draw the blueprints using computer-aided software. You also meet with various stakeholders to discuss the project requirements. During the manufacturing phase, you supervise the production stages at the factory or production plant. In some industries, you have to work in a laboratory environment to test the products before they are produced for consumers.
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who are your colleagues?
Your colleagues may include design engineers, product engineers and project managers, depending on your employer and the industry. Design and product engineers help you create the best product specifications to improve the functions and appeal of a product. You may also work with mechanical engineers and chemical engineers when developing the technical requirements and other specialists like product managers, marketing managers and quality assurance managers.
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work schedule
Working as a development engineer is a full-time job of 40 hours a week. Since the development stages have deadlines, you may work overtime on weekdays and weekends to deal with issues that are behind schedule. Part-time opportunities are rare since it is a demanding job. However, you can work on a contract basis or freelance. The job also involves travelling since you have to pitch product designs to investors or attend conferences.
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job outlook
As a development engineer, your job prospects increase as you gain experience and attain additional qualifications. For instance, achieving chartered status in engineering opens the door to management opportunities and senior roles. Development engineers can progress into supervisory roles like project managers or product managers. You can also join a consultancy or become a lecturer when you have expert knowledge. Some development engineers specialise in specific roles like testing or product design.
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advantages of finding a development engineer job through randstad
Finding your development engineer job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a development engineer is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
Explore the different ways of becoming a development engineer:
- university course: you need a higher national diploma, foundation degree or bachelor's degree to become a development engineer. Join a degree course in engineering product design, materials science and industrial design. You can also study civil, mechanical and electrical engineering and find a conversion course into development engineering. You need 2 to 3 A Levels for the degree, while the foundation degree requires 1 or 2 A Levels.
- apprenticeship: if you have 4 or 5 GCSEs in grades 9 to 4, you can join the product design and development engineering apprenticeship.
skills and competencies
The skills you need as a development engineer include:
- communication: when you are a development engineer, you need good communication skills. It helps you communicate clearly with clients, team members and company stakeholders when explaining the product design or the development process.
- research skills: as a development engineer, market research is important in determining the consumer needs and features to include in a product. Research skills help you understand the target market and competition before designing a product.
- attention to detail: as a development engineer, you draw blueprints and prepare technical drawings for various products. If you aren't detail-oriented, you are likely to miss important aspects of the design specifications.
- computer skills: since you will use computer-aided applications to create your designs, computer skills come in handy. Experience in using CAD applications also helps you draw exceptional designs.
- interpersonal skills: as a development engineer, you work alongside various professionals. You need interpersonal skills to collaborate with them and avoid conflicts.
FAQs
FAQs about working as a development engineer
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what is the role of a development engineer?
Development engineers come up with product ideas and create their design blueprints. They also test the products' functionality before launching.
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what is a development engineer salary?
A development engineer earns £24,000 a year when starting. With experience, your salary increases to £50,000 annually.
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how do I become a development engineer?
You can join the profession with a degree in engineering product design or industrial design. Other engineering fields are also relevant to the role, but you may need to complete conversion training.
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what does a design and development engineer do?
A design and development engineer works with other specialists to improve product performance by tweaking the design features. They also come up with new manufacturing systems.
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how can I become a good product development engineer?
A good product development engineer has exceptional design skills and complex problem-solving skills to devise creative ways of doing things. Being detail-oriented also reduces mistakes in your designs, improving your skills.
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how do I apply for a development engineer vacancy?
Applying for a development engineer job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
