Product Design Engineer

Role: Product Design Engineer – Shaping Safer, Smarter Healthcare Solutions ​Location:​ Blackwood, Wales ​​Employment Type:​ Full-Time, Permanent Join Vernacare – Shaping the Future of Healthcare Sustainability ​ About Vernacare At Vernacare, we’re passionate about designing and manufacturing sustainable healthcare solutions that protect patients, professionals, and the planet. With a proud legacy in British manufacturing and a global reach, we’re committed to innovation, safety, and circularity in everything we do. ​The Opportunity: We’re looking for a Product Design Engineer to join our talented team at our Blackwood facility. This is a key role focused on the design and development of high-volume injection moulded sharps containers and auxiliary products. You’ll work across the full product lifecycle — from concept and prototyping to production and regulatory approval — with a strong emphasis on user-centred design, sustainability, and design for manufacture. What You’ll Be Doing: * Translate complex briefs into innovative, manufacturable product designs that support circularity and sustainability. * Lead product development from concept through prototyping, testing, and production sign-off. * Investigate and apply sustainable materials to enable high recycled content in product redesigns. * Define design and performance requirements in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. * Conduct testing, maintain documentation, and present design concepts to cross-functional teams. * Guide products through design control, verification, and validation in an ISO13485-compliant environment. * Lead multidisciplinary project teams to ensure timely and successful project delivery. What We’re Looking For: Essential: * Apprenticeship, HNC/HND in Industrial Design, Product Design, or equivalent experience. * 3+ years’ experience in industrial/product design or engineering. * Proven experience designing for low-cost, high-volume injection moulding. * Strong understanding of DFM, moulded component design, and basic mould flow analysis. * Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. * Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills. * Proficient in Microsoft Office. Desirable: * Degree in Industrial Design, Design Engineering, or related field. * Experience in regulated product design (medical devices preferred). * Proficiency in Autodesk Inventor, Adobe Illustrator/InDesign, and FEA tools. Personal Attributes: * Resilient, driven, and accountable. * Detail-oriented with a passion for quality. * Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities. * A natural collaborator and confident communicator. Why Join Vernacare? We offer a competitive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and reward your contributions: Life Insurance – 4x salary 25 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays Enhanced Sick Pay Scheme EV & Cycle to Work Salary Sacrifice Schemes Employee Assistance Programme – includes 24/7 GP access Mental Health First Aiders Refer a Friend Scheme – up to £1,000 Company Pension Scheme Quarterly Impact Awards – up to £2,500 Manager Recognition Awards Ready to Design the Future of Healthcare? If you’re a creative, technically skilled designer with a passion for sustainability and innovation — we’d love to hear from you. Apply now or feel free to reach out directly for a conversation