Job Description
Lead Furniture Designer - SolidWorks Permanent Full-Time
Salary – £40,000 to £45,000 DOE
Location – Office based in Chichester, West Sussex
Join a premier manufacturing distributor specialising in bespoke commercial and educational furniture solutions. Known for their close-knit, lively team and high-quality precision work, they are currently investing heavily in SolidWorks to elevate their design and manufacturing capabilities.
This is a hands-on senior position central to our client's transition from AutoCAD (Autodesk) to SolidWorks. To accelerate the transition, you will work alongside the existing designers. You will produce immediate manufacturing drawings for custom furniture while simultaneously configuring the SolidWorks system for the wider business and mentoring a team of four AutoCAD designers through this transition.
Responsibilities, but are not limited to
* Produce accurate SolidWorks manufacturing drawings and specifications for bespoke furniture commissions under tight deadlines
* Set up and configure the SolidWorks environment, including templates, part libraries, drawing standards, and best-practice workflows
* Work closely with the existing SolidWorks designer to drive current projects forward and reduce the backlog
* Train, mentor, and upskill four AutoCAD designers to bring the entire team up to speed on SolidWorks
* Partner with Sales and Production teams to troubleshoot, develop new furniture designs, and support project implementation
* Take ownership of updating and managing drawings and documents as the team matures in the new system
Experiences required
* Proven professional SolidWorks & SWOOD (desirable) experience specifically within a furniture, joinery, cabinetry, or timber/woodwork manufacturing environment
* Demonstrated experience configuring or setting up SolidWorks for a production workflow
* Strong understanding of bespoke, made-to-order furniture manufacturing processes
* Prior experience guiding, supporting, or mentoring a team
* Confident reading and interpreting technical drawings
* Ability to work well independently and as part of a close team
Package
Flexible Hours | Monday to Friday | 28 Days Holiday Inc. Bank | Company Pension Scheme | Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
Requirements
SolidWorks, Design Engineer, CAD, Mechanical, Furniture, Joinery, SWOOD