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