Mechanical Design Engineer in Bradford

Debar designs and manufactures bifold door hardware and complete bifold door systems for customers in the UK and international markets. As we invest in future growth and an expanding product pipeline, we are creating a new Mechanical Design Engineer position within our Technical Engineering team.

Our development work follows two complementary routes: collaborating with external systems houses and industry partners to create hardware solutions for their door systems; and developing Debar's own proprietary or white-label bifold and other system solutions for selected global markets. The role may support either or both routes. The successful candidate will take mechanical components and assemblies from concept through detailed design, prototyping, testing and production, while contributing technical expertise in discussions with customers and partners where required.

Our products integrate precision hardware with aluminium profiles, so sound judgement around tolerances, fit, movement, materials and manufacturing methods is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop mechanical components, assemblies and product concepts for bifold door hardware and systems, together with other products as required.
• Work with systems houses, fabricators and industry partners to understand technical requirements and develop hardware solutions that integrate effectively with their systems.
• Create accurate 3D CAD models, assemblies, manufacturing drawings, specifications and Bills of Materials.
• Take designs from initial concept through detailed engineering, prototype, testing, validation and production release.
• Consider how hardware interacts with aluminium profiles and the complete door system, including alignment, movement, adjustment, load transfer and long-term performance.
• Carry out tolerance analysis and tolerance stack-ups to achieve reliable fit, function and manufacturability.
• Undertake appropriate engineering calculations and analysis to substantiate design decisions and product performance.
• Contribute ideas for future products and provide practical engineering input into product and system opportunities.
• Apply Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFM/DFA) principles across relevant processes including machining, extrusion, die casting, injection moulding, pressing and mechanical assembly.
• Work with Production, Quality and the wider Supply Chain to resolve manufacturing, tooling, quality and cost considerations.
• Support prototype builds, product testing and the structured investigation of issues arising during development and product launch.
• Maintain drawing revisions and engineering change records, ensuring design changes are controlled and validated.
• Improve and value-engineer existing products without compromising performance or quality.
• Refine and value-engineer products during development and launch without compromising performance or quality.
• Communicate technical concepts, design decisions and development progress clearly to colleagues, customers, system partners and suppliers.
• Translate commercial, customer or system requirements into practical, manufacturable engineering solutions.

Person Specification

• Degree, HND or equivalent recognised higher-level qualification in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• A relevant formal qualification is mandatory and experience alone will not be accepted as an alternative.
• Relevant professional experience in mechanical design, product design or product development engineering.
• Strong capability in parametric 3D CAD and manufacturing-ready engineering drawings.
• Experience designing physical products or components for manufacture rather than CAD modelling alone.
• Practical understanding of mechanical engineering, materials and manufacturing processes.
• Strong understanding of Design for Manufacture, dimensional tolerances, engineering fits and tolerance stack-up analysis.
• Methodical mechanical problem-solving skills and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to progress defined engineering work independently while contributing effectively to a wider team.
• Confidence communicating technical information with customers and partners.

Particularly Valuable Experience

• Experience in any of the following would be particularly valuable: Fenestration, windows, doors, aluminium architectural systems or other moving door systems.
• Mechanical or architectural hardware such as hinges, rollers, guides, handles or locks.
• Small precision components involving aluminium extrusions, castings, mouldings or CNC-machined parts.
• Product testing, New Product Introduction, value engineering, tooling or supplier development.
• Autodesk Inventor is strongly preferred; experienced SolidWorks, Creo or comparable CAD users will also be considered.
• AutoCAD and ERP experience would be beneficial.
• Direct experience designing bifold door hardware or systems would be particularly valuable but is not an essential requirement.

Attributes

• Practical, curious and interested in how mechanical products and systems work.
• Able to balance product performance, manufacturability, quality and cost.
• Credible and confident in technical discussions with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborative, self-motivated and comfortable taking ownership of defined projects.
• Enthusiastic about joining a business investing in product development and future growth.

Working Conditions

• Full-time, permanent role based primarily at Debar’s Bradford facility, with one day per week homeworking currently available.
• Occasional travel may be required for supplier visits, product trials, customer projects or testing.