Senior Technical Designer (SolidWorks) – Retail / POS
Northampton | Hybrid – 2 days per week in the office
£42,000 – £47,000 + Benefits
Are you a technically minded designer who knows how to take a creative idea and turn it into something that can actually be manufactured?
We’re recruiting a Senior Technical Designer to join one of Europe’s leading retail marketing agencies, working on projects for some of the world’s most recognised retail and consumer brands.
This is not a traditional 3D visualisation role. We’re looking for someone with strong SolidWorks expertise and a genuine understanding of how physical retail environments, POS, displays, fixtures and activations are engineered, constructed and manufactured.
You'll take approved creative concepts and become the technical bridge between the initial idea and physical production – interrogating designs, resolving construction details and producing accurate, manufacture-ready 3D models and technical drawings.
The Role
Working closely with Project Managers, creative teams and manufacturing partners, you'll take ownership of the technical design process across a variety of retail projects.
You'll be responsible for:
- Developing approved creative concepts into fully resolved 3D SolidWorks models and manufacture-ready technical drawings
- Producing elevations, sections, assembly drawings, bills of materials and specification sheets
- Interrogating designs for structural integrity, material tolerances, dimensional accuracy and manufacturing viability
- Applying value engineering to improve cost efficiency and performance without compromising the creative intent
- Managing parametric SolidWorks models and ensuring design amendments are accurately reflected across technical outputs
- Providing technical input during the concept stage, identifying potential manufacturing or construction issues before they become costly problems
- Working directly with suppliers and manufacturers to ensure designs are achievable within manufacturing capabilities, budgets and timescales
- Reviewing and quality-checking technical drawings before projects move into manufacture
- Attending supplier visits and factory checks when required
- Working across multiple live retail briefs for major brands
About You
You'll need proven experience in a technical design environment involving physical manufacture.
We're particularly interested in candidates coming from retail display, POS, fixtures, brand activation, exhibitions or similar build environments.
You'll need:
- Strong professional proficiency in SolidWorks – this is essential
- Experience building and modifying parametric 3D models
- Demonstrable experience producing manufacture-ready technical drawings
- Experience designing physical retail displays, POS, fixtures, activations or similar manufactured structures
- A strong understanding of dimensions, tolerances, materials and construction methods
- Knowledge of manufacturing processes across materials such as timber, metal, acrylic, print and formed plastics
- Experience working directly with suppliers, fabricators or manufacturers
- The confidence to question and technically interrogate a design, rather than simply drawing what has been briefed
- Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with creative teams, Project Managers and external suppliers
Experience within an agency, production or brand activation environment would be particularly useful, especially if you've worked on FMCG, grocery or major retail brands.
Why Join?
This is an opportunity to join a leading European retail marketing agency and work on high-profile physical retail projects for some of the most recognised global brands.
You'll have real ownership of the technical design process and play a key role in turning ambitious creative concepts into physical retail experiences that can be successfully manufactured and delivered.
Salary: £42,000 – £47,000 + benefits
Location: Northampton / Hybrid – 2 days per week in the office
Portfolio Required
As this is a highly technical design position, a portfolio or examples of relevant work will be required as part of the application process. We would particularly like to see examples demonstrating SolidWorks modelling, technical drawings and manufactured retail/POS/display projects.
If you're a technically focused SolidWorks designer who understands not just how something should look, but how it needs to be engineered and manufactured, we'd love to hear from you.
Senior Technical Designer (SolidWorks / Retail Arena) in Northampton employer: S-SA Digital
Join a dynamic and respected creative agency in Northampton, where you'll thrive in a collaborative environment that values creativity and client relationships. With opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work on exciting projects for renowned brands, this role offers a fulfilling career path in a vibrant agency culture. Enjoy the benefits of hybrid working while being part of a team that is dedicated to delivering exceptional results.
