At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the creation of innovative product concepts and technologies that shape the future.
- Company: Join Vax, a heritage-rich brand focused on innovation and customer needs.
- Benefits: Enjoy a fun, fast-paced environment with opportunities for growth and creativity.
- Other info: Collaborative culture that values trust, honesty, resilience, and innovation.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by transforming ideas into tangible products that improve lives.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in advanced development and a degree in engineering or related field.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
If you’re looking for a progressive and rewarding career and you thrive in a fast-paced, fun and team-orientated environment, then look no further!
Overview of Vax
Our heritage-rich, expert-led business has always had the same goal: to prioritize innovation and to design easy-to-use products that seamlessly integrate into our customers' lives, offering reliable, quick solutions to cleaning homes, whatever the mess.
Vax has forged its reputation as a brand that focuses on the needs of its customers.
Our culture of innovation is at the heart of everything we do and we work hard to constantly think of new ways to improve our products, ensuring that we deliver premium quality products for our customers.
Lead Advanced Development Engineer
As a Lead Advanced Development Engineer, you’ll lead the creation of future technology and product concepts that shape our innovation pipeline.
Working at the front end of development, you’ll transform consumer insights, design research, emerging technologies and engineering challenges into compelling proof of concepts and demonstrators.
Accelerating our learning through testing, maturing and trialling concepts to reduce technical uncertainty ahead of NPD.
You’ll remain hands on while leading technical direction, mentoring engineers and setting the standard for concept engineering and advanced development across the team.
Driving our concepts from opportunity to validated demonstrators ready for NPD.
Key Duties include
- Lead the development of innovative product concepts, enabling technologies and system architectures.
- Translate design and market research into practical engineering solutions and compelling proof of concepts.
- Collaborate with Product Management to evaluate commercial strength of concepts and define targets which create maximum market impact.
- Define and execute technical de risking plans, using rapid prototyping, experimentation and engineering analysis to mature concepts.
- Plan and lead technical work packages, proactively identifying risks, dependencies and support required to maintain momentum.
- Lead technical & design reviews, ensuring engineering decisions are supported by robust evidence and sound engineering judgement.
- Present concise technical updates to stakeholders, clearly communicating progress, performance, schedule, cost, quality and technical risks.
- Rapidly build high quality prototypes and demonstrators to validate concepts, support user testing and influence business decisions.
- Apply systems thinking to balance consumer needs, engineering feasibility, manufacturability and commercial opportunities.
- Work seamlessly with Design Research, Industrial Design, Technical Research and Electrical Engineering to develop integrated product concepts.
- Collaborate with suppliers and global engineering teams in TTI to accelerate concept development and engineering delivery.
- Mentor Engineers, raising technical capability while fostering creativity, pace and engineering excellence.
- What we’re looking for
You’re a seasoned concept engineer who enjoys solving problems that don’t yet have answers.
You combine creativity with sound engineering judgement, thrive in ambiguity and instinctively build to learn.
You’re equally comfortable leading design reviews, presenting to stakeholders, building prototypes in the workshop or defining the next steps that move the concepts and technologies forward.
Skills, Experience & Competencies
- Bachelor’s degree (BA, BSc, BEng) in Industrial, Product Design or Mechanical Engineering or related discipline. (Master’s advantageous but not required).
- 8+ Years experience in Advanced Development, Concept Engineering or innovative consumer product development.
- Proven experience leading concept development, technical work packages and technology maturation activities.
- Strong systems thinking capability, with the ability to translate consumer needs into robust engineering solutions.
- Excellent CAD capability and practical prototype development skills, with experience developing high quality prototypes at pace.
- Experience defining and executing structured technical de risking plans through rapid experimentation, testing and engineering analysis.
- Comfortable leading design reviews, technical reviews and cross functional engineering discussions.
- Experience collaborating with Asia engineering teams and suppliers to develop concept designs and engineering solutions.
- Excellent planning, organisation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to proactively manage technical risk and ambiguity.
- Outstanding communication, presentation and storytelling skills, capable or building confidence through clear, evidence based recommendations.
- What Makes You Successful
- Concept Leadership: You create compelling concepts that solve meaningful consumer problems
- Technical Confidence: You reduce uncertainty through structured engineering, experimentation and sound technical judgement.
- System Thinking: You develop balanced solutions by thinking about the bigger picture – not just individual components.
- Ownership: You proactively lead technical work, anticipate risks and create clear plans to keep projects moving forward.
- Influence: You communicate technical progress, risks and recommendations with clarity, confidence and impact.
- Engineering Excellence: You lead by example, remaining practical, hands on and committed to raising the bar with those around you.
- #Vax
- #hybrid
Vax is made up of people who have a shared understanding of our mission and vision. Our values define who we are and what we stand for;
Trust – We’re experts and everything we do is based on brilliant knowledge.
Honesty – Our commitment to doing the right means we are always open and transparent.
Resilience – For decades, we have embraced change and been agile in what we do. We aren’t easily discouraged.
Innovation – We’re curious and explore opportunities, innovating to benefit our customers and business.
Valued – We are better when each of us feels included and respected for who we are and what we contribute.
Energy – We are positive thinkers, excited about what we do.
Lead Advanced Development Engineer in Droitwich employer: TTI
Milwaukee, part of Techtronic Industries, is an exceptional employer that offers graduates a dynamic and rewarding career path as Field Marketing Executives in the West Midlands. With a strong emphasis on structured training, mentorship, and real responsibility from day one, employees can expect to develop their sales and leadership skills while enjoying a comprehensive benefits package and opportunities for rapid career progression within a global market leader. The vibrant work culture encourages autonomy and innovation, making it an ideal environment for ambitious individuals looking to make a meaningful impact.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Advanced Development Engineer in Droitwich
✨Get Your Hands Dirty at Engineering Events
Join local engineering meetups or industry conferences related to mechanical engineering. Whether it's a workshop or a career fair, these events are goldmines for networking and getting a foot in the door. Plus, you can showcase your passion and enthusiasm directly to potential employers like TTI.
✨Connect with Professors & Peers
Tap into your university’s resources—professors often have connections in the industry. Don’t be shy to ask about potential openings or recommendations. Your classmates might also know of companies hiring. Often, it’s who you know that gets you in front of the right people!
✨Highlight Your Projects and Practical Experience
When you land those interviews, make sure to talk about your hands-on projects or internships. Whether it's a design project or hands-on experience with CAD software, specific examples will make you stand out. Companies like TTI love to hear about practical applications of your skills.
✨Apply Directly on Company Websites
Check out the careers page of TTI and apply directly through there. It shows initiative and interest in their specific values. Plus, you'll often find openings that aren't advertised on job boards, giving you a better chance to land that full-time gig!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Advanced Development Engineer in Droitwich
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Technical Expertise:In mechanical engineering, it’s vital to highlight your technical skills and projects. Make sure to include relevant software proficiency (like CAD tools) in your CV. If you've worked on specific engineering projects, detail your key contributions — we want to see how you’ve applied your skills in a practical setting!
Focus on Problem-Solving Examples:Employers in mechanical engineering love to see how you handle challenges. Use your cover letter to share specific instances where you’ve solved a complex problem or improved a design. This will show us you're not just knowledgeable but also capable of applying that knowledge effectively.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Include any relevant certifications or training that can set you apart from the competition. Whether it's coursework from your degree, a recognised certification, or extra training in new technologies, we love to see candidates who continuously improve their skill set. This tells us you're serious about your career in engineering!
Tailor Your CV for the Role:Don’t forget to customise your CV for TTI and the Lead Advanced Development Engineer role specifically. Pull examples from your experience that align with the job description — it shows us you've done your research and are genuinely interested in becoming part of the team. We recommend applying through our website to ensure your application gets to the right people!
How to prepare for a job interview at TTI
✨Brush Up on Your CAD Skills
Since mechanical engineering often involves design processes, be ready to showcase your proficiency in CAD software like SolidWorks or AutoCAD. Bring along a digital portfolio or even some sketches that demonstrate your design capabilities — it’s a great way to show what you can bring to the table at TTI.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect technical questions that test your understanding of engineering principles and problem-solving skills. You might get hypothetical scenarios where you need to design a component or troubleshoot a mechanical system. Practising these types of questions will give you the confidence to tackle whatever comes your way!
✨Show Your Team Spirit
As a full-time mechanical engineer, collaboration is key! Be ready to share examples of past team projects or any experiences where you contributed to solving a complex problem with others. Demonstrating your ability to work in a team will resonate well with the interviewers at TTI.
✨Discuss Your Future Goals
Since this is a full-time position, your long-term vision is important. Be open about your career aspirations, whether it’s mastering a specific tool or leading projects. This shows that you're committed not just to learning but also to growing with TTI, making you a more appealing candidate.
