Student Design Engineer (12 Months Placement) in Crawley

About Welland Medical Ltd: Welland Medical brings to market the best and most innovative products that enhance the lives of people living with a stoma across the world. Investing in the most talented people, collaborating to create world-class, ground-breaking products and services devoted to improving peoples’ lives. We are passionate about making a difference in the world.

Welland Medical is a part of Clinimed Holdings Limited, a prominent figure in the Healthcare and Medical Equipment sector. Clinimed Holdings Limited comprises a group of companies established in 1982 through the acquisition and formation of various entities within the group.

Job Summary: We are looking for a motivated Student Design Engineer to join our R&D team, supporting the development of innovative medical devices in a fast-paced, regulated environment. You will work closely with stakeholders across the business - from management to the factory floor - gaining hands on experience throughout the full product development lifecycle.

In this role, you’ll carry out design research, contribute to ideation sessions, and help generate and evaluate concepts. You’ll collaborate with internal teams, suppliers, subcontractors, and customers to solve real-world engineering challenges, while developing your technical and professional skills. This position requires strong attention to detail, effective communication, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. You’ll be expected to work in line with quality and regulatory standards, including ISO 13485.

This is an excellent opportunity to gain practical industry experience, working within a team of designers, engineers and material scientists in a manufacturing setting.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

• Conduct primary and secondary design research, ensuring user needs, intended use, and design inputs are clearly captured, documented, and traceable in line with ISO 13485.
• Support the development of design inputs and user requirements, aligned with clinical needs, regulatory expectations, and risk management processes.
• Contribute to concept generation and structured ideation sessions, ensuring outputs are documented and linked to design inputs.
• Evaluate and select concepts using defined criteria (e.g. feasibility, risk, usability, manufacturability), maintaining clear design records and justification.
• Plan and conduct usability engineering activities in line with human factors best practices.
• Develop and document prototypes (from proof-of-concept to functional models) to support verification and validation.
• Assist Design Engineers with day-to-day project tasks.
• Apply structured problem-solving techniques, considering risk, safety, and regulatory impact, with appropriate documentation.
• Communicate effectively with internal teams (Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing) and external stakeholders (suppliers, subcontractors), ensuring traceability of decisions.
• Produce detailed 3D CAD models using SolidWorks.
• Generate high-quality renders using KeyShot to support design reviews and stakeholder engagement.
• Support the full product lifecycle, including design, development, verification, validation, and transfer to manufacture in compliance with ISO 13485.
• Support verification and validation testing, including protocol development, execution, and reporting.
• Assist with regulatory documentation and audit preparation.
• Participate in design reviews, ensuring outputs meet inputs and that risks and decisions are properly recorded.
• Support user evaluations, presentations, and focus groups, feeding insights back into the design process.
• Develop prototypes to a professional standard, aligned with design requirements and documentation.

Personal Specifications:

Essential:

• Enrolled on a design-based University Degree (e.g. Product Design, Industrial Design, Engineering).
• Creative with strong idea generation, research, and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of the design and product development process through academic or personal projects.
• Excellent written, visual, and verbal communication skills.
• Well organised, adaptable, and able to work effectively within a team.
• High attention to detail with a proactive attitude and willingness to learn.
• Passionate about design, innovation, and continuous development.

Desirable:

• Experience using SolidWorks, 3D CAD, Adobe Creative Suite, and technical drawings.
• Hands-on prototyping experience including 3D printing and model making.
• Understanding of ergonomics, human factors, usability testing, and regulated design environments (e.g. ISO 13485).
• Strong analytical and reporting skills with the ability to interpret technical or scientific data.
• Confident presenting ideas through sketches, models, and visual communication.