Kitchen Design jobs

Design Engineer – Custom Product (Furniture Manufacturing)

Harrogate | Full Time | Permanent

You might not know our name, but you'll almost certainly know our work.

We're NaughtOne, a design led furniture manufacturer whose products sit in the workplaces of some of the world's most recognisable brands, including Microsoft, Amazon and Google.

We design and manufacture premium furniture that's beautifully made, highly functional and uncompromising on quality.

But sometimes...

Standard isn't enough.

A customer needs something different.

A product needs adapting.

A new challenge lands on your desk that nobody has solved before.

That's where Custom Studio comes in.

It's where engineering meets creativity.

Where customer ideas become practical manufacturing solutions.

Where every project is a little different.

And that's where this role comes in.

A quick note before you read on...

This is not a software, IT or infrastructure Design Engineering role.

We're looking for an engineer with experience designing and developing physical products within a manufacturing environment.

Furniture experience would be fantastic.

If not, we'd love to hear from people who've worked with other design led manufactured products such as interiors, lighting, consumer products, kitchens, bathrooms, automotive or similar.

The opportunity

Our Custom Studio sits at the intersection of Design, Engineering, Manufacturing and Customer Experience.

Every day brings something different.

One project might involve adapting an existing product.

The next could involve creating a completely bespoke solution for a global customer.

You'll work closely with colleagues across Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Sales and Customer Services to develop solutions that balance customer requirements, engineering practicality, manufacturing capability and commercial viability.

You'll create CAD models.

Develop engineering drawings.

Build Bills of Materials.

Support prototypes.

Solve problems.

And help take ideas from initial concept through to manufacture.

You'll spend plenty of time in the detail.

But you'll never lose sight of the bigger picture.

Because every drawing you produce eventually becomes something real.

Something people will use.

Something that has to work.

This could be the role for you if...

You're naturally curious.

When someone tells you something can't be done...

Your first instinct is to ask,

"Why?"

You enjoy solving problems.

Not theoretical ones.

Real ones.

The sort where customer expectations, manufacturing constraints, materials and commercial reality all need balancing.

You don't just design things that look good.

You design things that can actually be made.

You're the sort of person who enjoys understanding how products fit together.

How they're manufactured.

How they could be improved.

You like asking questions.

Testing ideas.

Building prototypes.

Working alongside production teams to make something better than it was before.

You're comfortable working with CAD.

But you understand that good engineering is about far more than creating drawings.

It's about listening.

Collaborating.

Thinking commercially.

And helping people find practical solutions.

You enjoy variety.

No two projects will be exactly the same.

Some will be straightforward.

Others will stretch your thinking.

That's exactly how you like it.

Most of all...

You're someone who gets things over the line.

When challenges appear, you don't wait for somebody else to solve them.

You lean in.

You work with others.

You find a way forward.

What you'll be doing

You'll assess custom product requests, supporting feasibility reviews for bespoke solutions and product adaptations.

You'll produce high quality 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, assemblies, renderings and technical documentation.

You'll work closely with colleagues across Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Sales to develop solutions that balance customer requirements, manufacturability, quality and cost.

You'll support prototype development, testing and validation, working with suppliers and internal teams to bring ideas to life.

You'll create and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs) and engineering data within our ERP systems to support manufacturing and order processing.

You'll support projects from quotation through to production, ensuring engineering deliverables are completed on time.

You'll provide technical support across Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Sales and Customer Services.

You'll identify opportunities to improve products, processes and ways of working within Custom Studio.

Most importantly...

You'll become one of the people who quietly solves the problems other people thought couldn't be solved.

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone with experience designing and developing physical products within a manufacturing environment.

You may currently work as a:

• Design Engineer
• Product Design Engineer
• Mechanical Design Engineer
• Product Development Engineer
• Development Engineer
• Manufacturing Engineer
• Technical Designer

Furniture manufacturing would be a great fit, but we're equally interested in candidates from other design led manufacturing sectors including interiors, lighting, automotive, consumer products, kitchens, bathrooms, medical devices or similar.

You'll ideally have experience of:

• Developing physical products using CAD software such as Inventor, SolidWorks or AutoCAD.
• Producing engineering drawings, assemblies and technical documentation.
• Creating Bills of Materials (BOMs) and supporting ERP systems.
• Working closely with Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Production teams.
• Supporting prototype development, testing and product validation.
• Translating customer requirements into practical engineering solutions.

But experience is only part of the picture.

We're looking for someone who:

• Is naturally curious and enjoys solving technical problems.
• Thinks commercially as well as technically.
• Takes ownership and sees projects through to completion.
• Builds trusted relationships across different teams.
• Thrives balancing multiple priorities without compromising quality.
• Enjoys learning and developing their expertise.
• Pays exceptional attention to detail.
• Is proactive, collaborative and willing to roll their sleeves up when needed.
• Brings a genuine "let's find a way" attitude to every challenge.

Why NaughtOne?

At NaughtOne, collaboration isn't just something we talk about.

It's how we work.

You'll join a business where ideas are welcomed, curiosity is encouraged and people genuinely enjoy solving problems together.

You'll have the opportunity to work on bespoke furniture solutions for some of the world's best known organisations, seeing your ideas move from concept to manufacture and into workplaces across the globe.

If you're someone who enjoys combining creativity with engineering, and gets genuine satisfaction from turning complex challenges into elegant, practical solutions, we'd love to hear from you.

Application question(s):

• Do you live within a commutable distance to Harrogate?
• Do you have experience working as a Design Engineer developing physical manufactured products? (not including software, IT, digital products)

Work Location: In person