Job profile
Design engineer (m/f/d)

What do design engineers do?

Design engineers are inventive, flexible and creative and are active in all areas of product manufacturing. They use CAD programs and drawing boards to plan, develop and optimise products, plants and systems. They also ensure that there is always enough material available for production.

Designing machines or modifying them according to customer specifications, analysing measurement data, supporting and improving processes and exchanging information with the research and development department: The job is varied. In addition to sound technical expertise, design engineers also have a trained eye for customer wishes, market requirements and company goals. They are in demand in a wide range of industries. These primarily include plastics processing, mechanical and vehicle engineering, medical technology, the metal and electrical industries and furniture and timber construction.

Also very constructive: With our many years of experience in recruitment, we are the ideal point of contact for both design engineers and companies. The aim is always to find the best possible solution for both sides and to fulfil all requirements and needs. This also applies to the drafting of contracts.

Design engineer

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Are you looking for a job as a design engineer?

Do you find it exciting to create the technological conditions for new products and make good things even better? Then you have chosen the right career as a design engineer. If you would like to continue your career in a new company, we will be happy to support you with all our experience.

Find jobs for design engineers

Are you looking for suitable design engineers?

Are you looking to fill one or more positions as a design engineer in your company or are you looking for freelancers? Then we have the right talents who can develop innovative concepts and models for you in the future to open up new paths in planning and production.

Find qualified design engineers

Are you looking for an exciting project as a design engineer?

Are you a design engineer who likes to work on a project-based, temporary basis and is flexible in terms of location? Then there's every reason to get in touch with us, because we can also find suitable projects for self-employed people in Austria.

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Tasks of design engineers

Design engineers conceptualise and design new products, equipment and systems. They utilise existing sources of information and develop three-dimensional models based on CAD, which can also be converted into two-dimensional designs or in graphic form, e.g. as a photorealistic reproduction. New concepts and models are created by analysing requirements, taking into account costs and material requirements, in order to expand the possibilities in planning and production. They also create technical specifications, virtual simulations, presentations and parts lists.

The classic tasks of design engineers include:

Creating concepts and drafts as well as 2D and 3D models
Building prototypes
Organising work
Collecting production-related data

What hard and soft skills should design engineers have?

In order to be able to complete the individual tasks within the given time frame, design engineers should have a high level of expertise, professionalism and the ability to work in a team.

The most important hard and soft skills are:

Technical training and further training as a design engineer
Basic knowledge of common industry-specific manual and mechanical processing techniques
Expertise in administration, human resources, materials science and production
Knowledge of how to use various industry-specific CAD programmes

Knowledge of networks and databases
Spatial thinking and imagination
Organisational skills
Resilience and reliability
Ability to communicate and work in a team
Willingness to undergo continuous further training

How do you become a design engineer and
what prospects are there?

The four-year apprenticeship as a design engineer includes theoretical and practical training in parts production. The six training specialisations, at least one of which must be learned, are electrical installation technology, installation and building technology, mechanical engineering technology, metal construction technology, steel construction technology and toolmaking technology.

Due to the shortage of skilled labour, design engineers are highly sought-after employees in many industries with excellent career prospects and very good earning potential.

What is the salary of design engineers?

Many factors play a role in earnings. Depending on the industry, location and company size, design engineers in Austria earn between 35,400 and 51,000 euros gross per year. The average gross annual salary is 43,200 euros. Professional experience and additional qualifications also have an influence on salary levels. The payment of self-employed persons is negotiated on a project-related basis depending on the scope and level of difficulty.

Dream job or top specialist - at Hays you will also find both in the Design Engineer field

You can rely on our proven "Find & Bind" concept, which identifies the best possible matches between companies and applicants and successfully brings potential candidates together. We form the perfect interface between qualified applicants and reputable companies. Our expertise and excellent industry network combined with proven search and data analysis tools lead to optimal results for both sides.

Whether permanent or self-employed, as a design engineer with us you decide for yourself how you would like to pursue your professional career. We are happy to advise you in your decision-making process and provide you with access to renowned companies, which we also support individually.

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