JOB TITLE:         Senior Project Engineer

REPORTS TO:     FE Office Operations and Finance Manager (DKB China) – Functional.

                         Senior Project Manager NPD (UK Based).

                         NOTE: As an operation the FE Office collective reports to the Global Operations and Supply                                     Chian Director.

JOB PURPOSE:   For specific manual appliance brands within the DKB Household product portfolio, undertake Engineering functions and responsibilities across product development projects. Working under the direction of the Lead Designer and Project Manager (located in UK and Switzerland) and deliver successful completion to pre-determined timing phases.

JOB LOCATION:          Shenzhen

OUR COMPANY

DKB Household UK Limited and its associated group companies are leading global player in the housewares sector boasting an exciting portfolio of brands that includes Cole & Mason, Ad Hoc, Ken Hom, Zyliss and Culinare. 

What these brands have in common is a desire to inspire our customers, providing them with first class brands based on quality, awareness and an innovative spirit; they have a genuine provenance and compete on a global basis as premium branded goods.

In the UK DKB products are to be found in almost every major retailer. The Brands have a significant international presence competing in over 40 Markets stretching across Europe, North America and Australia. Customers include all major department stores, variety stores, grocery multiples and independent specialist retailers.

The business has been owned by Swiss based Diethelm Keller since December 2006.

DKB operates and is committed to a culture based on trust, responsibility, initiative and fairness.

JOB ACCOUNTABILITIES

1.            Support the design, development and implementation of specific new product projects in line with the company’s NPD process.

2.            Specific day to day NPD project activity for key brands within the DKB Household portfolio. These could include Zyliss, Cole & Mason and Culinare.

3.            Ensure that the status and progress of projects is well documented and communicated as appropriate across the Product development departments working closely with both the assigned Design Manager, Product Designer or Project Manager (Product Development) within DKB Household UK team on the project management of each development.

4.            Provide the Product Development team in UK with regular status updates on all project matters, this must be within agreed brand remits and/or any other tasks briefed from the relevant team members.

5.            Ensure that all CAD Data releases made by DKB Household UK team are fully understood and evaluated by the vendors and that drawings are signed off ahead of tooling.

6.            Review, input and advise in liaison with DKB design resource on tooling layout and injection gate positions.

7.            Review and facilitate packaging or printed product related matters for approval in accordance with the product brief and specification. (FE Packaging Team is managed operationally for the UK business)

8.            Track projects using the NPD tools provided i.e. MS Project and update Critical Paths (CPA’s) and Mondays.com as appropriate.

9.            Liaise with the vendors directly to ensure timely availability of samples, costings and all technical data related to any specific project.

10.         Ensure the correct distribution of sample requirements to each DKB business centre as instructed following the NPD Process.

11.         Work closely with the relevant Design Manager, Product designer or Project Manager (Product Development) to ensure that development projects are processed to specification, on cost and on time.

12.         Assist in responses required to any ongoing quality issues including the implementation of any necessary design changes or ECN’s.

BACKGROUND, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

1.            Qualified to degree level with demonstrable exposure to project development taking place from concept to completion.

2.            With 5 years of working experience in design and development with a practical sense to problem solving and a mechanical engineering bias.

•             Ideally from an in-house manufacturing environment with exposure to supplier liaison and manufacturing systems

•             Preferred but not essential mostly gained in housewares or related industries.

3.            A solid understanding and experience of ‘design for manufacture’, using plastics, wood, various steel and similar substrates. Must have a technical understanding of injection moulding & metal fabrication techniques.

4.            Experience required in working directly with Western Companies, Far East manufacturers.

5.            Self-motivated and driven to succeed.

6.            Good demonstrable project management skills.

7.            Full understanding of the latest CAD architecture. Preferred working experience of Solidworks. Fully conversance of Microsoft Office software

8.            Good level of spoken and written English with a professional and business level of presentation and interpersonal skills.

9.            Experience of working in a culture geared towards teamwork combined with the ability to work in an environment where a hands-on approach to the business is a pre-requisite.

10.         Some cross functional experience / contacts: ability to specify & manage constructional packaging related to new product introductions.