Contract Design Engineer (SolidWorks) IR35 Status: Out

Hourly – Circa £38,000 DOE

Contract Term – Ad hoc (10-20 hours)

Location – Fully Remote or Hybrid

Join a specialist precision engineering firm focusing on the design, prototyping, and manufacturing of custom thermoforming tooling. Partnering with clients across the food (meat, poultry, mushroom), medical, and commercial packaging sectors, they provide tailored external tool room solutions from initial product concept through to finished tool delivery.

We are looking for additional design support on ongoing projects to manage workload overflow. The goal is to build a long-term relationship with a trusted freelance engineer for ad-hoc support, taking initial 3D sample tray models through to full 2D/3D thermoforming tool designs and assembly drawings.

Responsibilities, but are not limited to

Produce accurate 3D CAD models and 2D assembly drawings using SolidWorks for thermoforming tools, sample trays, and plastic packaging components
Design complete thermoforming tooling packages based on sample products, 3D models, or initial project briefs
Create detailed assembly and manufacturing drawings suitable for internal CNC machining and tool production
Adapt quickly to internal company design workflows and standards to minimize onboarding time on future projects
Collaborate remotely with the engineering team to resolve design queries and meet project delivery timelines

Experiences required

Strong proficiency in SolidWorks for 3D modelling and 2D assembly drawing creation
Proven track record in thermoforming tooling design, plastic tray development, or mold/tool design
Experience working independently as a contractor or freelancer on short-turnaround design packages
Ability to work directly from sample geometry, basic sketches, or client specifications to generate complete tool assemblies
Must supply your own CAD workstation and active SolidWorks licence

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