Middleweight Product Designer (Physical Goods)

About QUICKPLAY QUICKPLAY is a dynamic sports equipment brand based in Sheffield. For over 15 years, we’ve been designing and engineering innovative products that help athletes and sports enthusiasts perform at their best. We pride ourselves on delivering outstanding customer service, and we’re now looking to expand our team with two motivated individuals who can represent our brand and deliver a first-class experience to every customer.

The Role We are looking for a creative and technically minded Middleweight Product Designer to join our design team. You will be responsible for taking concepts from initial sketches through to production ready specifications. You’ll bridge the gap between human-centred design and product engineering, ensuring our equipment helps athletes of all ages level up their performance safely and effectively.

Key Responsibilities Concept, Prototype & Testing: Generate innovative product concepts tailored for the sports training market, balancing functional utility with creative vision. You will validate design feasibility and performance through an iterative process of low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototyping. By conducting rigorous hands on testing, you will ensure every product not only meets our high-quality standards but excels in real world athletic environments. CAD Development: Produce high precision 3D models and comprehensive technical drawing packages ready for mass production. You will ensure all designs are optimized for a diverse range of manufacturing processes including but not limited to injection moulding, metal fabrication, and cut-and-sew textiles, while maintaining strict tolerances for assemblies. Product Sourcing: You will assist in managing the product sourcing lifecycle, from initial RFQs (Request for Quotes) to negotiating costs and lead times, ensuring all materials meet our technical specifications. By nurturing strong relationships with production partners, you will ensure a seamless transition from design hand-off to full scale production. DFM (Design for Manufacture): Collaborate with overseas production partners to ensure design intent is maintained prior to mass production. Quality Control & Product Validation: Collaborate on the development of rigorous testing protocols and "Golden Samples" to ensure mass-produced units consistently meet safety, performance, and industrial design benchmarks. You will lead Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) on your own products, execute physical stress testing on prototypes, and partner closely with both our in-house QC team and overseas manufacturers to identify and resolve quality deviations before any production run begins Design Administration: Act as a key bridge between departments, ensuring that design intent, technical specifications, and project updates are clearly communicated to all stakeholders. You will help manage design related documentation and maintain a transparent flow of information across design, marketing, sales, and operations teams to ensure project alignment from concept to launch

Requirements & Skills Experience: 3–5 years in a physical product design role (Consultancy or In-house). Experience in sports product development is a plus. Software Proficiency: Highly skilled in SolidWorks. Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite or Corel Draw is a bonus. Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of manufacturing processes (Injection moulding, metal fabrication, textiles) and assembly methods. Communication: Articulate complex design concepts, cost and technical problem-solving clearly and concisely Human Factors: A strong grasp of ergonomics and anthropometrics, understanding how the body moves during athletic training. Portfolio: A strong portfolio demonstrating the "journey" of a product from initial messy sketches and failed prototypes to the finished product or concept. The "Ideal" Candidate You don't just design objects; you aim to solve the problem. You’re comfortable in a workshop setting being hands on with tools as you are sitting on CAD. You have a passion for sport and an obsession with how things are made.

Benefits: Additional leave Company pension Private medical insurance. Health/wellness scheme subsidising active living. Cycle to work scheme

What We Offer Competitive salary Supportive and friendly team culture Training and development opportunities Career growth potential in a fast-growing company

How to Apply Please submit your CV and a PDF portfolio (under 10MB) or a link to your online portfolio to a.terry@quickplaysport.com. We are particularly interested in seeing your process, show us the sketches and the "why" behind your design decisions.