Design Engineer

Design Engineer – Retail Displays & Fixtures | Chicago, IL | Onsite

2PM Talent is partnering with an established retail display and merchandising business in the Chicago area to hire an experienced Design Engineer.

This is a hands-on engineering position working across custom retail displays, fixtures and branded environments. You’ll take projects from initial creative concepts through detailed engineering and production, working closely with Industrial Design, Project Management, Estimating, Sourcing and manufacturing partners.

The role would suit someone who combines strong technical engineering capability with an understanding of how custom retail fixtures and displays are actually manufactured, assembled and installed.

Responsibilities

• Engineer custom retail displays, fixtures and merchandising solutions from concept through production.
• Translate industrial design concepts and client requirements into detailed, manufacturable solutions.
• Produce engineering drawings, technical specifications, bills of materials and production documentation.
• Develop solutions using a variety of materials including wood, metal, plastics, acrylic and other fabricated components.
• Work closely with Industrial Designers to maintain the creative intent while ensuring designs are practical and cost-effective to manufacture.
• Partner with Project Management, Estimating and Sourcing throughout the development and production process.
• Review prototypes and samples, identifying engineering changes and improvements before production.
• Support manufacturing partners with technical questions and production challenges.
• Engineer with cost, durability, assembly, packaging, shipping and installation requirements in mind.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously within demanding retail timelines.

Experience

We’re particularly interested in candidates with experience in:

• Retail displays and fixtures
• Point-of-purchase (POP) displays
• Store environments and branded spaces
• Custom fabrication
• Millwork or permanent fixtures
• Exhibit or experiential fabrication

You should have strong CAD and technical drawing capabilities alongside a practical understanding of manufacturing and fabrication processes.

Experience engineering products involving multiple materials and manufacturing methods will be particularly relevant.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a practical, solutions-focused Design Engineer who is comfortable operating between creative design and manufacturing.

You’ll need to be able to look at a concept and determine how it should be constructed, what materials and processes should be used, and how it can be manufactured efficiently without compromising the overall design intent.

Previous experience within the retail display and fixture industry is highly desirable.