Industrial Design Engineer

Who We Are
UPC has been designing and manufacturing retail store fixtures and point-of-purchase displays in Madison Wisconsin since 1978. We operate out of a 120000 sq ft facility and were family-owned growing and hands-on at every level. If youve ever walked into a store and noticed how a product was presented - the fixture that held it the display that drew your eye - theres a good chance someone like you built it.

We work with real customers on real problems and our design and engineering team is central to that. Were not a big anonymous corporation. Your ideas will be seen your work will be built and your fingerprints will be on the final product.

The Role
Were looking for a practical creative designer who can take a concept from idea to production-ready - independently and without a lot of hand-holding. This isnt a role for someone who only sketches and hands off to someone else. Youll own the full arc: conceive it model it document it and hand it to the shop floor ready to build.

The right person thinks visually works methodically communicates clearly and finds genuine satisfaction in seeing their design become a physical thing. Some background in manufacturing or fabrication - even as a hobbyist - is a real advantage here.

What Youll Do
Take customer needs and translate them into original design concepts - from rough sketches to refined models.
Build 3D models and produce complete accurate drawings and BOMs ready for shop floor production.
Manage your own projects: file organization version control drawing updates and design documentation.
Work directly with production teams to make sure what you designed can actually be built as intended.
Support the adoption of new tools and processes that make the team faster and more consistent.
Contribute to continuous improvement - when you see a better way to do something you say so.

What You Bring
Were more interested in what you can do than what your resume says. That said heres what tends to predict success in this role:

Solid working knowledge of AutoCAD. Blender or other 3D modeling experience is a strong plus.
Ability to produce clear complete technical drawings and BOMs - not just pretty renders.
Comfortable managing your own work: you dont need someone checking in on you every day.
Enough IT fluency to manage files formats cloud storage and design tool integrations without getting stuck.
Good communicator - you can explain your design decisions to people who arent engineers.
Experience with or exposure to an ERP system (we use Odoo) is helpful not required.
2 years in a manufacturing design or fabrication environment is preferred - but show us your portfolio and lets talk.
Recent technical college grads with strong portfolios are encouraged to apply. So are career changers whove spent time in a shop or fabrication environment and taught themselves CAD. We care about capability and drive not just credentials.
Tools Youll Use
AutoCAD (primary CAD platform)
Blender (3D modeling)
Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop Illustrator - as needed)
Odoo ERP (for project and BOM management)
Google Drive / file sharing and cloud collaboration tools
Benefits

401(k) Paid holidays
Health insurance Stable family-owned workplace
Paid Time Off (PTO) Your work gets built - guaranteed

How to Apply
Send your resume and a portfolio (or portfolio link) to Were not looking for perfection - were looking for someone who can show us how they think and what theyve built. Even if your background is unconventional reach out.

Phone: Fax:

UPC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are based on qualifications merit and business needs.

Required Experience:

IC