Product Designer - Planter Boxes

About this role

ABOUT THE COMPANY Our client is an Australian laser cutting and sheet metal fabrication business supplying a wide range of businesses nationally. One division of the company designs and manufactures architectural planter boxes, also supplied nationally to construction companies. The division has grown steadily over recent years and is now expanding, and currently includes an estimator and a designer. ABOUT THE ROLE This role owns the whole path of a planter box job, from reading the architect's, landscape or structural drawings and completing the take-off, to drafting and structurally assessing the planter box against the project's specific dimensions and quoting the job, and (on won jobs) producing the drawings the customer approves and the cut-ready files the factory works from. This is a structural drafting and stress-analysis-led role, with estimating as the lighter component. The planter box's overall design has already been established by the company, so the core skill isn't ground-up product design, it's working out the stiffener count and placement for each job's specific dimensions, and carrying out the structural/stress analysis (particularly where planter boxes are used as balustrades on high-rise developments) to confirm the structure won't tip or fail under load. Quoting runs on the company's own standard estimating formulas, so take-off accuracy and this structural judgement matter far more than estimating technique. The role is dedicated to this company and works as part of its existing team (which already includes an estimator and a designer), rather than being shared across multiple clients. During quieter periods (for example the construction industry's December–January shutdown), the candidate may be asked to support other departments, such as general estimation or laser-machine programming, to keep them productively engaged. PRIMARY PURPOSE To independently take a planter box job from an architect's or construction drawing through take-off, structural drafting and quoting, and (once a job is won) through to customer approval drawings and factory-ready cut files, applying sound structural judgement and commercial scope awareness throughout. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES ▸ Take-Off Scope Review (Every Enquiry) Review architectural, landscape and structural drawings submitted by construction companies Complete accurate take-offs from these drawings, working out the planter box's size and footprint even where the construction plan shows little more than its marked location Apply commercial judgement to identify what is, and isn't, covered within the scope of each job ▸ Design (Every Enquiry) Determine the stiffener arrangement, quantity and placement required for each planter box's specific dimensions, working within the company's established design, rather than designing the product from scratch Work from architect/construction drawings to a practical, fabrication-ready drafting output The successful candidate will be responsible for using SolidWorks for product design and drafting, as well as undertaking structural assessments and analysis to ensure designs meet relevant construction and project specifications Undertake structural/stress analysis for planter boxes used as balustrades on high-rise developments, including working out anchoring/bolting-to-ground arrangements and stiffener design so the structure does not tip or collapse under load ▸ Estimating Quoting (Every Enquiry) Quote each job using the company's standard estimating formulas Apply commercial judgement on scope inclusions and exclusions when quoting Receive training from the company's internal estimators on costing and estimation formulas, drawing interpretation and structural/stress analysis are skills the candidate must already bring ▸ Approval Fabrication Documentation (Won Jobs) Produce drawings for customer approval on won jobs Produce fabrication drawings and cut-ready files for cutting, folding and fabrication on the shop floor In the first fe

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