Draughtsman
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Futures is looking to recruit and experienced Draughtsman for our client, a well-established engineering and manufacturing business specialising in the design and production of heavy industrial equipment and bespoke engineered solutions.
This is an excellent opportunity for a candidate with a strong background in heavy manufacturing, fabrication, machinery, steelwork, or industrial engineering who is proficient in both SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor.
Key responsibilities include:
- Producing detailed 2D manufacturing drawings and 3D models using SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor
- Developing and modifying existing designs to meet customer and production requirements
- Liaising with manufacturing, production, and project teams to ensure designs are practical and manufacturable
- Supporting product development and continuous improvement activities
- Ensuring all drawings comply with relevant engineering standards and company procedures
- Managing engineering change requests and maintaining drawing revisions
- Assisting with technical problem-solving throughout the manufacturing process
- Conducting site measurements and surveys where required
The Ideal Candidate
- Previous experience working as a Draughtsman, Design Engineer, CAD Engineer, or Mechanical Designer
- Proven background within heavy manufacturing, fabrication, industrial machinery, steel structures, material handling equipment, process equipment, or similar engineering sectors
- Strong working knowledge of SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor (essential)
- Experience producing detailed fabrication and manufacturing drawings
- Good understanding of welding, fabrication, machining, and manufacturing processes
- Ability to interpret engineering specifications and technical requirements
- Experience creating and managing Bills of Materials (BOMs)
- Strong attention to detail and organisational skills
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Lead your CV with a Personal Statement naming both SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor explicitly — the advert lists both as essential and ATS filters will scan for exact tool names.
📊 Quantify your drawing output: e.g. 'Produced 200+ fabrication drawings per year for heavy steel structures up to 40-tonne assemblies' to demonstrate scale relevant to heavy industrial work.
🎯 List specific sectors you have worked in (e.g. steel structures, material handling, process equipment) in your work history — the advert names these verbatim as preferred backgrounds.
🔧 Include a dedicated 'Technical Skills' section separating CAD tools, manufacturing processes (welding, machining, fabrication), and standards compliance to mirror the advert's structure.
🤝 Highlight any experience liaising directly with production or manufacturing teams on design-for-manufacture, as the advert specifically calls out cross-team collaboration as a key responsibility.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Produced over 180 detailed fabrication drawings annually in SolidWorks for bespoke steel structures and heavy industrial equipment, reducing shop floor queries by 25% through improved drawing clarity.
- •Managed engineering change requests across a library of 400+ controlled drawings in Autodesk Inventor, maintaining full revision history and ensuring zero production stoppages due to drawing errors over a 12-month period.
- •Created and maintained Bills of Materials for 15 major capital equipment projects, coordinating with procurement and manufacturing teams to cut component sourcing lead times by 10 days per project.
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Letter preview — tailored to Futures
Dear Hiring Manager,
Futures' search for an experienced Draughtsman within heavy industrial engineering is a strong match for my background. Having worked extensively with SolidWorks and Autodesk Inventor to produce detailed fabrication and manufacturing drawings for steel structures and industrial machinery, I am confident I can contribute from day one to your client's bespoke engineering projects in Chesterfield.
My background in heavy manufacturing has seen me manage Bills of Materials across multi-component assemblies, control drawing revisions through formal engineering change processes, and collaborate closely with production teams to resolve design-for-manufacture challenges. I have experience interpreting complex engineering specifications and translating them into accurate 2D and 3D deliverables that meet both customer requirements and workshop constraints.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›Walk us through your typical workflow when producing a fabrication drawing from scratch in SolidWorks.
- ›How do you manage drawing revisions and engineering change requests to ensure version control across a project?
- ›Describe your experience creating and maintaining Bills of Materials — what software or processes have you used?
- ›How do you ensure a design is manufacturable when working with welded steel fabrications?
- ›What engineering standards do you apply when producing manufacturing drawings, and how do you verify compliance?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you identified a design error before it reached the shop floor — what steps did you take?
- ›Describe a situation where you had to modify an existing design to meet a customer's changing requirements under time pressure.
- ›Give an example of when you had to liaise with production or manufacturing teams to resolve a practical issue with a drawing.
- ›Tell me about a complex bespoke engineering project you contributed to — what was your specific role and what challenges did you overcome?
- ›Describe a time you had to conduct site measurements or surveys to inform a design — how did you manage accuracy and communicate findings?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you identified a design error before it reached the shop floor — what steps did you take?
Describe a situation where you had to modify an existing design to meet a customer's changing requirements under time pressure.