Technical Designer & Maker – CAD and Fabrication

Create work that people remember.

Design, fabrication and installation of large-scale public artworks and bespoke commissions
Full-time · Workshop-based · Gateshead, UK

Studio Vertigo and Full Blown are sister companies sharing one creative team in Gateshead, where art, design, engineering and fabrication come together under one roof. Together, we create internationally touring public artworks and immersive light installations, alongside inflated stainless-steel sculpture and bespoke commissions for architectural, cultural and luxury retail settings.

We are looking for an experienced Technical Designer & Maker, typically with four to five years or more of relevant professional experience, who is ready to take responsibility for substantial parts of a project and help turn ambitious ideas into practical, buildable designs.

This is not a desk-only position. You will work directly with the founders and fabrication team, contributing to projects from initial development and CAD drawings through prototyping, fabrication, testing, packing and installation.

No two weeks are the same. You might develop a new touring artwork, produce detailed CAD drawings, build and test a prototype in the workshop or travel with the team to install work in a city centre or public space.

We are looking for someone who is genuinely enthusiastic about the work itself - someone who enjoys making, solving unfamiliar problems and helping ambitious ideas become finished artworks and installations.

The role:

You will:

• Develop creative concepts into practical, buildable solutions.
• Produce and interpret clear CAD drawings and fabrication information.
• Create prototypes, test ideas and refine designs.
• Work hands-on with the fabrication team to build and assemble projects.
• Consider fabrication, modular assembly, transport, installation, maintenance and repeated touring from the outset.
• Prepare projects for transport and help install and dismantle work throughout the UK and occasionally overseas.
• Help improve how our projects are designed, fabricated, assembled and transported.

What we’re looking for:

You will bring:

• Confidence producing CAD drawings.
• A practical understanding of materials, fabrication and assembly.
• Hands-on making skills and the ability to move comfortably between design work and the workshop.
• An organised and dependable approach to solving unfamiliar problems.
• Excellent attention to detail, clear communication and pride in the quality of the finished work.
• The ability to work independently, take responsibility and collaborate within a small team.
• A full UK driving licence.
• Willingness to travel and stay away when projects require it.

Relevant backgrounds might include technical, product or industrial design, exhibition production, scenic construction or architectural fabrication. Your ability, experience and work matter more than the precise route you took.

Why join us?

The opportunity here is not simply to work on unusual projects. It is to become closely involved in how they are developed, solved, made and brought into the world.

You will join a small, supportive and collaborative team with no layers of management between the idea and the people making it. Good ideas and practical judgement are taken seriously, giving you genuine influence over how projects are designed, made and installed. You will see your contribution become finished work experienced by audiences and clients around the world.

What we offer:

• Exceptionally varied work across public art, light installations, sculpture, architecture, luxury retail and bespoke commissions.
• Direct involvement throughout the life of a project, from the drawing board and workshop through to final installation.
• Flexible start and finish times, coordinated around workshop activity, project deadlines, installations and the needs of the team.
• Overtime paid or taken back as time off in lieu, by agreement.
• Required travel and installation time treated as working time, with time outside contracted hours managed as overtime or time off in lieu.
• Eligibility for a discretionary annual profit-related bonus after 12 months’ service.
• Opportunities to travel throughout the UK and occasionally overseas.

This is an on-site role at our Gateshead workshop. We welcome applications from candidates willing to relocate to the North East.

How to apply:

Please apply with:

• Your CV.
• A portfolio or relevant project examples that make your own contribution clear.
• A brief note explaining why you would like to join the team.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so early applications are encouraged. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the application process.