This is a career that sees you working for or with clients that specialise in manufacturing design for a circular economy and for products to be reusable, which exposes you to an array of amazing industries. Your work can have you working on the design of new product innovation, whilst using recycled materials, which could range from electrical devises, recycled plastic to rather unusual materials such as potatoes or even coffee.

You often have the opportunity to work across the full product life cycle, from requirements stages through to design, production and manufacture. On a senior level, you will have a mix of innovation, leadership and hands-on design responsibilities.

Mechanical Design Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Electronic Design Engineer
Electrical Engineer
Product Design Engineer
Operations Manager
Materials Manager

Head of Department
Principal
Senior

This often comes down to speciality, location, and whether you pursued a masters.

Salaries for entry-level roles in this field range from £23k – £32k.

On a mid-level, Engineers normally earn between £35k and £45k.

Seniors normally earn between £45k and £60k.

Salaries for Principal Engineers normally range between £55k to £70k.

The following technologies and skills often appear on job descriptions;

3D design (using software tools such as Solidworks, PTC Creo, Catia and AutoCAD), CAE, Thermodynamics, Materials selection, Stress, Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing, and Data Analysis (Matlab, ANSYS, Labview).

Often clients will look for you to hold a Bsc in Engineering, Product Design, Business, Environmental, Economics and Science. Otherwise, they will look for candidates who have undertaken an apprenticeship related to the field. An academic or industry-related technical background is normally necessary to secure a role in the field.

Salary: £24k – £32k
What They Do:
Supports projects focused on waste reduction, resource efficiency, and product lifecycle analysis by conducting research, data gathering, and stakeholder outreach.

Skills Needed:

• Knowledge of circular economy principles and UK waste legislation
• Strong research and data analysis skills
• Excellent organisational and communication abilities
• Basic understanding of lifecycle assessment (LCA)
• Experience with community or business engagement projects

Salary: £32k – £40k
What They Do:
Manages small projects or components of larger programmes, providing recommendations for circular design, waste minimisation, and resource management.

Skills Needed:

• Experience with circular business models and product stewardship
• Ability to carry out materials flow analysis
• Stakeholder management and facilitation
• Knowledge of extended producer responsibility schemes
• Reporting and presenting findings to clients

Salary: £40k – £55k
What They Do:
Leads multiple client projects, develops circular strategies for businesses and local authorities, and mentors junior staff.

Skills Needed:

• Advanced expertise in circular economy strategies and LCA
• Business case development and cost-benefit analysis
• Experience in policy and regulatory compliance
• Proposal writing and business development
• Ability to design and deliver workshops

Salary: £55k – £75k
What They Do:
Manages large-scale programmes and partnerships, drives business growth, and influences public and private sector stakeholders.

Skills Needed:

• Commercial awareness and strategic programme design
• Extensive industry and government network
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills
• P&L accountability
• Team leadership and succession planning

Salary: £80k – £120k+
What They Do:
Defines organisational strategy for circular economy initiatives, secures funding, and influences UK-wide policy and corporate practices.

Skills Needed:

• Visionary leadership and sector expertise
• Ability to shape legislation and industry standards
• Proven record of large-scale impact delivery
• Executive-level stakeholder and investor engagement
• Public speaking and thought leadership