Role: New Products Engineering Manager
Company: Sensata Technologies
Track Record:
Tell us a bit about the organisation you work for
Schrader, now Sensata Technologies is mainly known for being the global leader in Tyre pressure monitoring systems employing over 2000 employees mostly in Northern Ireland, over 250 of those being Engineers. Schrader has been growing the last 20 years through its main product line and diversification into other products such as Liquid Level Sensors. Being now part of an even larger group Sensata, it will open up even more opportunities across the globe.
Explain how your career has progressed since starting
I joined Schrader in 1998 as a student doing a summer work placement in Electronic Engineering. First day in the job, I had to read a ‘boring’ 100 pages specification in French and translate it to English.
6 months later, this became my first real job: Electronic Design Engineer.
As part of the R&D team, I got to design and develop all the new features of the main product Tyre Pressure Monitoring transmitter. Three years later I had acquired enough experience to become a senior engineer responsible for developing new products within the Company.
I went to work for Schrader in Paris for a while which was a great experience, and which gave me some Sales and Customer interface experience
In 2004, a new opportunity within Schrader allowed me to become a Team Leader of the New Products Group. Through growth, this team increased from 6 to 20 engineers, during which I was appointed to a new role of New Products Engineering Manager 5 years later.
I have since been responsible for a multi-discipline engineering team helping Schrader to grow and diversify into new products
What does your current job entail?
I manage a group of 20 made up of Electronic, Software & Mechanical Engineers. This involves discussing team strategies, setting individual goals, reviewing their work progress and priorities when needed and managing their performance and development.
I try not to get too involved in the detailed designing of products itself but manage this through giving some directions and supporting the team in making the right choices.
I am also heavily involved at the customer side in promoting our products and technology choices which involves travelling around the world to meet with customers.
At a higher level, I am involved in setting up the main group strategy.
Why did you decide to become an engineer?
I loved fixing things from a young age, and was always curious about how things get to work. This basically prompted my decision to do an Engineering Diploma in Electronic design and progressed on to a Master in Microelectronics
What qualities are required for your job – personal and professional?
Being able to handle pressure, Optimism, Leading by example, assertiveness, Being able to listen, not jumping to conclusion, Flexibility
What is/are the most rewarding aspect(s) of your job?
When you have worked hard with your team for three years in developing and promoting a product from scratch, it is great to see it coming to life. A bit like becoming a daddy.
Feeling that you have somewhat positively influenced someone’s life.
And what are the biggest challenges you face?
The biggest challenge is to make things happen regardless of what roadblocks you may encounter.
Before you start a project, you got to plan for it, try to foresee what might go wrong, where possible take steps to mitigate those things happening and then execute. This means being flexible, quick to react and sometimes making hard decisions.
What are your interests outside work?
Work life balance is very important when you are dealing with big challenges in work every day.
I like Running, Swimming, traveling around the world to discover new places. I am also the first one on the dance floor.
Who has inspired you most in your life and career choices?
Hard working Mum who raised 4 children whilst working as full time doctor (did an amazing job), and dad who’s always been giving me advice through my life, helping me to make the right choices.
What piece of advice would you give to an aspiring engineer?
Best way to progress is to be ambitious. While you should give yourself hard targets to meet, try to break them down in small steps then work hard to achieve them.
Learn from your peers, and from people who have got a lot of experience. Develop and enquiring mind, don’t be afraid to say what you think. Always look for a challenge and challenge the status quo.
Try to live abroad for a while as it will open up a world of opportunities and experience.
For more information on jobs at Schrader / Sensata visit: www.sensata.jobs