Kashif Rahman: AkzoNobel graduate

Employer: AkzoNobel
University: Queen Mary, University of London
Degree: MEng mechanical engineering
Graduated: 2008

I wanted a job where I could follow a project management route and was attracted by the fact that my current employer has lots of engineers in this sort of role.

Trying out different roles

I work in the decorative paints division, doing four six-month placements on the graduate scheme. I’m officially a supply chain graduate but the programme includes various engineering placements. My first was as a process development engineer at our manufacturing unit in Slough and I’m now doing the same role at our Stowmarket facility. I’ll next move on to a logistics and planning placement, also in Stowmarket, before taking on a project management role abroad.

Improving a paint factory

I currently run projects to improve the day-to-day functioning of the paint factory. I work independently but there are experienced engineers who can provide advice. One project involved improving the performance of the filling line, where paint is put into pots. I spent time on the factory floor and by talking to operators I identified the unit that puts the lids onto the cans as a bottleneck. I designed a piece of equipment that would do this more quickly and researched whether there was anything similar already on the market. There wasn’t, so I got quotes from contractors to manufacture and install my design, chose the best option and oversaw this work. This increased the number of cans filled per minute from 19 to 21.

In the office and on the factory floor

My time is divided 50/50 between the office and the factory, which for me is one of the best things about the job. I enjoy spending time with operators, identifying problems, explaining my ideas and getting their opinions. I also liaise a lot with suppliers and contractors, and like seeing my solutions being installed and put to use. I need good communication skills to explain my solutions at different levels and have improved my presentation skills: I present my work to top managers every three months. I also need to manage my own time – standard hours are 8.00 am till 4.30 pm though I sometimes stay an hour or two later.

Training and activities

I’m taking an online project management course, have regular meetings with my mentor and am allowed time off for chartership-related activities. I’ll be given language training for my placement abroad and have attended several residential courses that are run for everyone on the company’s graduate development programme, for example on teamwork and the financial side of the business. At one event I got chatting to a sales graduate and ended up organising a tour round the Slough factory for the new recruits in sales, marketing and finance.