Stuart Macintyre: GKN Aerospace graduate
Employer: GKN Aerospace
University: University of Strathclyde
Subject: MEng mechanical engineering
I chose to study mechanical engineering because it covers a broad spectrum of topics and would allow me to work in any area. I did two internships: one involved leading an interdisciplinary team, while the other was mainly a one-man project. I realised that I thrive on leading and working in a team, so I looked for a position involving project and programme management.
Overseeing aerospace programmes
As a programme manager, I’m fully responsible for three aerospace programmes, from initial customer contact through transfer of the programme into the business, to overseeing the work. Each programme is a business unit within the factory, and I’m responsible for the delivery quality and the profit and loss. I enjoy the autonomy as it increases the impact I can have: in the past four months, I have doubled the production and halved the cost of one programme, bringing it into profit. My largest programme is for the transfer of a nacelle (engine housing) manufacture process from an existing supplier into my organisation – it’s worth £3 million.
I lead the programme teams – engineering, commercial, procurement, quality and manufacturing specialists – and oversee the work. I also liaise with customers and suppliers. My foundation of engineering knowledge is essential for understanding and communicating technical details, for delegating to engineers and understanding what they’re doing, and for interpreting drawings and understanding CAD systems. I’ve undergone extensive training in soft skills and I’m now developing my finance and procurement abilities.
Travelling highs and lows
I’ve travelled a lot since I joined the ILDP graduate programme three years ago. The highlight so far was spending six months in a remote manufacturing location in central China. There were only a handful of westerners in the village: delivering the project was a huge challenge when working through translators and trying to speak the language. One of the more difficult times was spending six months as supervisor on a 12-hour night shift. However, if you have a 24-hour operation, it’s important to understand the night shift so you can see its impact on the business.