Ioannis
Graduate Engineer, Nestlé UK
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With an Electrical Engineering degree and an MSc in Automation & Control, I was naturally attracted to a career in a manufacturing business. Nestlé might not be the obvious choice for an electrical engineer, but it has proved itself to be an exciting one with many challenges. Almost every project involves automation in some way. And with the commitment that Nestlé has to product quality, innovation and development, this means an enormous amount of opportunity to participate in projects covering a vast array of technologies and processes.
After graduating from Newcastle University in 2008, I started with Nestlé at the Dalston factory, the home of Cappuccino. Working initially in the Projects team, specifically with the Electrical & Automation engineers, I've been involved in the design, implementation and commissioning of major projects for the site. From the lowest level – managing the electrical connections of plant components - all the way up to supervisory control and data collection, there's no denying that my job has impressive diversity. I can honestly say that I've learned more about automation (hardware, software, good practices) in the last 12 months than I have in all my years of studying.
Focusing more on the software side of things, my day-to-day activities involve working closely with the project engineers to design and implement process control strategies, develop robust PLC programs in-line with the functional specification, and design HMIs (human machine interfaces). I have to ensure that the new processes and interfaces fully meet business requirements, are user friendly, safe, and provide easy access to data for critical decision-making. This all requires day-to-day interaction with operators, engineers and management, which gives me a lot of satisfaction as I see how automation contributes to the goals of the factory.
One aspect of the work environment that really made an impression on me is how knowledgeable everybody is. Nestlé people have a wide array of skills and expertise and everybody is willing to share their knowledge with you. As Nestlé is a global organisation, this network of professional skills also extends to factories worldwide, so collaboration is not only encouraged but expected. Although my background is as an electrical engineer, I've already been exposed to key factory processes like evaporators and spray dryers, which demonstrates the commitment that Nestlé have in developing broad competencies and expertise.
While all elements of my job are enjoyable, I find commissioning the most fulfilling. It is a period of hard work, late hours and quite a bit of stress, but in the end you get to see the team's hard work up and running, with the sense of achievement as the first product is produced.
Ioannis graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Electrical Engineering degree and an Msc in Automation & Control.
