Director – Engineering, Planning & Project Operations at Composite Centre Limited (2021-01 – Present)
Engineering, Manufacturing & fabrication business specialising in bespoke gates, automated gate systems, composite products, fabrication and site installation. Built the company from £0 turnover and 0 employees to almost £500,000 annual turnover and 12 employees, taking ownership of the company's growth & direction. Continuing development of existing skills in engineering planning, production, procurement, project delivery & management.
Gained eclectic knowledge of every aspect of the business.
- Plan and coordinate projects end-to-end: customer enquiry, site survey, scope definition, estimating, procurement, production planning, manufacture, logistics, installation, testing, commissioning and handover
- Develop project scopes and detailed quotations covering materials, labour, equipment, fabrication, transport and installation, linking programme requirements to resource and cost implications
- Sequence workshop manufacturing activities against project requirements and installation dates, balancing workload, workshop capacity, labour availability and material lead times across multiple concurrent projects
- Monitor project progress against planned delivery dates, identify constraints and bottlenecks, and implement corrective actions to protect programme commitments
- Coordinate procurement of materials and specialist components from international suppliers & manufactures, optimizing profit margins & cash flow via supplier relationships and lead times
- Product design and innovation through supplier products and workshop innovation progressing into lean manufacturing, reducing required storage space and improving cash flow
- Develop & maintain SOPs throughout the business
- Plan delivery and site logistics and coordinate installation, groundworks, fabrication, automation, testing and commissioning activities
- Manage scope changes and variations arising from customer requirements and site conditions, assessing their impact on resources, programme, cost and delivery
- Maintain quality controls throughout the business from engineering drawings, manufacturing & installation, developing inspection procedures, risk management, supplier approval, corrective actions and handover
- Recruit and coordinate 12-person workforce across engineering, fabrication and management departments, develop training matrix and competency processes, conduct annual employee reviews, establish engineering/fabrication apprenticeship pathway
Planning Engineer at Robson Handling Technology Ltd (2018-01 – 2021-12)
Progressed into the Planning Engineer role following two years as a Production Planner, increasing responsibility for engineering project planning, production coordination and programme delivery.
- Plan and coordinate engineering, procurement and manufacturing activities ensuring these match with project requirements, working closely with project managers to proof production capacity and customer delivery commitments
- Develop and maintain production and project schedules, prioritizing work according to programme requirements, manufacturing capacity and delivery milestones
- Progress into NEC contracts through programmes for large six-figure projects for customers such as Manchester Airport, Eon – Drax Group & MGT Teesside using Microsoft Project / Primavera P6
- Consider material availability, supplier lead times, labour requirements and manufacturing capacity when developing realistic plans / programmes, working closely with department heads to gather leadtimes and durations
- Coordinate the movement of engineered components and assemblies through the production process and support delivery of complex engineered material-handling systems
- Complete regular site visits to speak with stakeholders, site managers & project managers, changing priorities and programme requirements from these meetings across departments to maintain delivery commitments
- Develop strong understanding of the interdependencies between engineering design, procurement, production, resources, manufacturing, installation and final delivery
Production Planner at Robson Handling Technology Ltd (2016-01 – 2018-12)
Planning day-to-day manufacturing activities in line with production requirements and customer delivery commitments. Collecting all relevant information to develop a production plan implementing priorities & allocation.
- Allocate resources to manufacturing processes & sequencing from machining operations, fabrication & welding to assembly & shipping
- Provide daily toolbox talks within the workshop, collate any issues, queries or feedback as well as provide progress reports ensuring team works cohesively and knows requirements for progress
- Strike balance between satisfying priorities and choosing the 'best man' for the job
- Ensure full definition of work has been provided and any specialist tools, equipment or instructions have been accounted for and are available
- Foresee completion dates where priorities are set for delivery have conflicting requirements & offer solutions to management, acting as MPS
- Organize and run weekly production planning meetings with members of engineering and procurement departments ensuring billet materials, key assembly parts, engineering drawings, documentation & part lists are on schedule, providing possible solutions to overlapping production due to scheduling delays
- Schedule work through the production process, monitor job progress and coordinate priorities with workshop and supporting departments, allocating overtime / contractor as required
- Produce & maintain programmes within Microsoft Project & combine these into a master-built programme as main production coordinator
- Undertake corrective action procedure within the workshop: identify mistakes before issuing, document issues found under assembly / manufacture, follow up corrective action recommendations considering time constraints, conduct weekly review with lead engineering director
- Consider workload, material availability, capacity and lead times when planning production and identify constraints
