Job Description
"What I enjoy most is having to be extremely agile, by which I mean being comfortable working in a challenging environment and being able to adapt to whatever comes your way."What do you enjoy most about your role? What I enjoy most is having to be extremely agile, by which I mean being comfortable working in a challenging environment and being able to adapt to whatever comes your way. Some roles don’t require that level of change and agility, but for me it keeps things fresh, keeps me engaged. I have to cover all bases, from logistics to customer satisfaction or finding solutions to an engineering problem. We are working in a sector that is experiencing exponential growth and we set up the Tate manufacturing facility in Dublin fairly recently, in 2021. There was a lot that I didn’t know about setting up a manufacturing plant, getting it into production and then running the commercial side. Each stage presented a different challenge – so you might be thinking about, today the focus is getting a good product off the line, tomorrow it’s understanding what the customer expects, the day after it will be something else.We started with an embryonic business and have grown it to maturity – not many people get to experience that, and I feel really proud to have been part of it. The challenges are very different now, and I feel we have developed the processes along the way to improve how we approach those challenges.We were allowed to be entrepreneurial in our approach – not told how to do things, the expectation was that we would just get it done. Of course, this led to great excitement, great challenges and at the end of the day, real ownership of what we have achieved.What makes you proud to work for Kingspan?I’ve been with Kingspan since 2008, and I don’t think that you stay with a company that long unless you are happy that you share common values and you are comfortable with the trajectory you are going on. It goes back to that theme of ownership, and I think that I’m with Kingspan today because I’ve been on a journey with them, and pride comes with that longevity, that sense of growing alongside the business. It’s being part of that DNA of innovation, sustainability and a pioneering approach, as opposed to trying to entice people into a business that is half-hearted about what it does.I applied to join Kingspan via the Graduate Programme, and sustainability was originally a huge driver for me – I wanted to work for a company that was known for the right reasons. At that point we were getting into the solar space, and I was proud to be part of a company that was at the forefront of driving sustainable solutions. Nine years later I found myself working in the field of data centres – an area that has so much work to do to achieve sustainable operations, and that is the challenge Kingspan can help businesses to meet – at every junction we can bring solutions to the table. The large corporations that we do projects with have their own sustainability targets to meet, but as a supplier we take it one step further through initiatives like Planet Passionate, and working on issues such as the embodied carbon of our products. It satisfies my itch for being sustainable.What professional qualities are helpful in your role? Being innovative and action orientated. I did the Peak Programme last year, and a lot of elements of that course help to answer the question of what Kingspan’s DNA is. There is a specific wheel of traits that represent Kingspan’s persona and naturally the inclination is to lean into those that resonate with you. I’m an engineer by trade, and there is always the opportunity to flex those mental muscles, to find solutions for products, customers, or even the factory floor.Innovation is only one side, because without action to implement it, it is pointless. You might have the ideas, but can you execute them in a way that is useful? There is a very no-nonsense ‘just get it done’ approach at Kingspan. I have never had a slap on the wrist for trying new things, even if they don’t work. I have, however had a slap on the wrist for just accepting the modus operandi.What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received?We have a very flat structure at Kingspan, so you come into contact with people at the very top in a way that you wouldn’t expect. So, it’s not so much careers advice but being surrounded by people who impart so much passion and vision for the company at every level is inspiring. It’s a very communal approach and everybody is on the same page, which leaves a lasting impression. You are allowed to flex your wings whilst being surrounded by like-minded individuals and teams.What I would say to anybody thinking of joining Kingspan is, work hard and the world is your oyster – it’s a cliché but here it’s true. Hard work is recognised and rewarded, not just financially but also personally and professionally, and this is something that is very important to me. I am both challenged and satisfied in my work, I wouldn’t have stayed here so long otherwise.How could someone get started in your division of the Kingspan Group?I am naturally biased towards the engineering route, and there are essentially two elements to that. The first is design engineering – the execution where you take information from the customer, interpret it and iterate products to meet their needs. The second is project engineering, where you take the product design and manage the manufacturing process through to production. Both of these take skills and qualifications, but ultimately what we need from people is the ability to relate to the customer, understand their needs and communicate clearly. Generally speaking, technical skills can be taught more easily than empathy.The graduate programme has been extremely fruitful for us, and I see a lot of myself in the young people we recruit. What does the future hold for Kingspan?Would Kingspan ever have thought five years ago to be where we are today? Look at how much we have grown in that time. I know that the targets to continue to grow are aggressive, but in this sector the only limitations really are getting enough good people to deliver the ambition. I see further acquisitions, thoughtful ones that will help us to become like a household name within our space. I think that global domination of the market is on the table. Above all, I think that we can expect to see the same drive from a cultural and people perspective, to continue to strive for better in every aspect of the business. As soon as we say, ‘we’ve done it’ or ‘that’s good enough’, we might as well hang up our boots. You have to keep evolving, have to expand, come up with new ideas and be open to mew markets. For us, maturity doesn’t mean set in our ways. #J-18808-Ljbffr