Aston Martin - Senior Design Engineer for Interior Team
In December 2016, as I was preparing to embark on a new journey with Volvo in Sweden, fate intervened in the form of a phone call from a colleague who had transitioned to Aston Martin a year prior. He told me about an opening on the Interior Team, and despite my limited experience with interior trims, I decided to seize the opportunity. After a successful interview, I started a new role for this luxurious company and renounced my plan to move to another country to work for Volvo.
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Entering a new role in a different vehicle area meant diving into unfamiliar territory, including mastering a new CAD software. With my background transitioning between Autodesk Inventor, Autocad, and CATIA V5/V6, I embraced the challenge with confidence.
After 1 week of training in Siemens NX12, I start working on some simple parts like NVH Flat parts, Damppings, Foam, followed by NVH Exterior Heatshields.
This company's hands-on approach provided me with day-to-day experiences that surpass any other company I've previously worked for. We worked closely with our Trim Development studio and frequently engaged in creating mockup parts or modifications to trial before finalizing the designs. I have thoroughly enjoyed this new environment and approached my work with passion.
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The fact that the office space was upstairs while the factory and trim development were downstairs was a significant advantage for the engineering department. This proximity allowed us to quickly investigate any issues on the production line and utilize mockup solutions to assess what would work best. We also gathered feedback from line technicians to enhance future projects.
After one year in the role, I was given additional parts and responsibilities. I was promoted to project engineering and began learning more about the company's operations. This involved participating in supplier visits, requesting quotes, benchmarking components to establish plans, and attending packaging and upper management meetings. I was tasked with proposing solutions for any issues with lower environment parts, obtaining timelines and costs from suppliers, and securing upper management agreement for investments.
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Although it was a steep learning curve and involved some stress, it provided me with exposure to many other engineers and upper management, and soon I became known within the company. I applied for an Aston Martin level 3 driving permit, and after passing three tests, I obtained it. One of the cool perks of working here was the opportunity to take the cars for overnight tests or even weekend assessments to gain a better understanding of our products.
The work environment at this company was excellent. When I joined, there was a significant recruitment phase, and more than half of the team comprised new members. The upper management did an excellent job of fostering cohesion among us. We often joked and laughed at work while also putting in many hardworking hours. As a team, we would go out for a pint or a meal together at least 2-3 times per month. In the middle of 2018, I invited my team to my home country to celebrate my stag party. To my surprise, most of my colleagues, along with my manager and the senior manager, agreed straight away, and we had a proper party for five days in Bucharest.
At the end of 2018, we were on a tight schedule to finalize the FDJ phase for the Aston Martin DBX, the first SUV. Most of my team forfeited their Christmas holidays and came to the office to achieve the milestone. I finalized the CAD and released parts such as engine and underbody heat shields, wheel arch liners, interior trim, NVH, A-pillars, loadspace components, and plastic covers for the trunk. We passed it successfully.
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In the new year of 2019, it became evident that the company would face tough times ahead due to cash flow issues and low sales. Sadly, in February '19, approximately 30% of the contracting engineers were let go. I remained for another five months until an interesting job opportunity arose at Lotus Cars. With a heavy heart, I finally decided to move on and accept it. This was the hardest decision I ever made in my career as I loved my work at Aston, and the people in my team had become my second family.
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My time at Aston Martin will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will remember it with great joy. I have shared a few pictures from my time there below.
