Ian’s journey at Salt Sep
Ian joined Salt Sep in May 2020 as a Design Engineer and has since advanced to becom our Design Team Leader. His entire career has been centred around design engineering. He began his design engineering journey as a Mechanical Engineering Apprentice in HGV chassis and design and HGV body-building, working for all HGV OEMs as a supplier. He later spent two years as a design engineer at Mercedes Benz before transitioning into Design Engineering and Project Management working on Above Ground Storage Tanks in the oil and gas sector. His work took him around the world, where he supervised projects, conducted 3D laser scans and evaluated tank integrity as an API653 inspector.
Why Ian enjoys working at Salt Sep
Ian enjoys pretty much everything about working at Salt Sep. The variety in design work keeps him interested and fully engaged and he loves constantly learning new things, especially in reverse osmosis (RO) engineering. Every day brings something different, which keeps him on his toes. Being a sociable person, Ian really values the friendly, close-knit environment at Salt Sep. While there are always challenges, the positives far outweigh them. Even though he’s managed projects and teams before, Ian sees his appointment to Design Team Leader as a big step forward in his career. He is grateful for the opportunity to help teach young design engineers and apprentices, teaching them good design practices.
“I am very proud to lead the team which includes experienced designers who are highly skilled in our field and help immensely to cover my knowledge gaps.”
Ian has improved his technical skills such as, mastering finite element analysis (FEA) on frames and learning the tube and pipe program within the Inventor design software. He and his team have also been key in implementing new part-numbering conventions, which will streamline Salt Sep’s workflow for future projects.
What a typical day is like for Ian
A typical day for Ian involves leading and supporting his team. He plans their work, helps them meet project deadlines, and reviews and approves designs. Despite his leadership role, Ian stays hands-on with designing, including 3D modelling and 2D draughting on P&ID’s. He also helps other departments at Salt Sep with their design needs, whether it’s for sales orders, quotes or checking drawings for assembly. Ian works closely with the projects team to make sure they have the drawings they need to keep things moving. Plus, he’s involved in scheduling the team’s work, tracking progress, conducting design reviews and the up-keep of the Vault (design filing system).
What Ian does in his free time
In his free time, Ian’s time is mostly spent with his family. He’s a husband to Carol, dad to Jessica and Emily and a proud grandad to four-year-old Tommy. Ian also makes time to go to the gym two or three times a week to stay active.
Ian’s story is just one example of the talent and dedication that drives our team here at Salt Sep. Click here to read more about the amazing people who make our company a great place to work!