William joined Johnson Matthey on a STEM Returners Programme in August 2023. After William completed the 12 week supportive programme, William was made a permanent member of the JM team as a Senior Process Engineer.
What job did you join Johnson Matthey to do, with which team and where?
I have joined the Hydrogen Process Technology department and I am part of the Downstream Processing team. I look after the development plant at the Culham site and all the activities surround the trial that are carried out here.
What are your qualifications?
I graduated from the University of Manchester in 2015 with a Masters in Chemical Engineering.
Can you tell us a little about your career to date?
After graduating I started in manufacturing for a company in Luton that specialised in pipe bending and fabrication predominantly for the automotive industry. I then moved within the same parent company to a site in Wolverhampton which manufactured cold roll formed products. Then in 2019 I moved away from manufacturing into the logistics and delivery industry where I worked for FedEx as an Industrial Engineer covering their main UK gateway in Stanstead and Commercial Linehaul Hub in Heathrow.
Can you tell us a little about your career break and what attracted you to take part in the STEM Returners Programme?
During my time away from manufacturing while working at FedEx I had some great opportunities to work on some very interesting projects; such as the impact of Brexit on Import and Exports between the UK and the EU, a complete overhaul of the FedEx’s European road and air network as part of the integration after the acquisition of TNT and both sites that I covered had major upgrades on their sorting capabilities, moving from manual sorting systems to automated ones. I decided to move back into manufacturing as I have always had an interest in the environment and I wanted to be working in an industry that would be making a positive impact on bringing down our carbon footprint, and I believe working within the Hydrogen Technology department at JM aiding in the manufacture of catalytic membranes for fuels cells and hydrogen production from electrolysers is a key part of our journey to a greener future.
If you are looking to register your interest in joining a STEM Returners programme please visit Returner Registration – STEM Returners or view our current programme opportunities here.