Today we’re talking to Joe, an engineer who joined the team at Randle back in 2013. In his role, Joe gets to work on a range of projects in sectors including automotive, construction, agriculture and more – which he says keeps things interesting!

Tell us a bit about yourself

I enjoy travelling the world, walks in the countryside and going to the cinema.

What’s your background and experience? 

Prior to working at Randle, I had completed a degree and subsequent PhD in Fluid Dynamics. Since joining, I’ve worked on many different projects in a variety of sectors; Automotive, Construction, Agricultural, Robotics and many more.

How did you come to start working at Randle? 

I started looking for a new challenge in the final stages of my PhD.  I knew I didn’t want to stay in academia but didn’t really know where I wanted to go after that. 

The role and Randle Engineering as a consultancy sounded interesting, I had a wealth of transferable skills and expertise, despite having no specific background in cars or suspension I was delighted when they offered me a job! 

It just shows how Randle are interested in engineers who can apply themselves to any problem and are quick to learn, Randle Engineering fosters an environment of knowledge share, and the application of principal skills, a keen mind can go a long way.

Tell us a bit about your current role at Randle. 

I currently get to do a bit of everything, which helps keep things varied and interesting. CAD design, stress analysis, multibody systems analysis, systems modelling, target setting and performance reviews for different vehicles and more. 

What skills does someone need to be great in this job? 

A good analytical mind, a skilled problem solver, and the ability to think outside the box.

What does a typical day in your role look like? 

I am usually working on a range of projects at the same time, doing everything from design and analysis to reviewing and reporting!

What’s the culture like at Randle? 

Randle has a friendly atmosphere with a good collaborative culture for pooling knowledge.

What three words would you use to describe Randle and your experience working here? 

Challenging. Interesting. Friendly

What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on or your favourite part of the job?

My favourite project that I’ve worked on here at Randle is probably the Kobus gas pipe puller. It’s basically a powerful winch that pulls old gas pipes out of the ground while replacing them with new ones. 

It was extremely fulfilling to get to work on something from initial concept ideas, through to mature design, drawings and manufacture, before seeing the finished product out in the real world.

What’s next for you? What are your career goals? 

Being the best in my role as I possibly can be.

Feeling inspired? We’re always looking for fresh talent for our team. If you’d like to find out more about engineering jobs with Randle, submit your CV to get started.

The post Staff Spotlight: Joe Harris, Engineer appeared first on Randle Engineering.

Julia Travis is Office Administrator for Randle, and is responsible for keeping the office running smoothly – and the team fuelled with the best coffee and homemade cakes!

Tell us a bit about yourself

I have been married to my husband Gordon for 40 years next May. I have two adult children and a dog called Monty. I enjoy reading and walking in the countryside – not at the same time!

I also love the theatre, especially musical theatre, and have performed in numerous local amdram productions.

How long have you worked in the business?

I’ve worked for Randle since July 2021.

Tell us a bit about your background

I come from a print and publishing background, having worked for the Leamington Spa Courier Group. I was one of the first female compositor apprentices taken on and was Midlands Apprentice of the Year in 1983.

I have, however, always had an interest in engineering. My late father and my two uncles were all gifted engineers, my father started at Lockheed before World War II, and stayed with them for most of his career.

How did you come to start working at Randle?

I was one of the unlucky people who was made redundant due to the pandemic. I had been working with a local charity, and sadly their funding took a big drop when Covid hit.

But I was then lucky enough to get an interview at Randle and then be offered the position.

Tell us a bit about your current role at Randle

My role is to work alongside Sarah, our Operations Manager, to keep the office running smoothly and make sure all the important admin and everyday tasks are covered.

Essentially my job is to ensure that the engineers can concentrate on their projects and planning without worrying about anything else!

What are your key responsibilities?

I am PA to the CEO Steve Randle, managing his diary and correspondence. I am responsible for monthly invoicing, events and social planning as well as making sure the team are fuelled with the best coffee and homemade cakes!

What skills does someone need to be great in this job?

Organisation, attention to detail, ability to multitask, being a ‘people person’.

What’s the culture like at Randle?

Very friendly and inclusive, I was made to feel welcome and part of the team from the very first day. Although the atmosphere can be intense when a project is particularly challenging, there is always room for a healthy debate or a jokey conversation.

What three words would you use to describe Randle and your experience working here?

Rewarding, Engaging, Family.

What’s your favourite part of the job?

Being able to take the pressure off Steve and the engineers by doing some of the everyday time consuming tasks e.g. organising meetings with equally busy clients, otherwise known as ‘herding kittens’!

What’s one thing you wish you’d known when you started out in your career?

How quickly technology would advance so I could have kept on top of the developments and been ahead of the game.

What’s next for you? What are your career goals?

Who knows? You are never too old to learn – who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!

Feeling inspired? We’re always looking for fresh talent for our team. Submit your CV to start your engineering journey with Randle.

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Dominic is one of Randle’s most long-standing employees, having joined the business straight from University almost 25 years ago. In his current role as Chief Technical Officer, he manages the process and strategy behind engineering delivery, helping the business grow and succeed.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’m a pragmatic engineer with a holistic focus on detail and rigour whilst keeping a broad perspective on the overall engineering problem.

How long have you worked at Randle?

Twenty-four and a half years

What’s your background and experience?

I obtained a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from University of Birmingham, and went straight to Randle from there!

How did you come to start working at Randle?

I was doing some work for Randle at University on a 4-poster ride test rig for a customer project.  During the work, one of the engineers suggested dropping my CV into them to see whether it would be worth a discussion.  I somehow passed Steve’s interview and have stayed for a while since then!

Tell us about your current role at Randle

In my current role, I manage the customer engineering jobs to ensure they’re delivered on time and on budget, while also working out what personnel, process and strategy development we need from an engineering perspective as we grow our team. I work hand-in-hand with Ally, our CSO, as we look to help Steve develop the business over the coming years.

What are your key responsibilities?

I’m responsible for engineering delivery and strategy, programme management and team development

What skills does someone need to be great in this job?

Organisation, planning and the ability to manage multiple projects and switch between them effectively.

What does a typical day in your role look like?

There’s lots of interaction with other members of the team. I work closely with all our engineers from an engineering delivery point of view, but also with the sales, operations and management teams looking ahead to what needs to happen next.

What’s the culture like at Randle?

Things are different every day,  depending on what our current tasks and pressures are.  There’s often banter around some subject or other, but plenty of quiet focus on the engineering tasks at hand.  As we grow, our team interaction and communication is evolving and I’m sure the culture will continue to change and develop as the team grows.

What three words would you use to describe Randle and your experience working here?

Rigorous, engineering elegance.

What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on or your favourite part of the job?

There’s several contenders, but probably the JCB HMEE project. That’s because  we were able to get involved in a wide variety of areas and use different skills, from our core offering of suspension engineering, steering and vehicle dynamics, right through to project managing the armouring program and supporting the air-drop calculations to ensure it didn’t become an expensive air-to-ground dart!

Dominic’s advice for budding engineers

How do you become an engineer?

Start taking things apart as early as possible, and then you start to learn how to put them back together!  Look for a well-rounded course to develop your curiosity and application of the scientific method and be open to different sectors exciting your engineering mind, not just the one you first dreamed of.

“Start taking things apart as early as possible, and then you start to learn how to put them back together!”

What’s one thing you wish you’d known when you started out in your career?

How small the margins are in automotive!

What’s next for you? What are your career goals?

My goals are to support the Randle brand and group as it continues to grow, to diversify our offering into different areas, and to help find the right team to support and develop the business.

Feeling inspired? We’re always looking for fresh talent to join our engineering team. Submit your CV to start your engineering journey with Randle.

The post Staff Spotlight: Dominic Simpson, Chief Technical Officer appeared first on Randle Engineering.

Sarah will be working closely with the senior management team on aligning operations with the commercial strategy, and comes to Randle with an impressive career spanning motorsport, engineering, charity and public relations.

She has worked with illustrious brands focusing on efficiency and lean thinking, making her a great fit for an organisation whose engineering expertise extends across a wide variety of global industries, from aerospace, defence and construction through to the robotics and medical sectors.

Commenting on her appointment, Hookey said: 

I am privileged to have joined the Randle Engineering team at such an exciting time for the business. Randle has grown into a successful and reputationally strong business over the past 28 years. 

My priority is to help the team build on its impressive progress, driving my areas forward, allowing the engineering team to continue to produce the outstanding outputs they do on a day to day basis to the delight of our customers.

Alastair McMahon, CSO of Randle Engineering, added:

This is a transformational time for the business. Sarah’s appointment aligns with our ambitions to expand the team and take our capability to the next stage, her experience will prove pivotal to our future strategy. We warmly welcome her as part of our team. 

Randle Engineering Solutions expect Sarah’s appointment to be a great asset to their clients, from supercar manufacturers and global construction vehicle OEMs to start-ups in future farming and medical robotic devices.

The post New Operations Manager driving excellence at Randle appeared first on Randle Engineering.

In this post, we’re speaking to David. David joined the team directly from University six years ago, and he’s enjoyed working on a wide range of projects during his time at Randle – from flying cars to agricultural robots!

How did you come to start working at Randle?

I joined Randle as as a graduate in 2016, after studying Mechanical Engineering at Loughborough. I chose Randle because of the variety of work and range of interesting sectors and projects Randle has been involved in.

What are your key responsibilities?

My role covers multi-discipline engineering, so it’s really varied. I aim to fulfil all of the requirements of a project without outsourcing to other departments, so that might include design, CAD, FEA and concept generation alongside liaising with suppliers and customers and reporting. I also get to help with the induction process alongside HR, welcoming and onboarding new starters.

What skills does someone need to be great in this job?

Creative problem solving, methodical analysis and a broad interest in engineering and the products of engineering. Engineering is about problem solving and it’s important to have a toolbox of methods to solve the problems. New problems may require new solutions but they can also be solved by using an existing solution in a slightly different way. 

What does a typical day in your role look like?

Most days are different; it depends on the project I’m working on. Most of my time is spent engineering, this may be as a member of a larger team or as the main engineer on a project. Project management is an important part of engineering but the way we manage projects tends to be very efficient which leaves plenty of time to do the actual design work.

What’s the culture like at Randle?

The working culture at Randle is positive, it’s a good place to work. At the end of the day, it’s important to enjoy what you do. The leadership team are supportive and appreciate the importance of a good work life balance.

What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on or your favourite part of the job?

I‘ve worked on a lot of interesting projects across a variety of sectors, from flying cars to agricultural robots! I’ve also had the chance to work on classic cars, suspension and handling kits and several EVs including solar cars and hardcore off-roaders.

David’s tips for budding engineers

How do you become an engineer?

I’ve always had an interest in engineering, which is why I knew I wanted to study it at degree level. Having the education plus a willingness to work hard and continue learning have helped me succeed in this industry.

What’s one thing you wish you’d known when you started out in your career?

For someone wanting to start out in engineering, it’s important to consider carefully which university to attend.  Engineering is a challenging course, so it’s important to have good support and social opportunities like societies and sports clubs to help you stay sane!

A piece of advice I’d give to budding engineers is that the ability to learn on the job is probably more important than already knowing how to do something. It’s okay to not know the answers straight away!

“The ability to learn on the job is more important than already knowing how to do something.”

What’s next for you? What are your career goals?

Career-wise, I’d love to gain more Senior Engineer experience. But it’s also equally important to me to continue my personal development too.

Feeling inspired? We’re always looking for fresh talent for our team. Submit your CV to start your engineering journey with Randle.

The post Staff Spotlight: David Wellbeloved, Consultant Engineer appeared first on Randle Engineering.

A more recent addition to our team, Guy joined the business in December 2021 as a Senior Consultant Engineer. He’s been passionate about the engineering industry from a young age, completing a Year in Industry at 18 before obtaining his degree and going on to work at Jaguar Land Rover. Now, he’s enjoying growing his skillset and learning more about vehicle dynamics with the team at Randle.

Tell us about yourself

For me, the joy in engineering has always been about solving interesting challenges and making the world a better place – outside work my main outlet for this has been in 3D printing, having designed and built several 3D printers. In my spare time I also greatly enjoy snowboarding, rock climbing and anything else that gets me into the great outdoors.

I live in Leamington Spa with my wife and our Ukrainian guest, who we’ve recently sponsored under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. We married in 2020 after meeting through our local church where we’re both active members and still lead a weekly children’s club.

What’s your background and experience?

My first experience of engineering was working at a rapid prototyping bureau, 3T RPD Ltd, on the Engineering Development Trust’s Year in Industry scheme, after completing my A Levels. 

Following that, I studied Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London, where I focused on solid mechanics and specialised in polymer processing technologies, designing and building a novel concept 3D printer for my final year project.

In 2014, I joined Jaguar Land Rover’s graduate scheme, working in the Exhaust Systems department while also doing placements across a variety of engineering departments. This gave me a broad understanding of how JLR works and the process required to design and manufacture vehicles.

In 2017, I moved to the CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) team in the Powertrain Research department at JLR. I managed a small team of engineers, and specialised in modelling the impact of fuel efficiency in a wide variety of new powertrain technologies, spanning internal combustion engines, hybrid and fully electric powertrains. 

During the pandemic, I was moved to the Powertrain Thermal Function Group, where I worked on developing cooling system models for the next generation of Land Rovers. 

“I was drawn to the variety of projects and different technologies at Randle”

How did you come to start working at Randle?

There were several push and pull factors at play. 

On the push side of things, in my final role at JLR I was working remotely, and I discovered I’m substantially more motivated and energised in my work when physically present with my team. I hear that even now many teams in JLR have not fully returned to office working.

I discovered Randle Engineering while looking for new opportunities. I was drawn to the variety of projects and different technologies that the company had worked on, and particularly to the emphasis on first principles engineering. 

This gave me the confidence to side step from powertrain simulation into the world of vehicle dynamics and chassis engineering.

Guy’s current role at Randle

What are your key responsibilities?

Essentially, my role is to develop concepts in order to solve customer problems. That involves a lot of analysis using CAD/FEA software, and using ADAMs, Excel and Matlab models to analyse and optimise the performance of part and systems designs. I’ll then write up reports and give presentations of the analysis conducted. I also get to liaise directly with the clients and suppliers, and lead project teams.

What skills does someone need to be great in this job?

The ability to apply fundamental engineering concepts to any given problem is paramount at Randle Engineering, and it’s important to have strong maths skills and an analytical mindset. But, you also need to be able to explain complex concepts in a clear and concise way, and have good presentation skills too.

What does a typical day in your role look like?

Each piece of work tends to start with a kick-off meeting with the customer to understand what it is that they need from us, whether that be a new mechanical system designing, a piece of analysis on a new product or fixing issues with a system or part they already have in production.

My role in the company so far has focused on mathematical modelling. So, I spend most of my time analysing our customer’s project requirements, coming up with potential solutions and then building mathematical models in Excel, Matlab or ADAMs to test out and optimise those solutions.

I’ll then put together a presentation outlining the analysis and the results and talk this through with our customer.

What’s the culture like at Randle?

Randle Engineering has a relaxed and friendly culture, where learning and developing – particularly technical skills – is greatly encouraged.

What three words would you use to describe Randle and your experience working here?

Technical, challenging, engaging.

What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on or your favourite part of the job?

Since joining I’ve greatly enjoyed learning the fundamentals of vehicle dynamics and taking the opportunity to apply this across a wide variety of different technologies.

Guy’s tips for budding engineers

“The world is full of opportunities for engineers.”

How do you become an engineer?

The first step to becoming an engineer is to take an interest in how physics and maths can be applied for the benefit of mankind and our world. That might be in the products we use every day, the buildings and environment we live and work in, the technology in our hands, how we transport things all over the world or generate the energy to power it all.

If you find this inspiring then you’ll be motivated to develop that knowledge to the next level so that you can apply this yourself in your chosen area for the betterment of our society.

The standard route for this would be to take maths and physics to A level and then take up a degree or apprenticeship in one of the many areas of engineering. The world is full of opportunities for engineers.

What’s one thing you wish you’d known when you started out in your career?

The soft skills are as important as the technical skills when it comes to working in engineering. It’s not enough to come up with the best ideas and solutions, you must also be able to convey these ideas and convince people of their value if you want to make a difference.

What’s next for you? What are your career goals?

I’m always looking to learn more and grow my skillset, but it’s enough for me to enjoy my role and be able to make a positive impact through the projects I carry out and in the team I work with. I don’t have a particular career trajectory I’m aiming for.

Feeling inspired? We’re always looking for fresh talent for our team. Submit your CV to start your engineering journey with Randle.

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