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| From apprentice to head of engineering for the outer wing of Airbus' first military aircraft, the A400M, is a significant achievement in anyone's books. Jenny, who is based at Airbus' Filton site, enjoys the technical challenges and the interaction with her colleagues at Airbus. | |
| What led you to a career at Airbus? I studied maths and physics in my final years at school and planned to go to university to study engineering. British Aerospace were one of the biggest local employers and my father worked there so I decided to do some work experience before beginning university. I was lucky enough to given an apprenticeship with the company, which later became part of Airbus. Today, I'm head of engineering for the A400M outer wing with a team of 300 engineers designing the wing for this exciting new Airbus aircraft. How has working at Airbus enabled you to develop your career? Being part of a large organisation like Airbus has allowed me to be involved in all phases of an aircraft project and because Airbus is a truly European company I've been able to do this while travelling to and working in different countries. I've not only expanded my technical knowledge, but I've gained valuable experience working in a multi-cultural environment. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? I enjoy the combined challenges of interacting with people and developing technical solutions, especially on the A400M which is the first military aircraft Airbus has produced. Team work is so important in this job so I've been able to strike a great balance between the two parts of the job. What difference has it made being a woman in what is traditionally a male-dominated industry? As a woman in a senior engineering role, you are automatically more visible and known, which can be a good thing. There are some added challenges but attitudes are changing fast as more women take up positions in engineering. What would you say to other women to encourage them to work for Airbus? Go for it! The interpersonal skills, resilience and broad-mindedness that women possess makes becoming an engineer in Airbus rewarding, stimulating and fun. |
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