Meet Sara

What is your role at Airbus?

I’m a manager working on the A320 assembly line for the Horizontal Tail Plane, or HTP. This gives me the responsibility of leading a team of 28 people. My main function is to plan and coordinate daily work, manage the team, solve any type of incident that could block our processes, and be the communication link between production and various areas such as Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, Maintenance, among others. Although I have my own office, what I really like is being among my colleagues on the shop floor. I am passionate about manual work, and although I no longer drill or rivet myself, I enjoy the energy of the production area and being close to the team.

What is the best part of your job? 

What I enjoy most about my job is being active. I prefer to be on the shop floor than in front of a computer for hours, or in meeting after meeting. I need to be on my feet and active! It’s not unusual for me to spend my work day running from one place to another. At the end of the day, what satisfies me most is knowing that the team has managed to meet its objectives, that I have been able to track problems to resolution, and that processes continue to move forward. In addition, I really value the working environment we have created in the team. It’s  a space where people can communicate with me in confidence, closeness, and transparency. I like having a united and strong team.

What is your most memorable moment at Airbus?

I have two moments that I remember with special affection. The first was when I arrived at the painting area, a completely unknown area for me since I was an assembler. I immersed myself fully in the process and regulations, learning a new profession to the point of ending up inside one of our booths painting a test piece!

The second moment I remember was when I received an award at the Christmas gala for process improvements, when I had only been with the company for two years. I had come from working on the A330 MRTT and there they worked with LED lights. Then when I arrived on the A350 tail cone (section 19) production line, I realised that these lights would be very useful to improve visibility. I spoke with my former colleagues and asked them to take some photos, then we began to do tests until they were installed in all the working stations.

What is the best advice you have received?

In an industry where there are still few women, I was lucky to have the support of an operator, a woman with much more experience than me. One day she gave me some advice and supported me in a difficult decision. She said something that still moves me today: “Sara, if they have suggested it to you, it is because you are worth it. You have to trust in yourself. They have recognised your potential, do not miss the opportunity.” She is now my friend outside work.

What is your favorite aircraft?

Although I have been working on the A320 Family for many years and I love it, I have to admit that I have a special affection for the A350. The fact that parts of its fuselage are made from a single piece of carbon fibre fascinates me. It was the aircraft I started my career as an assembler on, and I have great memories of that time. I worked on drilling, riveting and doing all kinds of manual tasks. I have also had the opportunity to fly both the A350 and the A320, and when I do, I send photos to the team to ask them if they are sure they did a good job (laughs).