Production and Technical Profiles
Sash Rajendra
Sarah Band
Alan McDonald
Kevin Shrimpton
John Orr
Alice Spink
Sash Rajendra
Area Manager, Castleford Factory
PRODUCTION & TECHNICAL GRADUATE PROGRAMME
“Becoming Area Manager gives you an opportunity to be involved in all aspects of factory operations. You come into contact with people from every function, from shop floor production operatives to the HR business partners, quality conformance managers to senior operations directors. You get involved in key decision-making processes for the factory. Anyone interested in getting a broad and detailed understanding of factory operations, alongside developing their decision-making, leadership and team-building skills should pursue this!
I graduated in Manufacturing Engineering (BEng Hons) at Brunel University in 1997 and joined Nestlé in the September. I’d only really been interested in pursuing a career in either operations management in an FMCG environment or management consulting. Nestlé offered a well-rounded graduate development programme. The prospect of being able to undertake 6-month placements in different parts of the business during these two years particularly attracted me, as I’d be able to develop a wider understanding of the company.
During my time here, I’ve worked primarily in the fields of industrial performance and operations management. I spent my 1st year as part of the Industrial Performance Department in Nestlé Sweden, followed by four years in a variety of roles in our York factory. This was followed by a two-year stint at our global head office in Vevey. All of this gave me the opportunity to visit 22 different confectionery factories around the world and identify/collect manufacturing best practices. In my current role as Area Manager, I’m responsible for all safety/health/environment, quality, production and industrial relations matters at Castleford, so you could say it’s come in rather handy.
I’m faced with a different challenge every day. The hardest thing is balancing the various day-to-day problems with the longer-term goals of the factory. Luckily, the team around me is extremely motivated and very experienced. There’s a great sense of camaraderie and team spirit which allows for effective team working. It also helps ensure that we have fun! I’ve always found Nestle to be very supportive and encouraging during my career. I’ve had the opportunity to meet many interesting people through my various roles, who each share the same passion and drive for success. Yes, they’re fully focused on goals and targets, but they ensure you enjoy the journey! Training/development is taken very seriously though. Key development areas are discussed at annual (and half-yearly) reviews and development plans prepared. Both you and the business then play an active role in seeing your plans through.
I’d love to further develop on an international level – I see myself in a senior management role within Nestlé Operations, and my current role is a very strong foundation for that.”
Sarah Band
Product Specialist/Project Coordinator
PRODUCTION & TECHNICAL GRADUATE PROGRAMME
“At Nestlé, I knew I’d be working with some of the country’s most popular household names. It’s easy to get excited about the development of new products within such strong and well-loved brands.
I studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham and, after graduating in July 2007, joined Nestlé the following September. During my degree, I completed placements in the food and oil industry and as a result decided I wanted to work in the consumer goods sector. I enjoy working with products that people connect with and are passionate about. Product development allowed me to do this, and with the mix of commercial and technical aspects, Nestlé’s Application Groups seemed to match what I was looking for.
I was really impressed by the graduate scheme and the recruitment process. To be treated so well as an applicant was a reassuring sign I’d be looked after as an employee. I was selected from an assessment centre specifically for my role, by those I’d be working with. I preferred this to being selected by a generic panel into a rotational placement. I’m here to do a real job and when I’m ready to move on, there’s no set path for me to follow, my next role will depend on my skills and development, and the business’ needs.
I’m three months into my first role in Nestlé Rowntree’s Application Group. Between spending time in the factories and making samples in the kitchen, my job definitely isn’t a typical desk job. Sitting between production and the commercial functions, it’s our job to take product concepts through development and industrialisation, then hand over to the factory once production is stable. This may be for brand-new products, recipe changes or process modifications. Initially I was surprised at how far ahead we plan and how long relatively simple changes can take but when you’re working on massive brands, selling huge volumes, things do take a while! The hardest thing about my job is when things don’t go to plan. Trials and first production runs often don’t go as we expect… but that’s why we do them!
Starting out in a company the size of Nestlé was a little daunting, but everyone has been so welcoming and I’ve settled in so quickly. At first I was nervous that as a new graduate, more established colleagues would be sceptical about working with me, but I have been completely accepted and appreciated as a fresh pair of eyes. Since starting I’ve learnt so much and feel lucky to work with such experienced and respected colleagues who are happy to share their knowledge.
The Application Group has been a fantastic place to start in the company and I’m really enjoying my first role in confectionary. The great thing about working for Nestle is the range of products we make and markets we operate in. As a result there are a massive number of future opportunities within the company.”
Alan McDonald
Development Process Manager
PRODUCTION & TECHNICAL GRADUATE PROGRAMME
“I completed my Mechanical Engineering MEng at the University of Liverpool in 2007, with a view to pursuing an Engineering career in motorsports or the automotive industry. I had practical experience, working for Ferguson Engineering and Cooper Racing, but that same year I found another way to make the most of my talents, in a place with immense global presence and career prospects. With the offer of a permanent role within Nestlé’s Fawdon engineering department, I was convinced of my choice from my interview day onwards – a relaxed atmosphere, welcoming and enthusiastic team mates. Being offered the position at Nestlé was an amazing feeling …as was my first wage packet! It made my time at university seem more worthwhile and confirmed my decision for a career in engineering.
Still happily in the engineering department here at Fawdon, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, I’ve undertaken projects on the Rolo, Munchie and Tootie Fruities lines, looking at improving the processes. It’s this sort of variety and the opportunity to work away from an office environment that makes this a very interesting career. It’s not quite motorsports, but I’d certainly recommend Nestlé to anybody looking for an exciting career with a variety of challenges. It’s a fun but professional place to work where advice and guidance is readily available without feeling inadequate when you ask for help. People here have a variety of personalities, qualifications and abilities – all very warm and helpful I might add!
I’ve got more responsibility earlier than I thought I would, but I take that as a positive, as the business is proving they have real confidence in my abilities. After my initial induction, my current training consists of on-the-job practical training with regular mentor meetings to monitor my progress and address any problems and concerns. At the moment, I’m familiarising myself with Nestlé policy and practice. The more efficient I am, the better quality job I’m able to accomplish.
My aim since starting my engineering career has been to gain chartered status. So, alongside this, I aim to progress as far as possible within the company. At some point I would relish the opportunity to work internationally. Thankfully, my hard work and determination, teamed with the support I receive during here at Nestlé, means I’m confident in reaching that goal and many more too.”
Kevin Shrimpton
Area Manager, Halifax Factory
PRODUCTION & TECHNICAL
“I graduated in 1994 with BSc Engineering Management from the University of Hertfordshire. Having always been interested in manufacturing and manufacturing systems, I chose to join Nestlé in 2001 to gain exposure to a wide variety of processes, products and systems.
I spent two years as an Industrial Performance Specialist, working on projects across all the UK factories, then one year as Industrial Performance Manager, preparing the vision for the Halifax Factory Shopfloor Change Programme. Now, three and a half years into my role as Area Manager, I’m implementing that change programme and managing a team of 200 people in the production of Easter eggs and Easter confectionery.
Having moved to a single factory, particularly one as seasonal and high paced as Halifax, the challenges are varied and constant. Managing the manufacture and supply of Quality Street sweets to the packing factory is a complex business, so when you add the complication of producing 20 million Easter eggs at the same time, you can see attraction for a manufacturing professional. I’m proud to say we’ve had two consecutive record years so far.
The requirements of the Technical function are well defined and most of what we do has a clear instruction or standard. Maintaining compliance and delivering the high standards that consumers expect in an ever changing market is the toughest challenge but the involvement in delivering a product that everyone is familiar with is very rewarding. Training and development varies depending on your role and your level but essentially, your own development is your responsibility. Nestlé provides plenty of opportunity and support, you just need to be proactive and make the best use of the tools that are around you.
Industrial Performance (IP) has allowed me to see the whole UK manufacturing operation and build a network of contacts across the business. It provided me with a great introduction to the different functions and was good preparation for a Nestlé operational management role. Looking to the future, my personal development is towards Factory Manager at some point, managing my own factory or group of factories and my current role is a good step towards gaining the experience I need to move onto that.
People here are, in a word, ‘talented’. With great characters everywhere and skills drawn from every source, if you need something there’s always someone, somewhere who can help. Like them, I definitely feel that if you do something that you enjoy and are passionate about, you’ll stay motivated and ultimately happier at work and beyond.”
John Orr
Dolce Gusto Industrial Performance Manager
PRODUCTION & TECHNICAL GRADUATE PROGRAMME
“With a Masters in Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering with Diploma in Business Management under my belt I knew I wanted to pursue Manufacturing, Business Consultancy or Finance. As for choosing Nestlé in particular – it came down to the skills fit and diverse career opportunities within the company as well as the opportunity to work with a wide range of people from different cultures and backgrounds. Other than that, I saw Nestlé as a world leader with company values that complimented my own personal values.
The hardest thing about my job is that there’s so much to do, so little time! What wasn’t mentioned at university is that Manufacturing and Production is all about people. Here, there’s a fantastic opportunity to work with a wide range of them, helping others to develop personally, while driving for business results and developing your own business skill set and technical skills.
I started life in Tutbury as the Fill & Pack team leader (Nescafé), then also in Halifax (Quality Street). I then moved into a Group Industrial Performance role for 12 months working on improvement projects across six different UK factories. Following that, I moved again to Tutbury to develop my competence in coffee manufacture, working as a Shift Manager on a continental shift pattern. In June 2006, I moved into my current role as Dolce Gusto Industrial Performance Manager, working initially on managing factory commissioning and start-up, then evolving into factory optimisation.
That was one of my career highlights to date, working with a wide range of highly skilled individuals from all over the world in order to make the impossible possible. We hit our launch target of producing 40 million capsules in 2006, only 18 months after project sign off, demonstrating Nestlé’s ability to take innovative products from concept to industrial production in an extremely short space of time. Then in 2007, I was proud to help expand the factory from 3 lines to 10 lines, creating over 150 new jobs – all whilst achieving quality, efficiency and waste targets.
As for training and development, Nestlé provides you with autonomy – so use it! It’s also a real network organisation, promoting team working at all levels. I work with highly-motivated people, all with a common goal and a ‘can do’ approach to business issues.
I’d like to become a Factory Manager once my skills and competencies are up to that standard. Right now, I’m heavily involved in identifying and improving assets, so am getting ever more experienced working with the people and processes it takes to achieve key factory goals.
As time passes, Nestlé becomes bigger, better and faster in bringing more and more innovative products to the food, health and wellness market. And with the speed I’ve witnessed on the Dolce Gusto product, more success is definitely on the way.”
Alice Spink
Industrial Performance Specialist
PRODUCTION & TECHNICAL GRADUATE PROGRAMME
“It’s not the regular qualification people would think to apply with, but with my BSc Hons Nutrition I had the perfect mix of skills and the technical mindset to get a place on Nestlé’s Production & Technical Graduate Programme. In my day-to-day role now, I support the delivery of a sustainable performance improvement organisation within manufacturing and supply chain by developing high performing people, systems and processes. In short, that means I help change the culture, processes and environment here in UK Nestlé factories. I do all of this through project-based work, covering everything from improving waste efficiency to looking at ways to continuously improve people performance – the list goes on…
The last project I worked on was a one-month quality-based project in Halifax, designed to improve the quality systems present in the factory, implement the new systems and focus on the necessary knowledge transfer to ensure the continuation of things once the project team had left. Earlier in the year, I worked on an people-based engineering project in a Kit Kat plant in York, introduced to improve the efficiency of the wrapping legs. This involved time studying the breakdown of the machine, engineering improvements and people movement.
I got responsibility from the word go. That’s one of the best bits of the job: Real responsibility, people interaction and variety. And the worst bits? There aren’t any!! Seriously, if variety and job satisfaction are what you are after, this is the job for you. No two days are ever the same, and each project brings a real variety of rewards.
My advice for someone wanting to work in technical department of a food company? Be open minded, willing to learn and ask questions, never dismiss an idea and don’t be afraid to ask questions – no matter how simple they may seem. Never give up… no matter how demoralising it all may seem the right job is out there for you. Develop a network of people across the business you’re in – it will prove invaluable. And, remember: there is always a solution, just not always an obvious one.”
