Employee perspectives - Sarah Chappell-Smith

I'm a Process Improvement Engineering Manager who is passionate about empowering women in engineering.

Like many engineering students, I dreamt of a career in product design. In fact, it is what my degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering mostly focused on. Everything changed when I completed my first summer placement in a medical engineering company. Suddenly, I realised I liked being on the shop floor and enjoyed the hands-on nature of process improvement.

The next step in my career was joining Renishaw at its Miskin production plant in South Wales. I started working there as a Process Improvement Engineer while undertaking my Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering as a part-time student. In 2023, I progressed to manager level.

Process improvement is all about making production lines faster and more efficient to maximise manufacturing capacity and output. Leveraging automation effectively is key to achieving these goals. For example, I have implemented automated dispensing robots across our glue applications at Miskin, to maximise efficiency. Sustainability is another key driver behind what I do. I constantly look at how we can be more carbon-neutral and reduce waste in line with Renishaw's ambitious sustainability goals.

Working as a Process Improvement Engineer at Renishaw

I am responsible for a team of engineers, technicians, graduates and apprentices. My primary responsibility is to support the running of production lines whilst continuously looking to improve metrics such as reduction in wastes and increase in capacity.

What I like most about my job is that no two days look the same. It's a very fast-paced environment and plans can change in a heartbeat. Every day I learn something new about how production lines work and how I can improve them.

Process improvement engineering is very collaborative. I work with people with different academic and professional backgrounds across business divisions. This diversity is critical to pushing the boundaries of our knowledge and propelling our creativity, enabling us to develop innovative solutions to production problems.

As a manager, one of the most fulfilling aspects of my role is seeing my team grow and progress over time. I firmly believe that fostering collaboration and having transparent, effective communication are the key ingredients of a successful team. Adapting my communication style to each individual's learning preferences has been invaluable. This is something I learnt when I worked as a gymnastics instructor while attending university. I ran multiple classes for different age groups, from parents and toddlers to children and teenagers. This experience boosted my confidence and ability to adapt my communication to diverse learning needs.

Empowering women in engineering

STEM outreach programmes are core to Renishaw's aim to develop a diverse future talent pipeline and can go a long way toward empowering women in engineering. These initiatives aim to engage and inspire students from a young age, showing them how engineering and science can be exciting and fun. For example, we recently encouraged pupils at a local school to write letters to Renishaw engineers and ask them what a typical day in the life of an engineer looks like.

Renishaw's STEM outreach programmes are a great way of engaging children, teenagers and young adults from diverse backgrounds, including young girls. This is how we can combat gender-based stereotypes and show women how they can thrive in engineering.

I recently had the pleasure of being part of an internal panel event on International Women in Engineering Day. It was an inspiring initiative, with three women from different backgrounds talking about their experiences of becoming engineers. Events like this can be very inspiring, especially for young women who may have previously not had female role models to look up to in the engineering field. For example, I remember being the only woman in my first summer placement.

I feel that women in engineering have come a long way, but there's more to do to achieve full gender equality. Young female engineers often feel they need to work extra hard to obtain the same respect as male colleagues. Luckily, companies like Renishaw are committed to empowering women like me to thrive in their careers.

Making a difference in South Wales

The Miskin production facility has been a catalyst for change in South Wales, where opportunities for engineers are limited. At a time when we have seen several factory closures in this region, it is encouraging to see how companies like Renishaw are committed to investing in the local economy and providing the local communities with new career prospects.