Category: Engineering

Diversity & Inclusion, Engineering, Engineering, People

Born in Michigan, USA – Michelle has gone from Race Car Driver to Chief Technical Specialist

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Michelle, like all top vehicle dynamics engineers, uses seat-of-the-pants feel as well as scientific measurement to ensure JLR vehicles have class-leading ride and handling. A former racing driver, Michelle tests new Defender, Range Rover, Discovery and Jaguar vehicles at Gaydon and other test tracks, and on public roads around the world. She was partly responsible for the new Defender’s magic blend of on-road comfort and handling prowess, and its unmatched off-road dexterity.

“I really like the direct feedback of vehicle dynamics engineering. You make a change to the car’s set-up and you can feel the result immediately. It’s a technical, analytical job – but also emotional. Sir William Lyons said that the car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive. Vehicle dynamics engineering helps make a car feel alive.”

Born in Michigan, USA, her family worked for General Motors (GM).

“I grew up in the car industry. It’s in my blood. I built my own race car when I got out of college – a ’69 Camaro drag racer. I went on to do sports car racing.”

Her dad was a pipe fitter for GMs and she used to help him work on cars. “We were a blue-collar automotive family. I was the first member to go to university.” After initially studying medicine, she swapped to automotive engineering and won a scholarship from the Society of Women Engineers. That got her an internship with Chrysler, and her uninterrupted career in the car industry began.

“I was on a graduate training programme. One of the assignments was chassis engineering and I learned about vehicle dynamics. I learned the subjective side – driving and assessing cars – but also the maths behind it. There hadn’t been any women in vehicle dynamics at Chrysler before. I was the first.”

She left for Ford, under the engineering direction of Welshman Richard Parry-Jones, a legend in vehicle dynamics. RPJ, as he was known, was a mentor to Michelle.

“I was keen to work on premium products which had more technology, like active dampers. In 2003, I moved to the UK to work on vehicle dynamics on Jaguars and Land Rovers [then owned by Ford].” Her boss was Mike Cross, head of JLR vehicle evaluation, another engineering legend, and also a mentor to Michelle.

After moving into vehicle engineering management – including on the new Defender project – she came ‘back home’ by becoming senior manager of vehicle dynamics. She helped develop the I-PACE, JLR’s first fully electric car, and was also responsible for the dynamics of the new Defender. Now, she’s a chief technical specialist in vehicle dynamics, working on all JLR programmes.

“The Defender was a challenge. It was a balance to get low-speed agility, comfort and off-road ability. It also had to feel tough and honest. We did a lot of the spring, damper and software tuning on gravel roads. We wanted to make sure if it hit a pothole, the car would feel tough and solid. It had to be fun to drive on gravel roads and have the ultimate off-road capability. The steering agility was also difficult to get right.”

“We have been delighted by the reaction and its success. It’s still my favourite car. In fact, I’m about to use mine to tow an Airstream caravan [a restored 1956 version of the famous aluminium-bodied caravan] to Cornwall.”

When work began on Defender, the engineers made sure it appealed to both men and women. “I was concerned to make sure steering weight wasn’t too heavy. For women, as well as for men, the car can’t be too intimidating. It needs to give a sense of security and be easy to drive. It must feel connected to the road. I think the Defender has an emotional appeal to both men and women. Being tough and having a tough character doesn’t make it masculine. That appeals to women too.”

Things have changed in car engineering, says Michelle.

“I no longer get told I have a man’s job. I have a female vehicle dynamics engineer doing the same things I did, and a graduate is coming onto the programme next year.”

There is still some way to go. Of the 116 members of the vehicle dynamics team, five are women. “It’s male dominated but it’s moving in the right direction – and it needs to. Diversity is crucial. My focus now is teaching and mentoring. I want to enthuse as many young female engineers as I can.”

Engineering, Engineering, Hungary, People

From intern to CAD Engineer at JLR Hungary, Dorka talks us through her journey.

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More and more women are joining JLR’s engineering teams. One of the newest is Dorka Bösze, who works on Defender at JLR’s technical centre in Budapest, Hungary. Dorka joined in February 2023, after working as an intern. Like most JLR engineers – male and female – she was interested in science and maths at school. “I always liked making things and DIY, although I didn’t necessarily want to go into cars.”

She studied Industrial Design Engineering at university in Budapest. “It was a course like mechanical engineering but with design included too. It taught me a lot in areas like 3D modelling. The course included cars and one of our projects was designing a vehicle cockpit. So, I started drawing cars and found it very interesting.”

Most of Dorka’s fellow students were men. “There were only five women on the course. But my parents were supportive, even though they had no scientific interests. I was the first member of my family to work in this very masculine industry. I think they were very proud.”

Dorka’s internship at university was with JLR in Budapest.

“They were very friendly. JLR also gave me the opportunity to do the thesis on the subject I really wanted.”

Her subject was door trim, specifically redesigning the Defender to include a bigger door map pocket capable of holding a one-litre bottle (which the early versions of new Defender could not: the latest version can). A 3D model was printed, which is still in JLR’s Budapest technical office.

JLR offered her a full-time job as a CAD (computer-aided design) engineer when her thesis was complete and she graduated. She now works on Defender door trim, including grab handles and armrests, building CAD models for the future. She works with plastics, textiles and other materials, on CAD and other 3D modelling programmes.  

JLR’s Hungarian technical engineering office works on body and chassis engineering, and supports the nearby Nitra production centre in Slovakia, where Defender and Discovery are manufactured. It also supports the Gaydon technical HQ in the UK, and works alongside other JLR engineering centres in the US, China and Ireland. Hungary has a strong automotive engineering heritage, with several major players engineering and building cars there.

“I find cars fascinating because there is so much to them. Cars are at the top of the engineering and design pyramid. It’s the most difficult and interesting thing to build and design. So many people work together on what becomes an incredibly complex working machine.”

She says it’s difficult to build a luxury car like the Defender that is also tough and extremely versatile. The right door trim pays a big part in that. “Toughness, solidity and no squeaks and rattles are crucial.”

Dorka will admit that the Defender is a very masculine car, muscular and strong. “Yet it is very appealing to women. That appeal is really important.” In the body engineering section of JLR’s Budapest technical centre, Dorka is one of two female engineers, out of 40. It’s still a man’s world, even if it is changing.

Yet, says Dorka: “I always feel treated as an equal. JLR is like a big family.”

Apprentice, Early Careers, Engineering, Engineering, People, Powertrain, United Kingdom

Meet Nathan – Level 4 Propulsion Technician Apprentice

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Q: What apprenticeship program are you on? 

I’m on the Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship, taking the Propulsion Technician pathway. 

Q: Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship? 

My sixth form had been very pro-university and didn’t really promote apprenticeships, but I wasn’t sure about whether university was for me or not, or even what course I’d do. I took a gap year, where my weekend job became full time, and decided that I quite liked working and earning. I’d heard about apprenticeships, so I did some research, and it just seemed to make sense. You get to do a job you like doing and earn the qualifications to go with it. 

Q: What has been your favourite moment at JLR so far? 

When I won tickets to see the Formula E Finale in London through a JLR competition. My department (Powertrain Test) works a lot with the FE team, and we often have their car running qualifying and race simulations on our dynos, to then see them compete in person was very cool.  

Q: What support have you received from colleagues during your apprenticeship?  

In this apprenticeship, you can be as independent or as supported as you like. If you want to go off and do your own project and learn something new – go for it. If you prefer to work more closely with your colleagues, get stuck in with what they are doing and learn from them, that’s also good. For the most part I have been the latter, and everyone has been very happy to pass along their knowledge and expertise. Even when working independently, there’ll be someone checking up on you, or offering help should you need it. 

Q: What advice would you give to your past self? 

It always pays to do research before an interview. But mainly, you get more out of the apprenticeship the more you put in, so it’s always good to do more placements or projects and to try something new. 

Apprentice, Early Careers, Engineering, Engineering, People, United Kingdom

Meet Matt – Level 4 Engineering Apprentice

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Q: What apprenticeship program are you on?

Level 4 Apprenticeship Engineering. 

Q: Why did you choose to do an apprenticeship?

I chose to do an apprenticeship because I would get the hands-on experience which goes a long way in this industry whilst simultaneously getting the qualifications necessary for the role. The no-student debt part was a nice bonus too. 

Q: What has been your favourite moment in JLR?

There’s no specific moment that is my favourite, my team is very interesting, and it is a highlight when I learn something new that better contributes to the effectiveness of my team. 

Q: What advice would you give to your past self?

Don’t be nervous, your team will give you everything you need to become an effective employee, a lot of systems can seem intimidating but don’t stress, it’s a lot simpler than you think but don’t get comfortable with the assignments. 

Q: What support have you received from colleagues during your apprenticeship?

I receive encouragement from my team when I design something, complete a job, or become a slightly more knowledgeable member of the team, this encourages me to push harder to become more experienced and knowledgeable in my designated role. 

Q: What is something you’ve learnt about JLR since joining?

For a company this large, you are given a lot of creative freedom in the work you do, everyone is willing to hear you out and it’s not like other apprenticeships where the apprentice is often ignored. JLR also has an immense number of resources and instructions that can help you if you forget how to do anything, these documents are also being constantly updated so it’s done in the easiest and most efficient way possible. 

Engineering, Graduate, Hungary

‘As a graduate, I am given meaningful work which helps me develop my skills.’

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

Q: What position did you start in and what is your position now? Please describe your current responsibilities. 

I am currently a second year graduate on the Electronics & Complex Systems program. I started in the Passenger Entertainment team doing software integration, then completed a placement in virtual reality research at the NAIC, and I am currently on placement in Body & Chassis in the Interior Experiences & Wellbeing team doing system engineering. I am currently working on designing new interior features for the next generation of vehicles.

Q: Are you involved in any other projects / networks? If so, please describe what they are and what your contributions are. 

I am a graduate representative for the Digital Product Platform (DPP), where I am responsible for organising graduate and undergraduate inductions, and also supporting the new intake of graduates.

Q: What do you like about working here?

I like that as a graduate, I am given meaningful work which helps me develop my skills. I am also able to do placements in different departments, for example I have completed placements in DPP, research, and body & chassis. This gives me the freedom to explore the business and to find what I really enjoy doing, and also learn about the processes and work other departments do.

I have also done a placement in Solihull, which provided me with an insight into manufacturing and how our vehicles are built.

Additionally, everyone is really friendly and helpful. People are willing to share knowledge to help me develop.

Q: What are your career aspirations? Do you feel that you get the necessary support from your management / department to help achieve your learning & development goal? 

My manager has been very supportive, he has arranged placements which would allow me to see how interior features on cars are developed, starting at the research stage going all the way to vehicle integration and testing. Doing placements in these areas helps me understand the process end-to-end, which will help me develop into a system engineer.

Q: Describe your team / department, and what makes it stand out from our competition? 

There is a fun and friendly working environment, where everyone is very supportive. My home team has weekly knowledge sharing sessions, where one person prepares a presentation and shares what they do day-to-day. This is really helpful because you get to learn about what other people do, and it highlights the skills present in each squad. It also gives people the chance to be recognised and praised for the work they do.

Q: Tell us 3 interesting facts about yourself.

1. I was born in Hungary and I moved to the UK at the age of 13
2. I was the only girl on my engineering course at university
3. I enjoy climbing in my free time

Q: What hints and tips can you share with the potential candidates who are going through the application / interview process? 

Be your authentic self and do not be afraid of taking on new challenges.