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Shape the Future of Automotive Technology

Exciting Job Opportunities at JLR Shannon: Shape the Future of Automotive Technology!

Welcome to our special Q&A session, where we delve into the experiences and exciting journey of a Software Engineering Manager (Chapter Lead) – Clodagh Daly. In this blog interview, we’ll gain a glimpse into Clodagh’s life at JLR Shannon, current responsibilities, involvement in various projects and networks, and her career aspirations.

From leading and empowering a diverse team of engineers to developing software engineering practices, fostering a supportive environment together with the rest of the leadership teams, and championing Women in Engineering. She brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her role.

Join us as we explore her life at JLR Shannon below:

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

Software Engineering Manager (Chapter Lead).

In my role, I am primarily a People Manager and leader of Engineers.  As a former Software Engineer, it is crucial to ensure that people’s development and learning is fostered in a continuous cycle, technology is evolving at such a rapid pace, we need to ensure our Engineers are at the cutting edge in their skills development.  This offers support to the organisation and enables the engineers to operate at the highest levels, empowering them to grow.  It is our responsibility to assist them to develop into the leaders of the future, both from a technological stand point but also as key drivers of our business and industry. 

Enabling a positive environment where they are supported and empowered to develop is key.  Regular touchpoints with me, reviewing how they are performing in their Agile team, identifying performance opportunities for them, to build their technical skills, develop their internal brand in JLR and for them to gain tangible experiences in our technologies and functions is really important. 

My team is diverse in their roles, experience levels, skills and technology stacks.  It is challenging to ensure people are given the required time and support for them to succeed.  This role is vital to them being successful in their abilities to deliver our quality products, so it is a great pleasure to watch them flourish in their career progression.  Without our Engineers, we have no products to sell. 

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

As a Chapter lead, we are presently putting shape to our Software Engineering Chapter, where individuals can form part of a cohesive collective of likeminded Software Engineers.  Our aims, are to provide guidance, define processes, align on technology and tooling, offering a community across the Software landscape in JLR.  This enables us to have a platform cross-functionally within our business where we can make strategic changes,  bringing ‘Best In Class’ strategies to the fore in our Software community.  This benefits both the Engineers but also the Organisation and provides our team members a cohesive space for them to collaborate, drive forward their suggestions, making meaningful strides forward in our technical evolution! 

I am also a member of the SHE++ Society where we champion all things – Women in Engineering in JLR Shannon.  Our aim is to foster an environment where women are supported, facilitating Mentorship talks, career development discussions.  We also want to promote the idea of diversity in the Engineering and Tech divisions, giving back to the community is very important to us, so we have conducted lots of Primary School visits, promoting Women in Technology and Engineering roles and encouraging the school girls, aged 11-12, to pursue roles in STEAM in the future.  This is a highly rewarding society and is key to breaking the bias of women in technology and engineering for the future!  Encouraging them at a young age to recognise these options as very positive careers for Women!

Q: What do you like about working here?

JLR is a truly inspiring place to work.  Our products are just sublime!  Breathtakingly beautiful, the epitome of luxury, all while offering the robust off road capabilities that we in JLR are synonymous with.  Our site in Shannon has Agile Squads that are driving forward the most critical technological advancements.  We have teams representing the ADAS group, Data Analytics and Machine Learning, DevOps, along with a host of other Onboard and Offboard capabilities.  There is something here for everyone, all tech stacks are present here. Variety is boundless.

The culture in Shannon is one which is really unique and that is down is no small measure to the approach taken from the top leaders across the site.  They ensure they are giving their time to everyone; they operate an open door policy; they are vastly knowledgeable in our products and are always willing to offer guidance, advice and energy to all of the sites various communities.  It has a nurturing vibe here, nobody’s questions are ever silenced and if there is something that is suggested within the site, it is welcomed, and you are given the latitude to go and bring it to fruition.

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? 

As a relative new comer to the Automotive industry, I am learning every day. Our team in JLR Shannon are working on the most ground-breaking technology available and the opportunities to learn and grow are continually extended to everyone.  Each month we have 3 hours of protected time, where we can avail of training for our growth and development.  We have access to internal training platforms which houses a multitude of Automotive training and technology materials. JLR have also invested in making both PluralSight and Udemy Learning platforms available to our team members.  These are globally recognised suites of learning, demonstrating JLR’s commitment to growing their team members skills and investing in their development.

In JLR Shannon we are solving technically uncertain challenges daily, having the great pleasure to create the next generation of vehicles that can do things no-one has even considered possible.

My experiences in Shannon have been inspiring.  The culture and atmosphere here is like a family, it is warm, welcoming and growth focused.  Our team members are passionate about what we do and that is driven from the Senior Leaders on site.  Autonomy in your work is the way of life here, accountable but without fear to fail, there is zero tolerance for blame here, culturally.  Blame is actively discouraged in JLR Shannon, as without failure you cannot hope to innovate.  In our Research & Development focused Software Centre our goal is to harness the creativity of our engineering minds not stifle them, mine included.

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

Our proud team are known as the Onboard Enablers, what a great name!  We are responsible for enabling all of the connections and interfaces within the vehicle, bringing cohesion to all of the technology in our cars.  This provides our squads the opportunity to get first touch on new components and software, we lead, we don’t follow, breaking new ground is what we do, everyday!   By engaging directly with our suppliers and building the key partnerships, we are at the cutting edge of innovation, having the greatest opportunities to bring our market-leading new features to life, delighting our customers! 

Q: Tell us 3 interesting facts about yourself.

I have loved cars since I was very small – my brother and I used to play ever increasingly complex games of identifying cars while on family journeys.  My aim is to get my hands on an extremely rare,  2 seater Citroen DS convertible -innovative for its time, classically designed and remains a thing of beauty 20+ years later!   I just need to win the lotto first.

Hobbies, well I am a thrill seeker, Great White Cage Diving, bungy, helicopter flying amongst a few things, but parenthood has put the brakes on that for the time being.  I also am a massive DIY enthusiast, doing wood work courses and metal work courses so I could make things I wanted for my home!  My husband is a patient man.

Travel, I have travelled extensively I would say, backpacking, no 5-star luxury for me!   India, Thailand, Cambodia, UAE, Hong Kong, Maldives, New Zealand, Peru, Mozambique, South Africa, Dutch Antilles, the US, to name a few and of course all through Europe.  This is a passion!  The more obscure the location the better.  I backpacked as I found you really get to know a country when you are closest to the people, hostel life often will tell you more than any 5* will. 

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

First tip is to APPLY!  You do not even need to come from an Automotive industry to be able to make an impact in our Organisation!  Find me on Linked In or check out our Careers Page!

Secondly, and importantly; believe in yourself and your technology skills.  Outline your interest in JLR Vehicles and how you can contribute to the Automotive industry.  We are always looking for people who demonstrate drive, commitment to excellence and passion for what they do!  The rest you can learn here with us.

Apply now and be part of our dynamic team in Shannon: Shannon | Main Portal (pocketrecruiter.com)

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Women in Tech Mentoring Project

All three women are currently reskilling, have completed their nine month software development training course and are now on internship for three months within Jaguar Land Rover, Shannon.

Fiona Gilchrist, (R&D Strategy Lead, Commercial Team), Ritu Johnstone (Project Manager/AGILE RTE), Arifa Khan (Senior Software Developer – Technical Lead), Tanya Flood (Senior Software Developer) and Madhuvanthi Nirmalnath (Software Developer) are participating in the Mentoring programme and are giving their free time to mentor women who have taken a break from their career and the workplace – and are now looking to reskill in tech.

Throughout the project, mentees are given access to key engineers within Jaguar Land Rover who are continuously sharing knowledge on coding skills, products and process that are critical to software engineering and the AGILE way of working. The skills that are being shared with the mentees are critical to working in the Tech and Automotive industry.

The mentees are also being guided on how to prepare for interviews and have been given a non-confidential overview of how software engineering is being used in JLRs products and processes. Garrett Colins, Engineering Manager from the VDC team and Padraig Jones (Software Engineering Manager) have also given up their time to demonstrate the latter. Karen O’Halloran recently provided an overview of the Jaguar Land Rover Graduate programme.

Fiona Gilchrist is hosting the mentees on the project on daily basis and organised for the mentors within Shannon to give up their valuable time to supporting technical aspects and soft skills. The mentees have access to office space on a weekly basis and key engineering personnel which is key to advancing their skills and knowledge for career progression within the Tech Industry.

All of the mentors agree that “this is a fantastic way to give back and, personally, learn different aspects of mentoring”. The project is a huge learning curve for the mentees and really helps build their confidence after such a lengthy career break – as it can be quite overwhelming to go back into the workplace.

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Even though I had no automotive experience – my skills and knowledge have been essential in the ADAS team

‘I’m originally from Vietnam and that’s where my passion for computing began. I originally did a degree in Mathematics and Informatics followed by a scholarship to do my Masters in Applied Mathematics. I then received a scholarship to do my PHD at NUI Galway.

I didn’t know a great deal about Ireland, so it was a huge decision to make the big leap to live a such a different country. After time spent doing a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Limerick I decided to move over from academia to industry – joining Jaguar Land Rover after a short time in Valeo to be involved in computer modelling for autonomous vehicles – an area where my mathematics background fitted well.

Even though I had no automotive experience – my skills and knowledge have been essential in the ADAS team. Working here has been a big learning curve for me. I have gained new learnings and knowledge in my role. I didn’t know C ++ when I arrived in industry – or anything about computer vision – but I have learnt these new skills very quickly. I am always looking to improve my knowledge on relevant subjects, and I adapted very quickly to my role.

I’m also lucky to have worked with helpful managers and teams – the whole working environment is hugely supportive. The projects I work on are hugely challenging but the future looks extremely exciting. My academic background has been a huge benefit in helping me develop algorithms and be involved in some incredibly challenging problem solving in Autonomous driving. I love it!’

Play your part in our exciting journey http://ow.ly/aUNq50HYOW1

#LifeatJLR #ReimagineYourFuture #ADAS

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You can propose new ideas and ways of working and get a lot of support to implement them

‘Just over two and a half years ago I moved to Shannon from Krakow in Poland. Krakow is a huge and vibrant city but there is very little diversity there. I immediately experienced such a difference when I arrived in Ireland.

What I absolutely love, since starting with Jaguar Land Rover, is working with colleagues from different cultures and backgrounds – and the benefits and respect that brings to the working environment.

I have met colleagues and become friends with people from across the globe – from Turkey, Hungary, India, Vietnam and many more countries. I feel really settled here.

My role as Scrum Master means that I talk a lot to colleagues to ensure our work is represented and we are all on track with a project. The culture in the Shannon office is very agile and openminded. You can propose new ideas and ways of working and get a lot of support to implement them.

There is a lot of collaboration and co-operation within the business. At the moment I am working closely with a very experienced Agile Coach and, since she has taken me under her wing, I am learning so much. I am pretty new to the Scrum Master role and am growing personally at a really fast pace – that’s really down to the experience of the colleagues around me.’


There are some amazing opportunities to join us in ADAS right now, discover the one for you here: https://lnkd.in/enmWQMwY

#LifeatJLR #ADAS #ReimagineYourFuture

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It is inspirational to be able to reach out to so many driven women within the industry and beyond

‘Even before joining Jaguar Land Rover I have a real drive and passion for developing people and empowering them to drive a business forward.

Our goal is to enable colleagues to get the most out of their roles. We are a network of people with a very cohesive approach – who will put all ideas on the table and work collectively to move projects forward. We ensure as many people as possible are engaged with She ++ – creating panel discussions which help break down barriers and allow individuals to share their experiences. People –  both internally and externally  – speak to us about their journeys and how they have overcome obstacles in their life & careers to be successful. It is inspirational to be able to reach out to so many driven women within the industry and beyond.

The culture here in Shannon is extremely positive and there’s a great sense of trust within our business. Colleagues are encouraged to move forward, share ideas, and work collaboratively. This is something that drives me every day.’

There are some amazing opportunities to join us right now, discover the role for you here: http://www.jaguarlandrovercareers.com