Simeon joined Jaguar Land Rover as a Product Engineering undergraduate 5 months ago. Within a short period of time, he has already made a real difference by constantly challenging himself to take on more responsibilities and difficult tasks.
Simeon has also built strong working relationships with his manager, his teams, and the key stakeholders cross-functionally. Simeon would love to return to Jaguar Land Rover for the Graduate Scheme and continue to develop his career with us.
To find out more about our latest Undergraduate Placement Programme for 2023, visit our careers website (click here) for more information.
Q: What position did you start in and what is your position now? Please describe your current responsibilities.
I started in Systems and Software integration for the BEV Range Rover programme. The key responsibility of the role is ensuring features and functions progress effectively to meet key deliverables of the programme. My main contribution to the team has been running a workshop to cover the progress of all thermal related features. This workshop has allowed me to lead a large group of cross-functional engineers through the feature design and development process and created a platform for feature owners to discuss blockers and dependencies. The output from this workshop has allowed impediments to be raised when there are risks to the programme and therefore additional resource to be allocated where needed to ensure deadlines are met. I have gained skills such as creating detailed agendas, taking efficient meeting notes with accountable actions, and developed a strong network by working collaboratively with all key stakeholders. These are all far beyond what is taught at university but essential for the industry. I am currently on placement 4 days a week within the Vehicle Packaging team for the upcoming Jaguar. This team focuses on how the components and occupants of the vehicle fit together, as well as balancing the design vision for the vehicle with what the engineering team can deliver. The majority of my time has been spent on the concept development for future Jaguar models, which has involved lots of 3D CAD, working closely with the Human Factors and Vehicle Evaluation teams to create targets for critical dimensions based off competitor vehicles and ergonomics.
Q: What do you like about working here?
The main reason I am enjoying my time at Jaguar Land Rover is the level of responsibility that has been given to me as an undergraduate. If you can show you are willing to work hard and capable of taking on difficult tasks, there are opportunities to make a difference and gain the invaluable skills that accompany this. There are also many benefits you won’t see advertised in the job description such as Ride and Drive events, off-road driving experiences, Employee Learning Scheme, and the opportunity to take our vehicles home for the weekend as a reward. Not many other companies can offer this, and it really adds to the overall job satisfaction.
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?
Over the course of my career, I aspire to work with the latest and greatest technology within the automotive industry, especially as we make the shift from ICE to EV vehicles. Jaguar Land Rover can certainly provide this, so I am hoping to stay with the company for the Graduate Scheme and further. I have a great relationship with my management. They are constantly opening doors for me to progress in the direction I want so I am confident that when I return, I will be able to tailor my career to meet my passions.
Q: Describe your team / department, and what makes it stand out from our competition?
Vehicle Engineering for Range Rover is a huge team, and by working at the whole vehicle level, it gives a broad perspective on the sheer amount of engineering that goes into creating a vehicle. This stands out from the competition because it isn’t just any vehicle, Range Rover is a market leading, luxury SUV and the attention to detail with design, comfort, materials, dynamics, noise and more really shows.
Q: Tell us some interesting facts about yourself.
Outside of my studies and job I enjoy sport and music. I have been a keen sportsman all my life, I have played county and university football and recently joined a Jaguar Land Rover football team with other undergrads and grads. I also DJ, and what started as a hobby in lockdown, led to me playing in clubs and house parties where I go to university in Leeds.
Q: What hints and tips can you share with the potential candidates who are going through the application / interview process?
Jaguar Land Rover is going through an exciting cultural change at the moment with the Reimagine and Refocus strategy. The company is keen to employ young, enthusiastic minds to help with this change, so my advice would be to learn the new company values and how your experiences can contribute to the success of Jaguar Land Rover’s new strategy and future success.
