Name:
Svetlana Sulimani
Job Title:
Electrical Design Engineer
Industries:
Aerospace and Defence
About Me
I’m a electrical systems design and integration engineer with different aerospace and defense projects. I’m very happy to start working with my new company based in Richmond, British Columbia.
A Day In The Life
There is not really a typical day. Some days are spent fire-fighting issues. Others are spent in meetings. Others are spent in the clean room testing the satellite. Hours are typically flexible, and reflect the current activities. Core hours are usually between 9-5. Overtime hours and weekend work are fairly usual as well, particularly during a test phase.
I interact with many people on a daily basis, whether it be our technicians, other systems engineers, management, other segments of the program such as the ground segment or spacecraft operations. I also interact a lot with our subcontractors, international partners and colleagues.
There is also a lot of travel in this industry as our customers, sub-contractors, and facilities are quite spread out. I enjoyed to meet my colleagues in Le Bourget Air Show in Paris June 2009 and in SAE International Aerotech Congress & Exhibition in Seattle November 2009.
I am also a member of Site BC – Society of Internationally Trained Engineers of British Columbia and SAE – International Association of Engineers in Aerospace, Automobile, Commercial Vehicle and Motorsports Industries
Why My Job Is Great
The aerospace and defense industries are very challenging and provides a very dynamic work environment.
The Downside
The long hours and sustained challenging work schedule does wear on you. The aerospace industry is also very volatile, particularly with limited funding in Canada. It’s always a struggle to see what the next Canadian space program will be.
Engineering Experience
I think the biggest aspect of what got me here was my involvement in the student competitions. I served as Quality Assurance Engineer for the US Army Corps of Engineers for one years; a senior electrical design engineer for Israel Air Force.for two years and Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. For 5 years. Many jobs these days are team-based, so it’s very important to know about team dynamics and how to work well in teams.
The Best Part Is
A electrical engineer is very diverse in what he or she can do, although that’s a fair statement for engineering in general. I’ve had a chance to work on all aspects of the platform, whether it be mechanical, electrical or software
