Science Manufacturing Technician

Jade’s job title is Improvement Practitioner in manufacturing at Estée Lauder Companies’ Whitman Laboratories

What I do

My role is to make sure the product assembly line is running properly – I focus mainly on increasing its efficiency. I analyse the data collated on our production lines to ensure it aligns with the reports.

The data I collect can relate to anything and everything we produce. If there’s an anomaly, I’ll speak to the assembly operators to understand what’s caused it and see if it needs to be investigated.

Hear more about Jade's role by watching the video below...

How I became a technician

I started as an operator on the production lines and then I was referred for a coordinator role, which I love. I have been in this role for nearly five years and I’m still learning. After hands-on training for the first two years, and then lots of supervision, I was offered an 18-month apprenticeship, which I’ve nearly finished.

At school my GCSEs included maths, technology, IT and music and I went on to study music and languages at college. After a run of dead-end jobs, my aunt suggested I try working on the Estée Lauder production line, and here I am.

I started as an operator on the production lines and then I was referred for a coordinator role, which I love. I have been in this role for nearly five years and I’m still learning. After hands-on training for the first two years, and then lots of supervision, I was offered an 18-month apprenticeship, which I’ve nearly finished.

At school my GCSEs included maths, technology, IT and music and I went on to study music and languages at college. After a run of dead-end jobs, my aunt suggested I try working on the Estée Lauder production line, and here I am.

A typical day in my
working life

I start by walking down the assembly shop floor to make sure all Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) systems work. I’ll then catch up with my colleague, who was on the night shift about any issues or concerns.

Next, I’ll log into the OEE Toolkit and analyse every line of data that’s been collected over the past 24 hours. Then I speak to the Engineering Department about any issues and we perform a root cause analysis and figure out a solution.

When the late shift staff come in, I’ll share any issues or anomalies for them to keep an eye on.

I feel I have so many roles, from detective to scientist to chemist.

I have been in this role for nearly five years and I’m still learning.

I feel I have so many roles, from detective to scientist to chemist.

I have been in this role for nearly five years and I’m still learning.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

I love the fact that there’s something different every day and I feel I have so many roles, from detective to scientist to chemist. If something goes wrong, I need to find out what it is. I also love that the company invests in its employees and gives them the support to develop.

The best bits about working in a team

I work in a small team with four other people, and we all have different approaches to issues and situations. It is such a diverse place, and we are always learning from one another.

Find out more about this role

Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.

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