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Graduate case studies

Graduate case studies
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Usman - 
Lead Engineer

Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

About the job

Main responsibilities

Leading a team of Integrated Control and Safety System Engineers for the design and Engineering of the ICSS for an Onshore Gas Plant.

Software and hardware engineering, translating and engineering the client's given specification into a real control system, reporting to a project manager and taking lead responsibilities on all aspects of the project. Generating project documentation, schedules, analysing commercial aspects, identifying critical paths etc.

Typical day

Supervision, Management and Engineering, documentation and coordination.

What do I enjoy about my job?

Whenever a challenge comes up, either from delivering a very complex system or a system on a tight schedule.

Challenging aspects

Carrying out design and engineering within tight deadlines.

Why did this area of work appeal to me?

Oil & gas is probably our biggest market share, it has good career prospects and enjoys a vast range of control systems with diverse challenges.

Skills/qualifications I use in my job?

BEng Electronics, MSc Control Systems, and all those skills learned during securing these degrees.

Other skills include estimation, procurement, management, leadership, team spirit, technical analyses, technical and commercial impact assessment, scheduling, planning etc.

Training I receive as part of my job

Various technical and non-technical training.


Career information

Brief history since leaving University

Chartered Engineer. (CEng)
Functional Safety Engineer. (FSEng)

Where do I see myself in the future?

I am working towards Project Manager position. To compliment this I might do an MBA.


Advice to students

My piece of advice to students

Be realistic, pursue your dreams, for a satisfied professional career do what you like not what will pay you better. Learn the skills that they can relate directly to challenges that are being faced by the industry these days.



Send Usman a question about their career.


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Last updated: 09 Mar 2017