Employee Spotlight 3: Jorge
In the third instalment of our Employee Spotlight series, Alex sat down with Jorge to find out more about his experience at Micro Systems. Jorge has been here for 8 years and progressed through a range of positions up to his current Production Manager role. Read or listen to this captivating interview for an interesting insight into Jorge’s beliefs and attitude towards work culture, how he ensures career progression for himself and those around him, and the essential skills required to be an effective production manager.
Alex: Hi Jorge, how are you doing today?
Jorge: Hi Alex, I’m fine thanks, another day in Micro Systems and I’m fine!
Alex: Great, thank you for agreeing to do this interview!
Jorge:No it’s OK, I’m here to help and I am part of the great team here.
Alex:Well I agree with that, thank you!
Alex: So Jorge, how long have you been at Micro Systems?
Jorge: It’s almost 8 years now, so I started in June 2015 and I’m loving being here because every day is a challenge, everyday is breaking different boundaries and discovering different things. I like the sensation arriving at the end of the day, it was a hard day but very productive and we learned a lot. Because here in Micro Systems, with all the gear that we have in Metrology, it’s achieving even more and more perfection, to break boundaries that I never dreamed to be possible to achieve.
Alex: So can you explain a bit more about your current role and your general tasks and responsibilities?
Jorge: So, I’m a production manager and a senior production engineer with a background in metrology, design and also production, milling and inspection. Basically I plan [production], of course I’m part of a big team, but I’m more in charge of one-off projects. Projects with more new challenges. Projects that require a different mindset and sometimes thinking outside the box. Basically my current task is helping the team! As a support here, sharing my knowledge with them so we can all work as a team and complete these difficult projects successfully.
Alex: Has your role progressed during your time at Micro Systems? How has it changed over the years?
Jorge: Oh yes! So in 2015 I was invited to come here to work in metrology. Since I arrived in metrology I saw there was a lot of room to improve this so I started developing the metrology room with my concept of shared knowledge as a team. If we share knowledge, we can grow in our career, and that’s me. That’s my history, because with shared knowledge, I made it possible that everyone can use CMM machines, can use interferometers, can use microscopes and digital microscopes, so when everybody can use them, I can also progress my career, so I progressed to design. I wanted to go to design because I have some experience in design. So in design I did my job and I learned because it’s a different standard in Micro Systems than what I was used to in automotive because it’s medical devices, it’s different. And then became the chance to move into this role and I’m loving being here.
Alex: Awesome. So do you think your experience in various different areas of the company helps you share and teach the rest of the team now?
Jorge: Of course, of course. So for instance, my background in mould making came from my grandfather. He was one of the first mould designers in Portugal. So this [interest in] mould making came from my grandfather and then my father. My first milling machine was the Deckel copy milling. We didn’t have the CAD, we just created the models by hand and then copied and created the form. At this time I was like 15, 16 years old and during the summer holidays, my father would say “You need to help me if you want some extra money”. The thing that I like here in mould making is that it’s always a different thing, it’s always changing, and when I started here in Micro Systems it’s a different level, I never saw nothing [like Micro Systems] in my life, and I have lots of years in mould making! Here, it’s a completely different level. It’s always breaking boundaries.
Alex: How would you describe your experience working here, your overall feeling in the team?
Jorge: It’s great. And it’s getting better and better. You can see there’s a big team spirit here, these karting events, these team spirit events are very good, and the thing is when I started this role it was about sharing knowledge and sharing our goals, where we want to go. If I have a problem or a project I try to gather all of the team and brainstorm together because every input is valid for the very fast solution and the good solution, and this commitment with the team makes us more strong because it’s better several minds together than just one mind, and this is very important and something I want more and more.
Alex: Oh nice, good.
Alex: What’s the most interesting project that you’ve worked on during your time here?
Jorge: All of them
(both laugh)
No, [some of the] Micro Fluidics [projects]. I love [the technology]. Even starting now, another job in micro fluidics, it’s all the set up, all the measurement, all trying to make it better, trying to make it even better and better and better. In general, all of the projects that I’m involved in are very challenging and very interesting. It’s always different products, and different challenges, but Micro Fluidics is my favourite.
Alex: Alright perfect, cheers. So how about for your job, what skills are required to do your job effectively?
Jorge: Being interested and never stopping investigating. Of course you need the background, but progress is there, technology is always progressing and advancing, so we need a mindset that is always investigating new solutions, new ideas, new concepts and things like that. We cannot stop in time, I hate when people say “We always do like that.” I hate that. Of course we used to do it like that, but now technology is better, we have different machines, we have different technology so let’s think outside the box, let’s try differently. Sometimes we fail, but sometimes not. If we don’t try, we will never know. And that’s the mindset that a production manager needs to have, and good engineering and mould making is understanding each project is one project is one challenge, and we need to find different solutions to make the product better and faster, because at the moment, time is money, it was always like that but even more so now.
Jorge at the Made Smarter UK Presentation – a wonderful opportunity for him to take on new challenges
Alex: What’s one thing that you wish people knew about your job?
Jorge: I think the members of the team know my responsibility, nobody wants my job!
(both laugh)
I’m joking, I’m joking.
No, I’d like people to know that they need to look at me as a friend first of all, and a person here to help and support them. I’m here to help, I started from production levels, everybody sees me as a person like that, to help. If there is any problem they come to me and I see them.
Alex: So what do you do outside of work in your free time?
Jorge: I love cycling – mountain bike, down hill, things like that. I tried karting but because I had a big accident on the motorbike I cannot go karting because my back is still hurting. Yeah but I like to read, I like to draw, me and my daughter sometimes we draw some abstract crazy things, sometimes we get inspiration and then we start designing. And I like hanging around with friends.
Alex: Do you ever hang out with any other people from the Micro Systems team?
Jorge: Yes, yeah. Gustavo, Bella, Helder, and more. We go out to live music, get some beers, yeah. I love to dance, after a week of work, Saturday nights why not dance and listen to some music just to chill out! It’s important for balance.
Alex: Yeah, I’d agree with that definitely!
Alex: Awesome! Alright well perfect, thank you very much Jorge, nicely done!
Jorge: Thank you!
Micro Systems specialises in the design, manufacture and validation of ultra precision micro moulds for the medical, pharmaceutical and optical markets, at the same time, the development and use of micro and nano technologies in the design and manufacture of injection moulded components. We have a dedicated micro moulding facility, and have ISO13485 and ISO9001 certifications. Micro Systems strives to create a positive working environment where respect, teamwork, training, communication and opportunity are at best. For more information, please Contact us or visit our website.
