Manufacturing Projects Engineer

Frederike Trippel

Howden Turbo, Frankenthal, Germany

What’s great about working at Howden?

One of the best things about working for Howden are the people, your colleagues, everyone is open and welcoming. You feel valued by your manager and you can develop and grow through your work tasks.

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development? 

I started with Howden as a student writing my thesis for my Masters and now I am working as a Project Engineer on a variety of exciting digital solutions projects. I have learned a great deal from colleagues and have the opportunity to join seminars and other training to help me develop in my job role.

What excites you about your future at Howden?

I am very excited about how Howden’s digital solutions will further advance our products and support our customers, and look forward to being involved in future digital projects.

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud?

I am most proud that I was able to write successfully write my master thesis in Howden during the COVID pandemic and have now become part of Howden team. Having a manager who believes in you is so motivational and I really enjoy being part of the team.

Mechanical Design Engineer

Siddhant Mund

Howden Thomassen Compressors, Rheden, The Netherlands

What’s great about working at Howden?

As a budding engineer fresh out of education, working on challenging projects in a fast-paced work environment has been an amazing learning experience. My job mainly focuses on design of bare shaft compressors, and I have had the opportunity to work together with highly experienced engineers in the field of compressor design, which is a huge boost to my career. Howden is also a very upbeat and friendly workplace.

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development?

Right from the beginning, I was given the opportunity to work on major projects. Despite having limited experience, I was trusted to work on the design of components critical to the functioning of the compressor, with guidance from our highly experienced engineers. This was a huge motivation for me to learn faster and develop myself professionally, and it also makes coming to work every day very exciting.

What excites you about your future at Howden?

I am very excited about being a part of Howden in the longer term. With the whole world collectively striving to switch over to greener energy and with the ever booming hydrogen energy market, I am looking forward to being an integral part of the team executing these exciting projects.

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud?

I had known about Howden long before I started working here and was aware of the company’s achievements in compressor technology. I was therefore proud to be a part of the company right from the first day.

What has made me most proud was the pace, precision and the ‘can-do’ attitude of the Howden team. Together we have overcome many engineering challenges and the structured way of working and attitude of the team, has made sure the work is completed on time and to the customer’s satisfaction.

Operations Process Engineer

Edith Stanca

Howden Thomassen Compressors, Rheden, The Netherlands

What’s great about working at Howden?

Howden are very open and support improvement, new ideas and change. As a Process Engineer, this is important as my job involves analysing and improving our production processes, as well as digitalizing how procedures are used.

Howden has a welcoming environment with friendly colleagues that have always made time to support me. I have been encouraged to challenge myself and explore my ideas, and I know I have the backing of my team to implement new improvements.

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development?

Since joining Howden, I have received a variety of training to support me in my job role and broaden my knowledge, such as working with AR devices, digital processes and simulation techniques. I have been coached by my colleagues to better understand other departments and processes.

Overall, I believe Howden offers me the opportunity to continue to develop professionally, learn new skills and develop my career.

What excites you about your future at Howden?

I am most excited to see our business embrace the standard procedures and digitalization that I have been developing to improve our processes and to keep contributing to continuous improvement.

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud?

The first thing that comes to mind is seeing the first version of the standard procedures being used and quickly after that receiving feedback from the end-users on how to improve it. That showed me that the initiative was well received and it challenged people to think on how to make it better.

Retrofit Solutions Manager

Sergej Turidija

Howden Turbo, Frankenthal, Germany

What’s great about working at Howden?

That you have the opportunity to work in an international environment. You can work with people, customers and colleagues from all nationalities and cultures around the globe. It’s great being part of a company with such a strong market position and wide product range. We are able to help our customers in many air and gas handling processes.

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development?

I have received great mentoring from our experienced managers, which has greatly supported my daily work and expanded my knowledge in general business topics. Howden has also supported my career progression into a more specialist role, which has allowed me to work on various technical solutions, with a variety of global customers across diverse markets and applications. 

What excites you about your future at Howden?

I am very much looking forward to growing with the company. Howden has many facilities globally and is continuing to grow. It’s exciting to collaborate with other Howden businesses so we can serve our customers even better, and provide them with a wide variety of solutions and applications for all of their air and gas handling equipment.

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud?

I enjoy working with so many experienced and knowledgeable colleagues all over our organisation, who are willing to share their expertise and collaborate together. I am very proud of working on complex retrofit projects with my team to support our customers. 

Director of Sourcing & Supply Chain

David West

EMENA Region, Glasgow, UK

What’s great about working at Howden?

Howden is a very dynamic business, so working here is never dull! There is always a new challenge or opportunity for learning. Whilst Howden is a global business across more than 30 countries, the supportive working relationships both on site and across business units make it feel more like a family run company.

What did you enjoy most about the graduate training programme?

I enjoyed the wide variation of different types of placements. This included hands-on placements in the factory and site-services, engineering placements in R&D and design, and also commercially focused placements in sales, proposals and procurement departments. This was great as this not only helped me decide what I liked doing, it also helped me realise what I didn’t enjoy as much, so I could decide what direction I wanted to develop my career.

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development?

Howden supports a lot of on the job learning and development. I have had the opportunity to be involved in or lead various business projects and initiatives. You are supported and given trust and autonomy to deliver what are sometimes complex and challenging projects.

I have also had great coaching and mentoring from peers and business leaders who have shared their knowledge and experience to help me learn from challenges I have faced during my career.

Early in my career, Howden sponsored me to complete a Masters in Supply Chain and Logistics at Cranfield University. This was a great experience over two years and helped me to broaden my functional knowledge.

What excites you about your future at Howden?

Howden is an ever changing and growing business. We have grown through acquisitions which has expanded our products and supply chains as we enter new markets, which is very exciting. Alongside this, the realisation of our aim to enable processes that advance a more sustainable world is important to me, and exploring new opportunities in green energy and the hydrogen economy, are key.

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud?

Having worked in the organisation for a while, one of the things that makes me most proud is being able to support others, whether as a peer, mentor or contributor, to make an impact and be successful.

Head of Steam Turbine Engineering

Carina Heimann

Howden Turbo, Frankenthal, Germany

What’s great about working at Howden?

There are many things I enjoy about Howden. We have great products and a great work culture where we support each other and share knowledge. I enjoy working with my team and the variety of my role and projects and I work on.

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development? 

I started with Howden as an intern and had the opportunity to write my Master thesis with Howden. I was then offered a role as a Computational Engineer, which I enjoyed. I have received some very valuable mentoring with Howden, which I believe greatly helped me to move into my current role as Head of Steam Turbine Engineering after only a few years.

I have had the opportunity to attend various training, but my most valuable learning takes place on the job in my everyday role and I feel like I personally expand my knowledge on a daily basis.   

What excites you about your future at Howden?

In Howden, we are innovative and constantly look beyond our own horizons. We dare to try new things without losing sight of our roots, and that excites me. 

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud?

I am most proud of my team. I really enjoy working with them and I am always impressed by the immense knowledge they have, and their willingness to find solutions for our customers.  

Aftermarket Support Engineer

Joe Leach

Howden UK, Glasgow, UK

What’s great about working for Howden?

In my current position, I enjoy getting to see the fan design and manufacturing process from start to finish. No two days are the same as I undertake a variety of work such as testing, component selection and design calculations. I also have a great network of colleagues to learn from around the company.

What have you enjoyed most about the graduate training scheme?

For me, the variety of roles that I undertook as a graduate was an excellent way to learn about all sides of the company and how it functions. I have built a great network of colleagues which has been invaluable for me. I have developed a lot through working on new and challenging projects and learning from very experienced and talented people.

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development?

I have had opportunities to work on technical, practical and commercial projects, all carrying a level of responsibility that has contributed to my development. For example, I completed maintenance work on a power station, led technical projects and I have worked on Howden’s recent acquisition of a German heater company, giving me an insight into the commercial side of the company.

What excites you about your future at Howden?

With an extremely successful past, Howden has proven it will continue this success into the future, with many new technologies advancing through the global company. Howden is a great place to work, and retains great talent for many years. I see exciting opportunities to progress my career at Howden, which encourages me to continue to work hard.

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud? 

I have worked on some very interesting projects since joining Howden, but I am very proud to see the fans manufactured that I have contributed to their design process.

Project Manager

Faye Restall

Howden Technology, Glasgow, UK

What’s great about working at Howden?

Working with great people from all over the world, building strong friendships and learning from them.

What did you enjoy most about the graduate training programme?

The Howden graduate programme helped me to develop skills beyond a university degree. It showed me what opportunities exist in an Engineering environment and really provided clarity around my strengths and passions. I particularly enjoyed my site services placement which put a lot of things into perspective and allowed me to get my hands dirty.

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development?

Every project that I work on is different from the next which presents exciting challenges and ensures that I am constantly learning and developing. I have also found support with my development and growth from mentors across the business, both formally and informally.

What excites you about your future at Howden?

I am excited about Howden’s ESG strategy, emerging technologies and focus on supporting a sustainable future.

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud?

I am most proud of some of the product development projects I’ve worked on and my role in Howden’s digitalisation strategy, which optimises the performance of our equipment and means we can better support our global customers.

Project Manager

Philipp Exner

Howden Turbo, Frankenthal, Germany

What’s great about working at Howden?

As a Project Manager for regionalization projects, I like the variety of tasks and enjoy working together with Howden colleagues across the world and from different cultures.

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development?

After my 6-months internship in Howden, I was able to write my Bachelor thesis with Howden. This was a real and implementable project, which is still used today in our Singapore business. It was much more interesting to be able to contribute to a real business need and not just something theoretical.

In my job role, Howden offers me the opportunity to work independently and proactively, but I know I can always turn to my colleagues if I need advice or support.

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud?

I enjoy contributing to the growth of regionalization in our business and working on interesting projects every day. I am especially proud of the great teamwork we have when supporting our customers and implementing solutions to keep their operations running.

During one recent customer project, within a very short time, my team worked together and were able to develop and implement an emergency solution quickly, which enabled the customer to re-start their plant again.

Product Development Manager

Joanne Moore

Howden Technology, Glasgow, UK

What’s great about working at Howden?

Working as a Product Development Manager, I get the opportunity to deliver enhanced value to the business by defining and leading development projects. I enjoy the technical challenges and I enjoy working together with talented teams of people to solve problems.

What did you enjoy most about the graduate training programme?

The graduate training programme is a great opportunity to work in different parts of the company. I enjoyed working with lots of different people and feel it gave me a well-rounded experience in different aspects of engineering and business operations.

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development?  

Howden is very supportive of learning and development. I was mentored by an experienced engineer during my graduate training which really helped me in the transition from education to work. My mentor advised on my initial professional development and helped to keep me focused and motivated to achieve my CEng accreditation with the IMechE. I feel I have become a better engineer with this support.

I have now progressed into a management role and have received some valuable coaching from experienced managers to help me transition.

What excites you about your future at Howden?

Howden has a long history of innovation, with products that have been instrumental to progress in many different industries. As industry continues to evolve, I look forward to developing Howden products that have a positive impact on the world.

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud?

I am proud of the development of Heater 3D models that have been used for contracts and marketing over a number of years. I have been involved in this project from initial development, implementation, and then training others to take over the development. There were many technical challenges to overcome, which we did successfully.

Applications Engineer

Thomas Hannan

Howden Australia, Sydney

What’s great about working at Howden?

One of the best things about working for Howden is the people. I have some great colleagues who are really knowledgeable. People are incredibly friendly and always ask how you’re doing and how your day is going. Another bonus of working with great people is that they give you endless encouragement and make sure you get the most out of whatever placement, project or task you are completing.    

What opportunities does Howden give you that have enhanced your learning and development?

If you’re driven and enthusiastic you’ll be presented with many opportunities at Howden. My career started with Howden in research and development in our HQ in Renfrew. After that, placements for the graduate scheme included organising a Howden innovation exposition for the business’s top 100 leaders, site services at Drax power station in Yorkshire, assisting global marketing in developing their digital media library, leading a pilot procurement project in Germany, before moving to a role in Aftermarket sales. I then got the opportunity to relocate to Australia for the role of Applications Engineer in new build applications. So, I would definitely say that there are many opportunities in Howden.

What did you enjoy most about the graduate training scheme?  

The main attraction to the graduate scheme was the variety it offered. I didn’t know what type of job I wanted to do coming out of university, so the benefit of the Howden graduate scheme is the variety of rotations. I developed my technical and project skills on the graduate scheme for two years before transitioning to a permanent role, by which time I knew the direction I wanted to take in my career.

What excites you about your future at Howden?

The fact that in five years’ time, I have no idea where I might be working, what role I might have in Howden or what new markets or products I may be supporting. This for me is personally exciting. Howden is a pioneer of product innovation and always looks to enter new markets. I think climate change is going to be a big driver for many large industrial businesses in the future and I think Howden will move seamlessly to support this.

When you think about your career so far with Howden, what has made you most proud?

The recognition I have received from my colleagues since I joined Howden is what makes me most proud. On the graduate scheme I completed meaningful work on real projects and my line managers always expressed their gratitude for my efforts. I think that reassurance when I was starting my career was very powerful and gave me more confidence in my abilities. My managers and colleagues have since provided me with the guidance and knowledge to become a good proposals and applications engineer. Although, I still have a lot of learning to do!