Lara Small, CEng, MRAeS, is a Manufacturing Engineering Manager at Rolls-Royce Defence and Development Engine Assembly in Bristol. She is a captain in the British Army Reserve, held the post of council member of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) for two years and races motorbikes in the fastest amateur race series in the UK. She was recently nominated as one of the Telegraph’s Top 50 Women in Engineering.
I work in the Defence Operations Assembly building in Bristol, where we assemble defence and naval marine engines or maintain, repair and overhaul flown engines. Our products include the TP400 for the Airbus A400M, RB199 in the Tornado, EJ200 for the Eurofighter and Adour in the Hawk, which is more commonly recognised as the Red Arrows aircraft. We also develop civil aviation engine technology and resolve manufacturing issues quickly with ‘Shadow Works’, our rapid Design and Make facility.
What does your day-to-day role at Rolls-Royce involve?
As the technical authority for the assembly facility, my role is to ensure the engines are assembled to the Rolls-Royce management system standards. I have a team of approximately 25 manufacturing engineers who work on process improvements, targeting reductions in lead time for each engine. Examples include introducing a new concentric measurement system that automates a manually intensive alignment process, or an improved checking system on the EJ200 building line, improving ‘right first time’ results.
My team and I also serve to quickly resolve non-conformance. On the occasions where a product doesn’t meet the design drawing, either through damage or manufacturing variation, we seek to find a solution to meet engine delivery deadlines. Repeated concessions are then considered for permanent solutions through process improvement.
The other part of my job is people development. Rolls-Royce exists on its passion for both people and technology. I enjoy seeing my team take on bigger challenges and feel empowered, and this also helps them to be promoted. I ensure that I check in with my entire team every day and support my team leader’s development every week.
How did you become an engineer?
Unfortunately my career journey started with poor advice and some irrelevant A-levels so I had to start the education process again when I was 20-years-old. I completed a foundation year in engineering and fast-tracked to a Masters in Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering, achieving a first class honours degree at the University of the West of England in Bristol (UWE).
After taking an industrial placement, I qualified for the Rolls-Royce graduate leadership development programme. This gave me a chance to work in Derby, Vietnam and Montreal and brought me to my current global role in Bristol. I can definitely say it’s the best job I have ever had, as it’s a perfect combination of technical decision-making and people development.
Tell us about your work in the Royal Engineers.
I’m employed as a troop commander with the Royal Engineers and manage the career of approximately 30 soldiers, using my training as a Royal Engineer search advisor (RESA). I’m qualified to accurately predict the location of improvised explosive devices and lead my search team to find and report any potential threats so that routes can be cleared for foot soldiers or vehicles.