Arianna Biella
Spirax-Sarco
How did you come to find yourself on the Spirax-Sarco Engineering Graduate Scheme?
I studied Chemical and Process Safety Engineering at Politecnico di Milano in Italy. After graduating, I immediately started looking for jobs on my university career site and came across Spirax-Sarco. They were advertising for the first intake of the Global Graduate Programme in Italy, offering the opportunity to experience different roles within a two year programme, including an international rotation. I applied and a couple of weeks after the assessment, I got offered a position on the UK programme instead of the one in Italy. It was a huge opportunity which I couldn’t pass up and so I ended up moving to Cheltenham.
What rotations did you do and how have they each benefited your career?
My first rotation was in Environment, Health and Safety (EHS). It gave me the chance to get in touch with different areas of UK Supply while supporting the daily activities of the EHS team. I also worked on the Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) Project. I had the responsibility to review and create a maintenance methodology for UK Supply machine shop to assure that the machines were safe for maintenance employees. I was also involved in a global project, the Carbon Footprint Calculation, for the whole company and the creation of a Group Sustainability newsletter. The placement helped me develop my leadership and team working skills, as well as increasing my knowledge of these important subjects.
My second rotation was in Group Oil and Gas where I was assigned to the Specification and Deviation database project. The objective was to find a way to store specification and relative deviation in order to reduce the review times for quotation requests.
My third placement was in UK Supply Operations: I had the responsibility to review the safety valves assembly, planning, logistic and replenishment processes, which meant I had to cooperate with different people to identify issues and propose solutions. I worked to tight deadlines and built rapport with a number of different stakeholders.
My final rotation was in Argentina. I sat within the Business Development team where I was asked to redesign the process for new product launches. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the commercial operations of the operating company and also to learn Spanish. The international experience helped me to appreciate the cultural differences of doing business around the world which I am sure will continue to be invaluable.
What is your current role and what does a typical day look like for you?
I am currently a Compliance Engineer for UK Supply. My days tend to be quite different and dynamic, based on what is going on in the business.
One big slice of my role revolves around internal and external audits in UK Supply, which gives me the opportunity to get exposure to other areas of the business.
During the course of a working week I usually find myself involved in different improvement projects around UK Supply, especially in relation to the UKAS Calibration Laboratory, as I am the Laboratory Manager. My role also involves preparing compliance and quality documentation for the ETO team, support the certification department in the warehouse when needed, review ESMU packages, and offer support to the engineering team with concessions when they might impact compliance matters and much more.
At the moment part of my week is also taken up by OPAL project as I am representing the PES, Quality and Compliance department for UK Supply OPAL development.
What would you say to anyone considering entering the graduate scheme at Spirax-Sarco Engineering?
I would tell them to enjoy the challenge! It is amazing to get involved in these real projects that really do impact the company. The learning curve is immense, so be ready!
“It is amazing to get involved in these real projects that really do impact the company.”
What are you excited about for the future with Spirax-Sarco Engineering?
Since I joined the company three years ago, Spirax-Sarco’s commitment to sustainability has grown and I am really excited to see how we are going to improve ourselves to reach our sustainability targets in the future. I have been involved in a couple of environmental related projects along the grad scheme, I am also a founding member of the UK Environmental Committee, so I am looking forward to contributing to the change and see what happens next!
What difference do you think you have made?
As professionals coming from a Graduate Scheme experience, we are showing that young people have the right skills to be future leaders and that it’s worth investing in us. I also hope that along with my female colleagues, we are setting a good example for future generations of girls wanting to get in to engineering.
How would you describe the culture at Spirax-Sarco Engineering?
Spirax-Sarco Engineering is a really welcoming place. Both in the UK and in Argentina, I found people that care about their colleagues and the business. It is nice to see how people really live the company core values, no matter where in the world you end up.
What is your current role and what does a typical day look like for you?
I am currently a Compliance Engineer for UK Supply. My days tend to be quite different and dynamic, based on what is going on in the business.
One big slice of my role revolves around internal and external audits in UK Supply, which gives me the opportunity to get exposure to other areas of the business.
During the course of a working week I usually find myself involved in different improvement projects around UK Supply, especially in relation to the UKAS Calibration Laboratory, as I am the Laboratory Manager. My role also involves preparing compliance and quality documentation for the ETO team, support the certification department in the warehouse when needed, review ESMU packages, and offer support to the engineering team with concessions when they might impact compliance matters and much more.
At the moment part of my week is also taken up by OPAL project as I am representing the PES, Quality and Compliance department for UK Supply OPAL development.
What would you say to anyone considering entering the graduate scheme at Spirax-Sarco Engineering?
I would tell them to enjoy the challenge! It is amazing to get involved in these real projects that really do impact the company. The learning curve is immense, so be ready!
What are you excited about for the future with Spirax-Sarco Engineering?
Since I joined the company three years ago, Spirax-Sarco’s commitment to sustainability has grown and I am really excited to see how we are going to improve ourselves to reach our sustainability targets in the future. I have been involved in a couple of environmental related projects along the grad scheme, I am also a founding member of the UK Environmental Committee, so I am looking forward to contributing to the change and see what happens next!
What difference do you think you have made?
As professionals coming from a Graduate Scheme experience, we are showing that young people have the right skills to be future leaders and that it’s worth investing in us. I also hope that along with my female colleagues, we are setting a good example for future generations of girls wanting to get in to engineering.
How would you describe the culture at Spirax-Sarco Engineering?
Spirax-Sarco Engineering is a really welcoming place. Both in the UK and in Argentina, I found people that care about their colleagues and the business. It is nice to see how people really live the company core values, no matter where in the world you end up.