Principal Group Engineer - Physics, at Thermo Fisher Scientfic
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Principal Group Engineer - Physics, at Thermo Fisher Scientfic
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Engineering Physicist with 18 years experience of product development in both start-up and corporate environments. My broad range of professional experience includes both project management and R&D operations in several technology areas including: spectroscopy, imaging and metrology with terahertz optics; semiconductor components for fibre-optic communications; and information data storage. During my PhD in experimental physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, I attempted to measure the energy gap of high temperature superconductors by electron tunnelling.
Respected by colleagues for my structured and thorough working style, and for my analytical skills. In R&D work my expertise is in measurement and characterization of systems and devices, particularly computer-controlled data acquisition and analysis.
(Public Company; TMO; Biotechnology industry)
May 2009 — Present (7 months)
Developing Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) products for trace element analysis. In this role I will be leading the physics system design and overall architecture of new products. As line manager to a team of Physicists I will be responsible for their recruitment, technical guidance and tuition.
(Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing industry)
2003 — May 2009 (6 years )
Startup company developing terahertz imaging, spectroscopy and metrology products. Many projects are client-specific contracts.
• Project manager and design authority for novel Time Domain Reflectometer commissioned by world leading semiconductor manufacturer.
• Project manager and design authority for bespoke THz spectrometer with measurement of samples in transmission or reflection at 500mm stand-off distance.
• Designed, built and evaluated the world’s first multi-channel terahertz system for detecting concealed plastic explosives and non-metallic weapons.
• Developed software and hardware that enables non-destructive testing of multi-layer tablets by customers in pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing quality control.
• Developed manufacturing process for fibre-optic based terahertz emitters and detectors.
• Built prototype medical probe for diagnosing skin cancer.
• Use ZEMAX software to design NIR and THz optics.
(Public Company; A; Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing industry)
April 2000 — April 2003 (3 years 1 month)
High-volume manufacturer of optical communications equipment. My role in the Semiconductor Devices group was designing and developing low-cost, high-speed and high-reliability lasers.
• Developed production test for RF performance of 10 Gb/s directly modulated lasers.
• Led technology investigation to improve manufacturing tolerances of laser-fibre alignment. Managed the project and developed apparatus to quantify tolerances and identify the final design.
• Developed new production process to measure and control grating quality of DFB lasers. Produced reflectivity model to optimize exposure of resist during photolithography.
• Investigated use of pre-emphasis with electro-absorbtion modulators (patent filed).
• Developed apparatus and control software to simultaneously measure photocurrent spectrum and transmission spectrum of discrete waveguide structures.
• Used Scanning Probe Microscopy to investigate electronic structure of buried heterojunction lasers.
(Public Company; HPQ; Computer Hardware industry)
October 1991 — April 2000 (8 years 7 months)
Hewlett-Packard’s manufacturing division for information data storage products. Worked in Research and Development group designing three generations of DDS-format tape drives.
• Responsible for making HP’s DDS-4 tape drive the fastest in the world.
• Modelled electronic and magnetic components to optimize system performance.
• Developed new measurement techniques and processes to characterize system components and performance.
• Played a leading role in the root-cause analysis of manufacturing problems, particularly those involving tribology.
• Provided technical support to the new business development team.
Ph.D. , Low Temperature Physics, Cavendish Laboratory , 1987 — 1991
Thesis: Electron Tunnelling Study of High Temperature Superconductors.
B.Sc. (Hons) , Physics , 1984 — 1987
1st Class
1984
Secondary Education. 11 grade A GCE O-levels, 3 grade A GCE A-levels (Maths, Physics and Chemistry), 2 grade 1 GCE S-levels (Physics and Chemistry).
Rock Climbing
Ipswich Mountaineering Club, of which I'm the webmaster & communications officer.