Educations & qualifications:
MSc Explosive Ordnance Engineering, Cranfield University
Special Effects Explosives Safety, Cranfield University
The Science of Explosives and Munitions Design, Cranfield University
Laser Safety, Loughborough University
Advances in Energetic Materials, Civil Service College
Chemistry of Pyrotechnics, Pyro Labs Inc.
I.O.S.H. Managing Safely with Fireworks, St. Austell College
BTEC Level 2 (Intermediate) Fireworks, Loughborough College
BTEC Level 2 (Intermediate) Pyrotechnics, Loughborough College
H.N.C. Mechanical and Production Engineering, Mid - Kent College

Job title: Trials Conducting Officer

Employer: Ministry of Defence

What/who inspired you to become an engineer? 
I have always been interested in how things work and solving problems. I joined the Royal Engineers (Army Reserves) at 17 and became a qualified bomb disposal engineer. From there I was recruited by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as an explosives research scientist but was ‘raised’ by engineers throughout my early career.

Please describe your role within the workplace. 
I run explosive trials and tests – everything from how precisely a quarter of a gram of explosives can be initiated to firing hundreds of kilograms of high explosives. I am responsible for the safety of all those involved and ensuring the required data is captured and recorded.

What is the most challenging aspect of your role? 
Convincing people that explosives can be used to do various things safely and effectively is the most challenging. The majority of people do not realise that explosives can be used to do precise and ‘delicate’ work, for example, I regularly produce Leaf Prints, where I use high explosives to reproduce every vein from a leaf in a metal plate.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your role?
The actual explosive firing – not for the ‘Ka-boom’ but for using my knowledge and understanding of explosives to design explosive systems and deliver the desired results or predict the results when I’m testing things designed by others.

What is the biggest career highlight or achievement you’re most proud of? 
Despite earning a Masters degree and becoming chartered, the greatest satisfaction during my career was when a primary school student approached me after I’d done a series of live explosive demonstrations in their assembly hall and said “BEST SCIENCE LESSON EVER!”.

Why did you choose to become professionally registered? 
A professional registration scheme was on offer through the Institute of Explosives Engineers and having made use of the other offerings from the institute, I decided to give professional registration a go and it has opened up so much for me.

I would recommend professional registration because… 
It establishes you as being dedicated to your profession and shows a lifelong commitment to continuing professional development (CPD). It also opens doors and can lead to promotion and/or earning potentially higher salaries.

What career advice would you give to your younger self? 
Say ‘Yes’ whenever an opportunity presents itself – volunteer for things and you’ll get more out of whatever you are doing.

Do you participate in mentoring, volunteering, or membership of other engineering groups? 
Yes, I act as a Professional Registration Advisor (PRA – Mentor), reviewer, assessor and ratifier for professional registration. I also volunteer as a member of the Education and Training Working Group that has established and now guides modern apprenticeships at levels 4, 6 and 7 in Ordnance Munitions and Explosives.

If relevant, please list three favourite projects you have worked on:

Large Linear Cutting Charges – designing the explosive configuration and liner shape to generate the desired cutting effect.

Explosive Forging – Using explosives to deform stainless steel at huge strain rates, thereby modifying the crystalline structure of the metal to give it preferable material characteristics.

Characterisation of Paste Explosives – Designing and developing a suite of tests to establish the various performance characteristics of different paste explosives, thus allowing a ‘design envelope’ to be established for each material, so complex explosive systems can be designed using them.