test technician

senior test technician

inside sales representative

buyer

systems administrator

Cobham

Collaborating across multiple departments, planning, scheduling and monitoring the movement of materials through the production cycle to determine required materials purchases including obtaining materials using engineering and production schedules to maintain inventory at planned levels. Supplier quality, 
Reduced costs by $70,000 in first six months.
Provide planning support for Mexico and San Diego research-related and  production projects including but not limited to managing San Diego and Mexico fabricated work centers, scheduling, budgeting, performance monitoring, analysis reporting, expediting, personnel planning and purchasing per SAP
Advised management of the status of work in progress and identifies potential project problems
Worked closely with area leads and supervisors in order to identify the best way to identify opportunities to improve and standardize process and procedure 
Worked continuously improve Data Integrity and eliminate excess “noise” in the system 
Created standard work for multiple responsibilities including Purchase Requisition creation and follow through, running and monitoring Work Center reports.
Reviewed ECO’s and possible impact on Work in Progress assisted in improving scrap and purge process 
Contributed to the organization’s efficient operation by participating in short and long-range plan development; prepares a variety of scheduled reports, and provide progress status and timely follow-up on assigned programs and projects
Investigated and resolved material manufacturing related issues; performs product assessments for part or product designs; provides input for processes and technologies to meet cost and schedules
Provided task leaders and project management with clear, timely and accurate information with which to make decisions. 
Alerted operating or project management to deviations (or potential deviations) from the established plan
Developed standard and non-standard reports; identifies issues, exceptions and variances and develops solutions to moderately complex issues; reviews processes and procedures to support business and regulatory agency requirements.
Defined potential  problems and identify issues, collect and interpret data to include engineering drawings, draw conclusions, and developed solutions to prevent or resolve problems; 
Analyzed Material and Production planners schedules and released planned orders while per  SAP
Verified and reconciled current and past due production orders and expedited when necessary
Created and updated fabricated area routers  and standardized lead times for internal manufactured materials to materials when necessary
Managed the implementation of Kanban and point of use system for fabricated materials (Caps, Coils, Epoxy’s and Hardware)
Additional special projects as assigned

A typical day started at 6:30 AM with a list of repairs of anywhere from 1 to 5 units that day. I would log into my workstation and read the pertinent e-mail of the day (there is much non-pertinent e-mail). I would then either pick up from the previous day's work or start on a new unit from a centralized shelf located at the front of the room. During a stand-up meeting at around 8:30, the repair dept head would give his company news and/or department news and various others would give the tabulated performance and quality results from the previous day.   Most of us would just wait to get through this whole exercise in futility as we had already learned that feedback although it was vocally appreciated, was never really acted on unless it brought outside attention on the department and could not be side-stepped or down-played. This it seems became the chief job of all middle to lower management. The upper management having greater visibility, kept most of their ducks in a row or faced the immediate scrutiny of the GM.
My co workers consisted of 16 men, most between the mid forties to late fifties...a couple in their sixties. Not a rowdy bunch, but certainly not dull. Several of these guys have a background in aviation and even have pilot's licenses. 
The hardest part of the job was juggling between units waiting for parts and units in the queue. You might order a part and get it in 5 minutes or you might get it in 5 days. Sometimes this could not be anticipated and it was frustrating. Accommodation for lost bench time is only made when a unit is logged out for 'waiting parts', but this does not account for the time lost in less than 24 hours (the time at which you then must log a unit out for 'waiting parts'. This lost time (the time between waiting for a part and logging the unit out for parts) is counted against you and shows up on the semi-annual performance review.

The most enjoyable part of my job was the relationships that were formed over the three years I spent there. I enjoyed the intelligent conversations both in the shop and on breaks. I think that if the management truly listened to the ideas of its employees that it would've boosted morale and broken through financial and communication barriers. In the end I think that it has turned into a corporate yes-man at the cost of it's employees' wits. Most cannot afford to lose their jobs even if it means speaking the truth. I was not one of them.   

The Best Places to Work Survey (2014) showed Cobham not only scoring below Industry in general, but also below other aerospace firms which don't do as well as other industries.  Turnover of personnel is high.  Cobham has both direct hires and contractors.  Both of these have people who choose not to live nearby and travel home frequently to out-of-state locations; this makes for a disruptive work environment as well as employees who are less dedicated to the company.  The management is completely out of touch with the work that's occurring and often are unavailable and un-involved in the the details of the tasks as well as if the work was accomplished to the requirements of the program.  Management will say "good job" to substandard performers.  Standard industry practices are not followed.  There are only a few electrical engineers on staff despite the high number of electronic components.  Quality personnel don't take the initiative to work anywhere else other than the manufacturing floor.  People who try to make changes or bring up concerns are returned to their seats or sent out the door.  The verification team on the refueling product is very immature.  Components were allowed to sit without modifications for several years without testing and with known concerns.  People are assigned to different position titles and descriptions from their previous experiences and are not mentored in their roles. Engineers are hired who may not have actual degrees in engineering. Products produced are typically for the military and the concerned citizen may sit in fear that the statement of work for the contract isn't followed.  Configuration control was almost non-existent and each person had to store certain files on their own computer or the group server (but without upper level oversight or direction).  Upper level management very rarely asks for presentations of status and then refuses to get involved in any issues that are brought up.  The engineers are left to linger in ignorance about what the gimmick is.  The product must at least go to market before there can be aftermarket rewards.

Headquartered in England, Cobham has businesses all over the world. The local company was purchased by them a few years ago and is now a mixture of the old guard and the newer hires.

There used to be a lot of negative talk and, honestly, it was a little difficult through the earlier changes. Now it seems it is more a courtesy to allow for people's negative feelings and I think the situation has become much better. In my opinion, the newer hires are more professional and have experience in common business practices.

The business is almost unimaginably complex and in a difficult environment. Adding to the complexity, the business has been upgrading its processes and is improving. The profits are substantial and barriers to entry are difficult for competitors to surmount. The products are being re-designed and this should continue for years to come.

Due to the economics of the situation I think the compensation will continue to be low for the more manual labor jobs, even though they require high levels of technical skill, certifications, and understanding. There isn't much job competition in this area and I would assume management would use this to their advantage. Along the career paths of production, assembly, and technician it is difficult to progress and the situation isn't obvious at first. Although it has also been heard that engineers have felt this way. Who knows the situations, perhaps it's all an effect of this outpost being a smaller company. On the other hand, management seems willing to get people's "feet wet" in other professions in which an employee might be interested. As with most larger corporations, they will reimburse for education.

The atmosphere is friendly and cooperative. Overall, it is a good place to work and it's a beautiful location.

A typical day at work involves arriving and listening to the meeting breakdown involving production goals. Including areas of improvements, where the teams' goals are for the month and any issues relating to production goals, teamwork, organization, or safety.

Management is very driven to exceed the previous months production numbers and provide the product to the customer on time and under budget.

Co-Workers are a unique group of people. More experienced techs are located centrally so that other inexperienced techs can learn their skill sets. Since production can be stressful and some things happen during production that are unexpected, being able to listen and communicate effectively help in finding solutions to problems.

The hardest part of the job is working the long hours required to meet the deadlines and goals the company has set. Small interruptions in the process can lead to longer delays in production meaning extra hours to work. At times this may get a little frustrating.

Enjoyable parts of the job include company retreats, parties, meeting new people, and a group of people that listen to and watch out for each other.

A typical day at work consists of supporting the production floor in various aspects. Troubleshooting, redesigning parts for manufacturability, designing and building tools or fixtures to streamline the assembly flow. I also complete the drafting and workflow requirements for my department which requires knowledge of various CAD software and Enterprise Resource Planning tools.

I've learned a lot about DFM, LEAN initiatives, setting up a production facility, and serving as a middle man between the design team and assemblers. 

The hardest part of the job is the amount of hoops one has to jump through in order to initiate change. There is unfortunately too much, "that's how we've always  done it" going around. 

My team consists of good people that genuinely want to help and improve the product. Upper management and production supervision has lost sight of  what we are trying to accomplish making a lot of people  very frustrated, and with poor morale.

The most enjoyable part for me is designing and implementing tools and fixtures that changes how we run the production floor. Getting it right for the assemblers is a very rewarding experience.

Cobham Life Support provides innovation and technologies products to the military and commercial entities in which I served as a Proud Marine. A typical work day for me is an early start before clocking in.  I manage the production and support of the pistons and screen punching equipment. Setup, adjust, run machines. Self-initiate decision to determine the needs of the production lines with minimum or no supervision daily. Inspect the production lines to access the need for the days ahead. I have learned that management has strived to develop a teaming atmosphere and to give employees an opportunity to discuss operations issues and complains.  For the most part my co-workers are loyal to their jobs but most are afraid to speak up in fear of losing their jobs. The most enjoyable part of my job is when I am alone in the room producing the precise item for the production line and access the need before the supervisor request me to. Being proactive in my job has been beneficial to learn new techniques and a team player to get the job done right and with quality.

Every morning have a 5min. staff meeting go over issues and production counts, start regular work in certain stations, make the quota for that days intake by end of shift, bring up issues to my lead and engineers. What I have learned while working here...safety is priority!!! Management is abit lost since we changed company names and had 3 different managers within my time working here, still getting business organized and lack of communication between other mangers, supervisors, leads and employees. My co-workers are great people I work with...we learn, help, and communicate with each other to work in a productive enviroment from problem solving to solutions to make it better. My hardest part of the job, making sure we are getting the right feed back and understandable work instructions from our engineers to make our customers happy, and showing our work skills to be noticed and be awarded and appreciated. And the most enjoyable part of the job...we work as a team instead of individuals.

I worked in a fast-paced environment where there are lots of dynamics and challenges to face. I learned to be strong and productive by being able to execute the varied tasks that were assigned to me. I was able to cope up with the high expectations of my manager like conducting a daily presentation of the Key Performance Indicator to the Manufacturing Staff relative to productivity, quality, and delivery status. I found it fulfilling to be working with my team for I was able to develop their skills and potentials by coaching, training and mentoring them to maximize their output to minimize rejects and eliminate rework. I fostered an open communication to motivate and inspire them to become successful employees in their chosen career. I found my job very enjoyable because I had a smooth relationship with my coworkers. In a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate Cobhab 8.

Co-workers are very supportive of each other. Work as a team for a common goal (company success/customer satisfaction). 
I learned self motivation and being resourceful.
Hard part was seeing areas that could be improved and not being heard by management.
Most enjoyable was the support I got from my co-workers to be successful at my job to the best of my abilities.
I did not always agree with management but I did respect and adjust to changes.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Test technician 1 salary reported	$32.50 per hour
Senior test technician 3 salaries reported	$23.67 per hour
Inside sales representative 2 salaries reported	$63,490 per year
Buyer 3 salaries reported	$54,000 per year
Systems administrator 2 salaries reported	$95,000 per year

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