Ben Wainwright

‘I had used PCS Instruments equipment throughout my PhD, mainly the MPR. I’d also done some work with Andrew Hutchinson who was interested in getting test specimens analysed in the Tribology labs at Imperial. I remember having a meeting with Clive Hamer who was interested in my work on micropitting as he was involved with developing an FZG micropitting screening test on the MPR along with Marc Ingram. I suppose I must have said something right in that meeting because shortly after I heard through Amir Kadiric that they were interested in hiring me in their R&D team. It sounded like a great opportunity and the rest is history.

I’ve found it very fulfilling working at PCS. One of the main positives has been being able to find a role in an organisation where I’m able to apply my knowledge and skills from undertaking a Tribology PhD. There’s always this feeling inside the PCS R&D team that we are working on the cutting-edge equipment which has been really exciting to be a part of. The freedom and trust imparted on individuals involved in project scope and management has been a real plus working here too. Alongside that, I am constantly able to learn, grow and develop new skills. I haven’t once felt like I’ve stagnated at PCS.

Working as part of the R&D team has been great. There was a steep learning curve early on in understanding the intricacies of the instruments. The team was really helpful in speeding that process up, in particular having members like Tom, John and Clive who are very knowledgeable was invaluable. I really appreciated their patience when it came to the constant questioning I had for them. It’s obvious that they all really enjoy and are very passionate about the engineering development side of their jobs which creates a fantastic atmosphere.

The culture to me has been a massive positive at PCS. There are a lot of opportunities for social activities outside of work to get know people better, everyone is very approachable, so it’s easy to informally ask for advice and information across departments. I feel like PCS is full of like-minded, highly motivated people which makes it an inspiring place to work.’