Harriet Vickers
Aeroacoustic Project Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover
Everything happens for a reason, all you can do is try your best and take every opportunity you can.
About Harriet...
Who am I?
"Communicator, Coordinator and Influencer. "
What do I do?
"It is my job role to ensure as you drive your nice new Range Rover down the motorway, that you are able to relax in a quiet environment isolated from the outside conditions. In order to this, I consult on the design of the form of vehicles and their sealing systems. I then test and develop prototype vehicles in a full size wind tunnel, measuring the aeroacoustic performance using state of the art microphone systems. My role also involves driving vehicles at high speed on track to ensure subjectively a customer would be have the noise level.I enjoy the variety in my role and that I’m able to regularly leave my desk and get out in the vehicles I helped design."
How did I get here?
"I knew I wanted to be an Engineer at the age of 12, and since then so have done everything in my power to ensure that happened. Initially wanting to be a Structural Engineer due to my love of architecture. I then luckily got on to a General Engineering course at Durham University. This allowed me to specialise after 2 years, and I actually decided to follow the Mechanical Engineering route not the Civil as I’d initially thought. In my first year of University, I was awarded the WISE Range Rover Evoque Scholarship. This lead to some fantastic opportunities from being selected as a member of the WISE Young Women’s Board to getting my current job at Jaguar Land Rover. "
The life I live
"In my spare time I am a keen horse rider. I have ridden horses since age of 3 years old. There is nothing more rewarding than building a connection with a horse and helping them to develop. "
My typical day
"A typical day testing in the wind tunnel:Firstly the Wind Tunnel is in Stuttgart, Germany so on a Monday evening I fly out and check into the hotel I will be staying in for the week.Tuesday morning it is an early start (5.50 am), as the test shift starts in the tunnel at 7am so need to make sure I am there and the car is ready and set up. "
My qualifications
"General Engineering MEng specialising in Mechanical Engineering from Durham University. 4 A levels: Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics and Product Design."