Melissa Loyley
Discipline Lead Engineer, Mechanical at National Nuclear Laboratory
Do what you enjoy, it makes the day go quicker.
About Melissa...
Who am I?
"I am a line manager of circa 20 engineers working on multiple multi-disciplined projects for nuclear and defence clients. I matched against Manager (I am one) and Innovator which as an engineer I get to do on a daily basis. As an Engineer I get to solve client's problems - therefore Innovating. "
What do I do?
"I get to be involved in multiple projects, supporting my team to ensure that the solutions we provide to the clients are safe and appropriate. I get involved at every stage of a project from initial project start up through to delivery and commissioning on site, often also covering off decommissioning (when a project needs to be dismantled and removed). A graduate Engineer starting salary at my company is about £33,000 which is inline with a lot of the industry companies. "
How did I get here?
"I studied mathematics, physics and chemistry at A-level and then went to University to study Mechanical Engineering. After my Bachelors degree I studies for a Masters in Engineering Lasers. My first graduate job was at a company that made telescopes for international observatories where I got to travel to several countries installing kit that I'd designed. I moved into the Nuclear industry in 2007 and have been working my way up from Engineer, through to Senior and then Principal Engineer before leading a team of engineers. "
The life I live
"I am a season ticket holder for St Helens Rugby League so watch them at all home games. I'm also a mum of a 2 year old so she keeps me busy when I'm not working. I enjoy hitting the gym, in fact if I'm not at work or with my daughter I'll be at the gym lifting heavy weights or doing spin classes. "
My typical day
"I don't have a typical work day. Every day is different. Some days I'll be in design meetings discussing how to best meet a clients needs, others I'll be on site looking at a problem or installing equipment. I'm currently working up to a major design review for a MoD project. This requires checking of approx. 400 drawings and 12 documents to ensure that all requirements are met and the design is inherently safe. "
My qualifications
"A-Levels in Physics, Maths and ChemistryBEng (Hons) Mechanical EngineeringMSc Eng Engineering Applications of Lasers"