The Motion & Mechatronics technology program focuses on the development and manufacturing of linear & rotating electric machines, motion controllers, drives, and motion software. It integrates all these products in entire mechatronic systems. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team including people with backgrounds in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, control engineering, production process engineering and many more. You will develop prototypes and series products within project teams in close collaboration with production.
After getting up at seven, I have breakfast with my wife and children. We discuss the day ahead and before I know it, I am on my speed pedelec heading for Prodrive Technologies. This half hour trip is ideal to contemplate the challenges ahead, although I never know what the day will bring.
Our project team is once again trying to defy the laws of nature: we have a limited envelope in which to construct a system consisting of two stages moving at micrometer accuracy. These stages move over a stroke of roughly three meters and at a speed of over one meter per second. We need to properly isolate the system from environmental disturbances. Aside from these performance requirements, the system must look slick from the outside. To be honest, the list of requirements is nearly endless. Our customer expects us to deliver all of this at the lowest possible cost, of course. I feel great to be in the middle of this as a system architect.
Today and the remainder of this week, we are preparing for the face-to-face meeting with our customer in Israel. We have been spending several months to come to the design as it is now. Mechanic and mechatronic colleagues Tom, Pim, Bas and Ron are finalizing the system model in Siemens NX: motion base, stage carriers, frames, covers, etcetera. Control engineer Bauke is processing results of the mechanical FEM analyses to determine our motion control strategy and to simulate achievable accuracy. Jorie is working on motion software, while purchasers are getting quotations for parts. It is my task to maintain consistency of all of this.
Nick, Tom and I set the agenda for next week’s meeting. In Israel, our team, our customer, our mechanical models, simulation results, cost estimates and project plan will meet once more.
Upon agreement, further preparations start for assembly of the first prototypes. Of course, the whole team will participate!
I have yet to encounter the first colleague at Prodrive Technologies who tells me a technical issue cannot be solved
Pros and cons
Create your own dream job
Discipline boundaries do not exist
You never know what the day will bring
Having and giving responsibilities instead of tasks
Flexible work hours
Trips abroad are not always welcomed enthusiastically by my wife and kids
The Prodrive Technologies Mindset
Responsibility
You don’t just go to work, you feel responsible for your project
Flexible
You decide when, where and how much you want to work
Manufacturing
You like to think about manufacturability when designing
Initiative
You don’t sit and wait, you have a hands-on mentality
Have you got what it takes to become a Prodriver?
What we offer
- Perfect environment for people willing to take full responsibility in a project
- Unlimited growth opportunities and freedom in taking different roles in different projects
- Young and dynamic culture
- Unlimited personal budget for training courses, classes or studies
- We are open 24/7 and provide lunch, dinner and a company gym
- We keep management positions to a minimum, so there is virtually no hierarchy
- Create your future with your own personal development plan
- Tools and equipment such as an iPhone, and laptop
- The flexibility to work wherever and how much you want
- Salary that grows with your performance
- Opportunity to become a shareholder and entrepreneur in the company
- Travel allowance based on the days you are actually at Prodrive
- 33 vacation days
- Retirement plan
- Distribution of profits
Application steps
- We’ll take a look at your application within 5 working days.
- You will receive a link to Prodrive Technologies’ online aptitude test to see if you’re up for the challenge.
- We will set you up for a personal interview to ask you difficult questions about yourself. Afterwards, others will ask you some more difficult questions about your expertise.
- If we want to make you an offer and there's enough time left, we will discuss employment conditions directly after the interviews.
- If you survived everything, only your signature stands between you and being a Prodriver.