Jonathan Mullins, Calculations Engineer

“I met my wife, who is Swedish, when we studied for our PhD’s in Geelong in southern Australia. My degree focused on modelling the mechanical material behaviours of steels. When we moved in 2008, I saw Inspecta’s ad for a Calculations Engineer and got the job.”

What was your first impression of Inspecta?
“A very professional work place, and that’s still how I feel. We pride ourselves on taking time at the start of a project to identify problems that might occur, that way we can plan for them and avoid surprises.  This allows us to work effectively.”

What are you working on now?
“Nearly all the work I do is in the nuclear industry where safety always come first. I work with residual stresses in metals, which are important for predicting initiation and growth of cracks. We do calculations and give advice. When I started I just did calculations. Now I work as a consultant three days a week at the nuclear power plant, Ringhals, on the west coast. It’s stimulating and I learn a lot just by being there.”

“I am also involved in two research projects at the moment. One for the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority and one international, run by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC, in the USA. Maybe that’s a unique thing about Inspecta; to do the day-to-day work and have the chance to do research as well. Having that opportunity is a very good part of the work here.”

How about further training?
“We have a fair bit of control over what we choose to do in our development, with courses and so on. I go to at least one conference a year abroad, which gives me a broader understanding of the industry. We also have internal training, learning for example how to run a project. That way I am ready when it’s time for me to sell a project.”  

“Trust and quality”, what does it mean to you?
“It means more and more the longer I work for Inspecta. We try to give our customers quality and value; at the same time it’s a very important philosophy which we have for each other. When I started it impressed me to see this collaboration. We have confidence in each other, and work with quality and safety in mind.”