James Hedley

Beng Automotive Engineering 2014

Just one year after graduating, James Hedley is already heading up a global project within Grundfos.

James, who graduated with a first class degree in automotive engineering last summer joined pump manufacturer Grundfos as a Technician Engineer. Directors were so impressed with the student who won the University’s inaugural Grundfos Engineering Prize 2014 for the best engineering project, an entry which involved redesigning the front suspension of a TVR sports car.

 “My dad owns a TVR 400SE sports car and mentioned that many people feel that it could be improved by looking at the front suspension. After researching this and running simulations, I concluded that redesigning the spring and damper would be the best course of action. I made two versions of the spring, one that functioned optimally but was expensive, and one that was cheaper but still achieved the objective of increasing the ride quality and handling capabilities.”

After winning the prize just a few weeks before his graduation, James met with John Austin, engineering manager at Grundfos, who invited him to the company’s Castletown plant for a tour. The tour led to an interview and he has since joined the 200-strong workforce full time.

James’s advice to recent graduates on how to get the first job is: “Use the resources at the university such as the careers service as much as possible and join as many job agencies related to your field.”