Q&A: Sandie Jones, Service Engineer, ABB

Q: What attracted you into the field of measurement technology?

At school I excelled in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, but for women leaving school in the 1970s this was still no guarantee of a job in STEM, even with my qualifications. However, if anything, this just made me more determined to succeed. The day after I left school my father took me to a local factory with the intention of getting me a job. This local factory happened to be the General Electric Company, and I secured my first job as a Calibration Technician, which involved setting up pre-amplifiers for radio and stereo systems. I suppose you could say that that’s when I first caught the bug.

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After a brief stint in the Army, I then came across Kent Instrumentation, which would later become part of ABB. After two years of working on the instrument assembly line, I then applied for another role, once again as a Calibration Technician, before progressing to the test department.

Q: What challenges have you faced in your career as a woman working in STEM?

Getting a foot in the door, and progressing up the ladder, were historically more difficult for women. When I was at Kent Instrumentation I had to develop my own skills, and further my education and technical skillset off my own back by self-funding my way through night school. I had to be fiercely determined to get where I am.

Q: How did you end up in your current role?

By 1990, the Kent Instrumentation business had become ABB Kent Taylor. I earned a promotion to the role of Analytical Flowline Manager, where I was responsible for the design and implementation of analytical flowlines – a concept still used in ABB’s manufacturing at the company’s Stonehouse facility. After four years in that role, I moved onto the front line, starting work as a Customer Support Specialist in the Service department.

At the beginning of 1995 I took on the role of Field Service Engineer, and for the next decade I represented the company on customer sites all over England and Wales. Of course, I had no intention of stopping there, and in 2006 I began studying the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) courses. By 2007, I’d achieved enough MCP qualifications to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE).

After that, I worked for a brief time as a self-employed MCSE from where I lived in Edinburgh. But in 2008 an opportunity arose locally for a Field Service Engineer, again with ABB. After two years spent outside of the ABB family, I was back where I belonged. By 2010 I had become the Principal Service Engineer for Scottish Water’s Caledonia Water Alliance service contract, covering the whole of Scotland and its islands. I had the sole responsibility for managing servicing and repairs at Scottish Water sites right up until 2022, when an additional Service Engineer was added to my team.

Q: What’s the best part of the job?

Customer contact is addictive for me, and I also enjoy how much scope there is to improve and evolve, and how ABB supports and facilitates that. I had to work hard to get where I am, but thankfully I work for a company that recognises what I can bring to the table and allows me to be the best I can be.

Reflecting on my own journey has also given me a love of mentoring. I know first-hand how hard it can be to climb the ladder, and to gain the knowledge and experience needed to progress. When I was given an additional Service Engineer to look after, I channelled my efforts into supporting them as best I could.

Q: What changes have you seen over the years, and what changes would you like to see?

Across five decades of working in technical roles, I’ve witnessed some substantial changes. In general, I’ve seen far greater acceptance of woman in engineering, especially at ABB, and this bodes well for the future. There has been an incredible effort to bring more women into STEM-related roles, and ABB is continuing to work hard as an organisation to inspire and encourage women to consider engineering as a career from a younger age.

Personally I’d welcome more partnerships with schools and universities to ensure that STEM subjects are viewed as viable opportunities for girls and young women. I was lucky that I was in the right place to support my growth both personally and professionally, and in some cases giving people the belief that they can do the job is half the battle. Inspiring girls from an early age will increase their appetite for careers in technology, and ensure that the next generation produces long and successful careers.