Kiera Young, Director of Operations

Inspired in Grade 8

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"When I was in Grade 8, I have this vivid memory of a woman coming to talk to girls about going into science and engineering. And I thought, 'Wow, something that's about math and science', and I was really interested in both of those things.

"It was a technical degree that you could go and take and use almost anywhere. I thought that having a technical degree was really important."

Where I work

Dunlop Standard Energy is a business unit of Standard Aero, one of the world's largest independent gas turbine engine service companies.

DSE has three divisions: Power Plant Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul, Services, and Energy Development.

Dunlop Standard Energy and Standard Aero are members of the Dunlop Standard Group of companies, which employs over 4,000 people globally.

Cellular environment

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"We are divided into what's called a 'cellular environment'. So we have 'cells' that do specific tasks.

"In my area we have a 501K cell for example, and that cell brings in the engine, dismantles it, cleans it, inspects it, sends it out for repair. Then it comes back. They assemble, test, service it and send it out.

"The cells are self contained so that you always have ownership of what you're doing and you watch it go through the process."

Team environment

We believe in an open environment so we don't have any offices and everybody sits in the same room.

We do have what we call 'pods', where 2 or 3 people will work together. We each have cubicles. But our walls are very low so we can interact easily with each other.

It's open and honest and teamwork oriented so it's really, really good.

Very clean

We pride ourselves in how our workspace looks. We have a lot of people who come through to tour our facility and are impressed by it.

In comparison to other manufacturing environments this place is unbelievably clean.

Our Workers' Compensation Board assessment level for our safety environment is way down around that of an office building, which is incredible for a manufacturing facility like ours.

Overseas opportunity

I just spent two months in Coventry, England working at one of our sister companies, Dunlop Ice Protection. They make ice protection products for helicopter units.

I was there as a Project Facilitator helping them implement their Research & Development projects by taking them through to production.

It was an unbelievable experience.

Long commute

My husband and I bought a house in Carman and so I drive back and forth to work. It takes about 55 minutes one way.

The long drive is a great stress reliever. By the time I get home I'm just like a brand new person and I'm ready to be at home.

Personality fit

I really like being able to solve something for someone, so I think that's why this job fits me.

Engineering is all about problem solving. Not just the theoretical solving of a problem, but the practical application of working with other people, which I really enjoy.

I also think it's important when you're managing people, that you're interested in them as people as well as interested in how they develop in their role.

My leisure time

I have a wonderful family. My mom and dad live in Winnipeg and I spend a lot of time there.

I also like to work out. I run, play sports and things like that.

Cultural Mecca

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"I love Winnipeg because I think it is a cultural mecca in a really good size environment. It has theatre, it has ballet, things that make it a very cosmopolitan place.

"But it doesn't take you three hours to get in there and three hours to get out."

Brisk pace

The pace goes from medium to high. We try to build things "good, fast and inexpensive", so we're constantly making decisions that balance the quality of the product with the time and the cost involved.

It's usually a team decision, so it tends to be very fast paced, but also controlled because we have the right people in the right place at the right time to talk about the changing situation.

Continuous improvement

I usually spend some time doing data analysis. For example, I look at completed units and try to understand what was good about them, what was not so good.

Then I start to put continual improvement projects into place so that we're standardizing good procedures, eliminating delays and generally getting better at our core business; the overhaul and repair of turbine engines.

Pressure vs. Stress

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"Stress is about how you place it on yourself. Pressure is external and it comes to you and stress is how you deal with that pressure.

"I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself. I have high expectations of myself and others. But I'm getting better at that.

"And I think what gives people edges in their jobs is that they're just a little bit uncomfortable, so that they're always conscious of making decisions and pushing themselves to be better."

Afternoon checkup

In the afternoon I usually check up on the production cell again to make sure things are going well.

I sit down with the cell leaders and planners to make sure we have a good understanding of what will be happening in the next two weeks.

It's important to think ahead. You always need about 15 contingency plans because there's always something that surprises you.

Employee development

Every second week I meet with an individual cell leader to understand if we're meeting their training and development needs.

We have what's called an 'Employee Development Plan' that we do yearly. I like to review that on at least a monthly basis, to make sure that we're moving in the right direction for the employees.

New breed of Engineer

Most of the people that I went to school with, and most of the people that I see graduating today are sort of a new breed of engineers.

They're really interested in being a part of something bigger than they are; a solution, something that makes the world a better place.

Engineers are problem solvers and, in this day and age, that's what it's all about; solving problems and making things better.

Balancing life & work

My husband and I often have the conversation about making sure that your work is just your work, and that you're this whole other person besides just being at work.

I think that having a husband who works in farming keeps me very balanced.

Company leadership

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"The leadership of this company is younger and full of passion, which gets people like me pumped.

"They're always looking for ways to make it a better place. It's very easy to be excited about the place because of the people that run it."

Why Standard Aero?

When I was at university I knew two people who worked at Standard Aero in the summer. They could not talk enough about the place and I always wondered what it was about Standard.

It's very difficult to put into words unless you're here in the environment, but I think it's mostly about the community of Standard Aero, which sounds kind of cheesy, but it is very true. It's a family and that's why I'm here.

Engineering logic

I think I have an ability to be able to break down a problem and work fairly logically through it.

I think that comes from my education. I really think that engineering taught me to think a certain way.

It gave me familiarity in a bunch of different things, hard core things about technology and science, for example.

But it also taught me how to think through a problem and that still helps me today with management and business problems.

Finding a Mentor

As a new manager, it's a good idea to find somebody that you can bounce things off of when you don't know what to do about a problem.

My dad was my mentor when I started managing. The greatest thing about him was that he wouldn't solve the problem for me. He'd ask me a bunch of questions that made me think about why I would do certain things.

Business skills

Standard Aero has a really good 'first line managers' training development plan that lays out in detail, the skills and courses that you need move ahead.

You need a basic understanding of financial and managerial accounting to understand the things that you're being measured on as a company: sales, return on investment and gross margin.

The ability to analyze data is also very important. You need to look at how long it takes you to do something, identify trends and be able to read that information as it comes from the shop floor.

People skills

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"I think people skills in any job are very important. I think to really thrive in any business you need to be able to communicate well through writing, through speaking and through your interaction with people.

"You have to be open to having conversations on everything because it is a consensus environment. You have to understand your point of view and be able to communicate that and appreciate other peoples' point of views".

Public service

There are a variety of components in becoming a professional engineer. One thing is public service, which involves promoting engineering to the general public, so I went to the career symposium and gave a presentation on mechanical engineering.

I've also had high school students come in and job shadow with me, and I've gone to science fairs, which are a blast.

I'm quite excited about engineering and I really love to talk about it.

Professional involvement

I'm a mechanical engineer by training and I belong to the Association of Professional Engineers and Geo-Scientists in Manitoba (APEGM). I just became a P. Eng (Professional Engineer) in July 2003, after four years as an Engineer in Training (EIT).

I've also been sitting on the Manitoba Aerospace New Technology Committee. We look at new technologies for the companies that belong to the Manitoba Aerospace Association.

High School advice

It's really important to take 04 classes in high school.

You need to have at least one science and you need to have math and calculus and statistics.

Those are really important for getting into engineering.

University advice

It's important to balance your life not only with the left side of your brain, which is all the stuff you use in engineering; the science and math, but also with the other side of your brain, the creative side.

Sit on the student council or join the intramurals team, because that's going to be as important to you when you get out of school as having your degree.

It's about being well-rounded.

Engineering base

I would say that engineering is an excellent base to grow from. You can choose to stay technical or you can choose to go into sales. You can choose to be in management.

It's also an excellent degree if you want to go into law or medicine or anything like that. I think the opportunities are limitless in engineering.

Future path?

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I know that I want to be very good at what I do so I'm always willing to work at that. I know that, from moving from operations to engineering, it's very good to be in different roles in different areas of an organization. It makes you that much more well rounded.

"I think the ability to lead people is something that I would like to explore further. I really get a charge out of seeing people excited about being involved in a goal."

Future prospects

I think Manitoba's aerospace industry will continue to be strong.

We're investing a lot in the youth of Manitoba by partnering with Manitoba Aerospace, Tech Voc, Red River and Stevenson Aviation to develop young people, preparing them for a career in aerospace.

Job market info

The links below take you to federal and regional government information on employment, education, salary ranges and long range prospects for this career.

The official name for Kiera's occupation is "Manufacturing Manager" and its NOC* code is 0911.

Job Futures Canada

Who Hires - Manitoba Labour Market Information

*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupational Classification' code or 'NOC'.

Education

High School

Useful high school subjects*

- Industrial Arts
- Business
- English

*Source: Job Futures.ca

For those out of school, Adult Learning Centres can help you get or upgrade your high school diploma, including adding subjects that are required for work or further education. All Manitobans are normally entitled to 4 free courses.

After high school 

University of Manitoba

Faculty of Engineering
Asper School of Business
Certificate Program in Management and Administration (CIM)

University of Winnipeg

Engineering (Joint program with U of M)
Administrative Studies

Red River College

Mechanical Engineering Technology
Business Administration

Collège Saint Boniface

Faculté d'administration des affaires

Brandon University

Business Administration
First Year Engineering

Assiniboine Community College - Brandon

Business Administration

University College of the North - The Pas/Thompson

All Programs (PDF)
Business Administration - Page 27
Management - Page 86

Skills

Useful Experience/Skills*

- Leadership
- Business management
- Entrepreneurship skills
- Communication skills

Source: Job Futures.ca

There is not yet an Essential Skills* profile for this occupation.

*For more information on Essential Skills and their importance to this occupation, go to the Essential Skills web site.

Professional resources

Manitoba Aerospace Human Resources Coordinating Committee (MAHRCC) works with industry leaders, educational institutions and governments to provide a trained workforce for Manitoba's aerospace sector, developing courses, apprenticeship programs and ongoing training for those currently working in the industry and to promote careers in aerospace to Manitoba's youth

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba
The provincial registration (licensing) body for engineers and geoscientists

Manitoba Aviation Council
A provincial organization that promotes, facilitates and protects the development of all facets of aviation in Manitoba

Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute
A national membership organization that supports, promotes and educates aeronautic and space industry professionals

Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council
A national, not-for-profit organization responsible for the human resources strategy for aerospace manufacturing

Consulting Engineers of Manitoba
Represents and promotes consulting Engineers in Manitoba

Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology
Promotes and encourages women working in science and technology

Manitoba Aerospace New Technology Committee

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