Jonathan-Lee strengthens product development team

Midlands-based engineering and manufacturing specialist consultancy Jonathan Lee Recruitment has strengthened its product development team with the appointment of a new senior technical consultant. 

Paul Robson brings 11 years’ automotive, motorsport and aerospace experience with a notable specialism in the design, development, design validation and application of high performance electric machines to his new role, sourcing product development experts to the transportation and scientific sectors.

PhD qualified in electric drives for aerospace applications, Paul joins the team from his previous design engineering role at Zytek Automotive. He has worked on many high-profile projects including a record-breaking electric supercar project. He has also contributed to advanced engineering of electric cars, sports cars, small electric city cars and electric trucks, developing motorsport KERS (kinetic energy recovery systems) and power steering systems.

His appointment supports Jonathan Lee Recruitment’s ambitious growth plans in the transportation and scientific sectors across the Midlands and entire UK. Managing consultant, Mark Bignell explains: “Over the last four decades, our ability to source highly skilled product development specialists has been the foundation of our market-leading position. Paul’s appointment reflects our continued commitment to the industry.

“Our clients’ investment in product innovation, particularly in the fields of electrification, powertrain, autonomous driving, cyber security, connected technology and infotainment has resulted in growing demand for hard-to-find, specialist product development engineers -  which is why it is so valuable to have consultants who really understand the skills and disciplines.  “Paul brings with him a wealth of knowledge and he will be able to apply his understanding of the industry and technological challenges to the recruitment process.” 

Robson is one of many Jonathan Lee Recruitment consultants to have joined from industry - reinforcing the company’s fundamental principle to provide solutions through understanding, truly empathising with clients and candidates to find people who not only fit the skills and experience specification but also the business culture. 

And his contribution to industry continues. He is a technical committee member for the 9th International Conference on PEMD (Power Electronics, Machines and Drives) taking place in April 2018. He is also a former managing committee member of the UK Magnetics Society, a role that involved chairing events and editorial contribution to the Society’s journal ‘Magnews’.

His most distinguished contribution was chairing ‘Magnetics in the Military’, an event hosted on HMS Belfast - a World War 2 Vintage Cruiser permanently moored on the River Thames. The event, which covered aspects of magnetics in the military environment such as propulsion systems and electromagnetics simulation tools, attracted key figures from the defence, electrical engineering, manufacturing and research sectors. 

With only a handful of experts in the UK with his in-depth knowledge of magnetic applications, his decision to move to the recruitment sector may be surprising to some, but as Robson explains, the career change has been a natural progression: "I have always enjoyed the people aspect of my previous roles.  Working at Jonathan Lee Recruitment lends the opportunity to engage more widely with professionals from the industries I am so passionate about.

“Recruitment is exciting and fast paced much like the engineering sector. Having the right people is critical to the future of engineering and manufacturing so I relish the opportunity to find those elusive skills.  What could be better than helping someone to take the next step in their career path or to secure their dream job?

“I relate to the issues that clients are facing and understand the skills and attributes they are seeking to attract. My insider knowledge, combined with the latest candidate sourcing techniques and Jonathan Lee Recruitment’s unrivalled networks will enable me to help my industry peers to bridge the skills gap.”

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