International Women in Engineering Day: Q&A with Karla Fernandez, Production Engineer at Safran Cabin
International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is an international awareness campaign that raises the profile of women in engineering and focuses attention on the career opportunities available to women and girls in this exciting professional sector.
On the occasion of INWED, Karla Fernandez, one of the many female engineers at Safran in the United States, shares her perspective on engineering and the power of teamwork.
Karla has forged a successful career path within Safran, where she has benefitted from multiple internal mobility opportunities. After completing an internship at Safran Aerosystems, she was hired as a Production Supervisor at Safran Electrical & Power in Mexico. Karla subsequently went on to pursue the EPEX trainee program as a Continuous Improvement Engineer in the United States. In 2021, Karla was hired as a Production Engineer at Safran Cabin.
Karla holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and a Mechatronics Technician degree.
“Knowledge and teamwork are highly appreciated here, and each person’s contribution makes the product move at a smooth pace.”
- What are your main functions?
My role as a Production Engineer demands me to be on the floor 100% of my time to keep the production running at all times. I have to define easier ways to produce while complying with quality and safety requirements. It makes me happy to be able to help the people around me, to boost their productivity and their work life quality.
- What products do you work on?
Right now, I am providing support to the final assembly production lines of Front Row Monuments, which are structures made of composite panels (more like large pieces of furniture for airplanes) that have mechanical and electrical components. The main activities here consist of installing those features while maintaining the integrity of the delicate coating of paint and decoration.
- How important is teamwork in your role?
It is the key for success. The production lines running here each consist of six different workstations. Each assembler adds different components during the different stages of the flow. If one person is missing on one the workstation, it will disrupt the flow and therefore impact the move to the next phase. Knowledge and teamwork are highly appreciated at this facility, and each person’s contribution makes the product move at a smooth pace. Only then are we able to meet our goals.
- How do you interact with your team?
I work with assemblers, inspectors, engineers and managers every day. I have different meetings during the week where we keep track of our projects and provide support to teammates. I feel like I can count on everyone here if ever I am in doubt.
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