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#LoveMySafranJob - “I’m helping to save lives!”

Human resources

“No Time To Die” was the title of the last James Bond film released on the silver screen – and it’s also Ronald Braen’s philosophy! For the last seven years, this mechanical engineer has worked on aircraft emergency evacuation systems at Safran Aerosystems Evacuation in Wall Township, New Jersey.

Ronald Braen, Project Manager at Safran Aerosystems USA

Designing, prototyping, testing and certifying inflatable evacuation systems for aircraft is the mission Ron has been working on since joining Safran Aerosystems Evacuation in 2015. For this young 30-year-old engineer, who obtained his 100-tonne boat licence(1) at a very young age, it is a perfect balance of his two passions: mechanics and pleasure boating. In the event of a water landing, evacuation systems (slides, rafts, life jackets, buoyancy devices, etc.) are used to bring the crew and passengers to safety. “By working at Safran, I’m helping to save lives!” Ron sums up proudly.

Develop, qualify, certify

Ron began working on Boeing programmes, particularly the 777X, as a design engineer straight out of university, including development, qualification and certification testing.

“One of my proudest moments in my career was successfully completing the certification testing of our evacuation slide and inflatable raft systems on a 777-9 aircraft at Boeing”, he recalls. “It was the culmination of years of innovation, creativity and testing.”

In 2019, Ron was promoted to Head of Engineering Testing. His role was to manage all of the technical tests from A to Z. For this critical thinker who likes finding solutions, this position is an opportunity to compare his ideas with the reality of the field. “Testing verifies how a piece of equipment will perform under various conditions such as wind, temperature and the attitude(2) of the aircraft. That’s why our facility has the necessary tools, machines and personnel to perform a wide range of tests. It’s great to see an idea successfully implemented!” 

Ronald Braen, Project Manager at Safran Aerosystems USA

“This mobility has taken me out of my comfort zone. But that’s how you progress!”

Lastly, a few months ago, Ron expanded his scope of work by becoming a project manager on Boeing programmes. He now coordinates the development of all systems, products and services for the manufacturer’s aircraft, ensuring that customer requirements are met, regulations are complied with and corporate objectives are achieved. He admits that he enjoys this multifunctional position, spanning the company’s various departments and the external customer:

“It allows me to see all aspects of our products throughout their development cycle, not to mention team management, which I really enjoy. Of course, like all mobility, this change took me out of my comfort zone. But that’s how you progress!”
Post deployment examination of a Boeing 777X evacuation slide

Over the years, Ron learned early in his career the importance of asking questions and communicating effectively, and he now helps new engineers and technicians. As for the future, he sees it in Safran’s colours! “I want to continue growing with the Group by helping to create the next generation of inflatable evacuation systems. One of Safran’s strengths is that it gives its employees the tools to succeed and grow within the company, and I think this is one of its main attractions on the job market.” 

 

 

(1) The Captain’s Licence is a permit issued in the United States to operate a vessel of up to 100 tonnes.

(2) Orientation of the aircraft in space.