We all have a story to tell...
Engineering isn't just what we do at Otto Simon—it's at the very core of who we are. It's woven into our history, defines our daily work, and empowers us to build a better future.
We are all dedicated to leveraging our knowledge, creativity and drive to discover and implement effective solutions. This commitment not only benefits our projects but also fuels our individual personal and career development.
To see how you can grow with us, explore the stories of our colleagues below.
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What have you been working on recently?
I’ve been with Otto Simon for nearly 2 years now, allot of my time has been working on Industrial Fuel Switching projects, so working with Clients who are looking to switch from natural gas to hydrogen and looking at trials in switching and seeing how their processes work when firing on hydrogen rather than natural gas.
Which project are you particularly proud of?
The hydrogen work is the projects I’m most proud of as it’s important in out nations and societies ambition to Net Zero and I think it’s quite important.
What has been a particular challenge for you?
Before OSL I had only had one job in a manufacturing company, so my experience was not that broad. Coming here I have been exposed to allot of new technologies and industrial sectors, so the main challenge for me has been mostly technical, but Otto Simon has helped me by giving specific training.
How would you describe the culture at Otto Simon?
As an Employee Ownership Trust, I feel our culture is different to most places, there’s allot more of a unified feeling and collaborative environment which I feel really harbours a nice atmosphere.
What originally attracted you to Otto Simon?
At my old job, I had been there a long time and was looking for new opportunities to broaden my experience for my own personal development. When I saw Otto Simon and the different sectors that they work in, I was enticed by the range of clients and technologies that they work in, especially the new developing technologies.
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Chris S.
Senior Process Engineer
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What attracted you to Otto Simon?
I was originally approached by a recruiter for a freelancing role, as it was originally for a piping design role which I felt I wasn’t quite qualified for, we had a discussion with OSL who saw that there were a lot of transferrable skills. During the interviews we determined that I would be a good fit for a staff role and OSL were open to ensuring there was a training programme that would progress my career so that I could ultimately fulfil the role that they were originally recruiting for.
I liked the feeling and honesty of the company, also the way the company was structured by being an Employee Owned Trust, was new to me and quite interesting, that really swayed me towards a staff position, it was also that offer of enhancing my career.
You have now been with Otto Simon for 2 years, in that time what projects have you been working on?
I have been fortunate enough to be thrown in at the deep end on several hydrogen projects. This has been on a metal recycling plant, an asphalt plant, a brick works and even on a hydrogen producing yacht which has been quite interesting. So, I have been building my knowledge of the hydrogen sector and the delivery of hydrogen to those sectors.
Apart from the hydrogen jobs I have also been involved in the design of a bio reactor which I found really interesting.
Out of those projects what are you particularly proud of or particularly enjoyed doing?
I like the versatility of the work that has been given to me, I never know what is going to land on my desk which is really exciting. Working on a superyacht has been quite a new experience of me for me as previously I only had experience on the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels in the offshore environment. So, to take it up a notch and to add a bit of glamour, visiting the client at their office and working with their naval architects that was all very exciting and a nice job to be on.
Is there any particular field or discipline you have learnt about during your time working for OSL?
Absolutely working really closely with the process team and the process safety team, really my job is to fit between the different disciplines and pull it all together in terms of the model.
Have there been any particular challenges that you have had to overcome?
Really, it’s just keeping up with the workload, there’s always new projects landing at my desk, so balancing that with my own personal development is a challenge. However, I’m lucky that Otto Simon have carved out this time for me in terms of a development plan. Any time I have asked for support OSL have supported me.
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Michelle W.
Plant Designer
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What’s your role within Otto Simon?
I’m an Electrical Engineer, I joined Otto Simon in October 2021. I would say I’m a big “E” (Electrical), medium “I” (Instrumentation) and small “C” (Controls).
How big is the Electrical team at Otto Simon?
It is not a big electrical department, it’s a small team that gets along really well and can manage the work between us.
What initially attracted you to Otto Simon?
I was a fresh graduate when I started looking for a career, when I looked at Otto Simon with the training and support, they were offering, it was a clear choice. From then, I feel I have really moved on within the company.
Have Otto Simon supported you with your development?
Yes definitely, I think training wise Otto Simon are one of the best companies who offered me that amount of training in the short time I’ve been here. The most recent training was Trimble training, which is really important for an electrical engineer.
Which projects are you particularly proud of in your time here?
I’ve been involved in a sub-station project with a new transformer, I’ve also worked across a number of Fuel Switching projects with hydrogen.
How do you find the Culture at Otto Simon?
Here at Otto Simon the social life is great. We get together and meet up on a regular basis in our local village. Otto Simon is a really good place to work with good opportunities for someone who wants to move as part of their career.
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Teddy H.
Electrical Engineer