Degree
Masters of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) at Queen’s University Belfast, 1997
Career snapshot
His engineering career has taken Paul Phillips far from his native Kells, Co Meath, where he attended Kells Community School. After a master’s degree in engineering he began work with the multinational pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme in 1997.
He has worked in manufacturing at the company, acting as a supervisor and team leader. This gave him a good knowledge of the equipment and processing carried out in its plants. He has also been involved in improving the company’s output through process development and introducing new processes. His latest project brought him to Singapore as part of a major technology transfer project.
“This has given me the opportunity to coordinate a large complex project and work in a cross functional environment with people from around the world,” he says. “The project involved a lot of preparation work during the last year, which is now culminating in a plant demonstration in Singapore. This has given me a lot of exposure to different technologies, business processes and cultures.”
What’s so brilliant about your job?
“The variety of the job is immense. Every day is different, plus I have had the opportunity to work in the process development and technology transfer side of the business, as well as hands on manufacturing supervision.”
How do you spend typical day?
“I currently start my day at 8:00 and read through emails from abroad that have come in over night. Then I plan my day to ensure that the critical items get completed. A standard day can involve observing production in the field, resolving technical issues, and preparing technical documentation.”
“There is always a constant drive to improve and streamline business systems within the plant. This can involve interesting discussions on a wide range of issues, resulting in improvements in the way we conduct our business.”
Does your work require a lot of equipment?
“Working in a pharmaceutical environment involves working with a large range of equipment, from lab scale glassware to full scale reactors. While there are many areas associated with the pharmaceutical industry, working in bulk manufacturing involves developing a working knowledge of plant equipment from reactors, pumps and condensers to temperature indicators and level sensors etc. It also involves working with computer control systems that are used to control automated production.”
Did science/engineering/technology give you a buzz at school?
“I enjoyed all facets of science at school, including chemistry, maths, physics and technical drawing. For this reason I chose chemical engineering as it draws on a wide range of science and engineering skills, and opens up a wide avenue of areas in which to work.” What has been the highlight of your career to date? “The opportunity to work in different places around the world with a wide variety of people. In college I was fortunate to spend summers working in an oil refinery in Argentina, as well as chemical plants in the US and in England. This has continued since joining Merck Sharp & Dohme, where I have had the opportunity to work in the US and currently Singapore.”
Learn more
Merck Sharp & Dohme in Ireland
