Employee Spotlight: Meet Jack Mercer

In this employee spotlight, we're talking to Lead Process Engineer - Assembly, Jack Mercer, to find out what led to his career at Alcon.

When did you join Alcon?

I joined Alcon age 16 straight out of school in 2008, so 16 years here in September! I was a student at Tamworth college when Alcon approached the college with a scholarship. John Moore himself was leading it and offered it to one student of the engineering branch. After an assignment and an interview at Alcon, I was lucky enough to be offered the scholarship which ran for one year. Following on from the scholarship, I won an apprenticeship for the next four years, working four days a week at Alcon and one day a week on day release where I was working towards my level 3 and 4 qualifications in manufacturing engineering.

What qualifications do you have?

I stayed in education for many years earning a HND in manufacturing engineering at Solihull University. This is the headline qualification I have, as well as Alcon offering me other engineering relevant qualifications ranging from 6-sigma training to specialised product based training.

What does a typical day involve?

During my career at Alcon, I have been part of almost every department learning how the business works from the inside out. This includes quality, design, R&D, CNC setter/operator, CNC programming, assembly and process engineering. This has given me a huge respect for how each department works and how my role can both assist and impact their functions on a daily basis and long term.

I have now worked in production engineering for 11 years. I started off programming simple 3 axis CNC machines for around a year and progressed to Assembly Production Engineer. I saw this as an opportunity to push myself so I took the role and began working very closely with Steve Haynes. I've been in this role for the last 3 years and have gained a vast amount of experience and product knowledge.

As time went on, we began to outgrow the building we were in and had to expand to what's now known as the 'Armstrong' building. I was given an opportunity also to collaborate with the assembly team and productionise what we do, this was a defining moment in my career. Since moving into Armstrong, we have expanded the team massively and I have taken on three apprentices myself in this time, training them up to be extremely competent engineers.

My typical day is varied. Now that I am a lead of a small section, my initial concern is to ensure the team is supported and any roadblocks are removed to allow them to continue their work as required. Following on from this, I lead and maintain many projects including the introduction of the new assembly line and sub systems around it. Since we are responsible for both the assembly of the parts, the process around it and any training in between, our job is very varied in nature. Therefore we have to be very flexible and arise to any situation that presents itself. We must be agile enough to keep up with the ever-changing product range and ensure that all new products are introduced in a safe and efficient way.

What do you like most about your role at Alcon?

What really excites me about my work is the dynamic team I collaborate with daily and the ever-changing variety of tasks that come my way. Each day presents fresh challenges, pushing me to grow both personally and as an engineer.

Do you have any special memories throughout the years in working at Alcon?

I have many memories throughout my time here, my fondest memory being of John Moore’s latest visit of which he expressed his happiness that I had gone into engineering and proved myself at Alcon. Having someone take a leap of faith with you the way he did with me is something I will forever be grateful for, and cannot be repaid.

What are some achievements you’re proud of both within work and personal success?

I think one of my most proud moments was after I completed my first brand new process and was then able to train the operators on this. Although it was not the most complicated at the time, it was the first of many that opened doors for my future. This led me up to designing and building my very own assembly line that is still in use today.

I am always proud when I see the apprentices I helped train performing and completing amazing work, it makes all of the effort worthwhile and drives me to want to do it more. I cannot take all of the credit as they are amazing people in their own right, but it still feels good to know you helped them along the way.

What's the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career? Any lessons you’ve learnt along the way?

In terms of advice for people coming up and into engineering, I would strongly suggest they explore the route of an apprenticeship. I cannot emphasise enough the value of the experiences you will gain by going down this route. In all honesty, when leaving school I had no idea what I wanted to do (I thought I wanted to be a fire fighter!). Give anything a go to see how you may progress, and don't dismiss engineering because you 'don't think it is for you'; it’s a vast field with diverse career options, you might find a perfect fit that surprises you!

For more information on careers at Alcon please visit: https://www.alcon.co.uk/alcon-careers/