Giovanni Franzini

I am a Principal Research Engineer at Collins Aerospace. More specifically, I work in the Autonomous Systems group within the Applied Research and Technology organization in Cork. 

A typical day for Giovanni: 

During a typical day I usually arrive in the office and have the first of many coffees with my
colleagues. Then, I start the day looking at the emails and at my calendar to check if there are
important meetings I might have forgotten about. Once I have completed these “checks”, I devote my working hours to the technical work. Depending on the status of the project to which I am assigned, there are different activities to be performed. If a project just started, we usually have brainstorming sessions with the project team members to sketch out ideas, or down select and improve previous ideas. If an idea has already been selected and defined, then we need to test it. This can be done through simulations or by experimental testing in the lab. Normally, I write simulation code in MATLAB / Simulink or in Modelica for Dymola. Along with the simulation software development, there is the analysis of the results obtained. Usually, this is an activity performed together with the team since the findings and insights obtained are used for planning the next project steps and for assessing the feasibility of the concept, i.e., the possibility that one day it can become an aircraft system. Lunch is another important moment of the day. We have a large canteen where you can meet colleagues from other groups and spend the launch break with them. Conversations at the table are always different and since we are an extremely international team, you get to know other people cultures and sometimes try some traditional food. Sometimes you can also discuss new ideas, which can lead to collaboration projects between different groups. In addition, in the canteen we have a fantastic foosball table where we have very intense matches (sometimes part of office-wide tournaments) which help you cleaning your mind before going back to work. 

Top tip from Giovanni for those interested in a similar career:

To someone thinking about doing research with a company like mine, I would suggest that they pursue a PhD and not specialize too deeply in a specific and narrow subject (unless they find something they are passionate about!). Indeed, during my career at Collins I have worked on many different types of aircraft systems (environmental control systems, braking systems, navigation systems, etc.) and the education I received during my PhD allowed me to move more easily from one to another. Of course, there is always a learning curve you have to climb (e.g.,before joining this company I did not know anything about thermomechanical systems), but it gets easier and easier and you actually gain knowledge that can be used in other domains or projects, opening up new perspectives that an expert of that system might not see. I would also suggest finding and applying for internship, even if it is not 100% related to the topic you want to work on in the future. These opportunities help you learn how companies work, you get to know people you might otherwise never meet, and provide useful working experience, which is always a plus on a CV.