Employee Spotlight: Sulaiman Aminuddin – Electronics and System Test Engineer

Ionoptika is very proud of its skilled and dedicated staff, who together with our loyal users make up our global community. Today we interview our Electronics and System Test Engineer Sulai Aminuddin.

Sulai joined our team in 2022 and is responsible for testing Ionoptika Instrumentation and software, before it is sent out to our customers. Today we learn more about him and his job.

How long have you worked at Ionoptika and what career path brought you to us?

I joined Ionoptika fresh out of University, and have been at Ionoptika for about two and a half years. I completed my MEng in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Southampton and haven’t looked back since!

What is your role here? Describe your typical working day

I am mainly a systems test engineer. I am responsible for testing our equipment before sending it out to our customers, ensuring any and all customer specifications are fulfilled before we ship.

I am also gaining experience as an electrical and electronic engineer, aiding in maintaining embedded software codes, testing and fixing electronics.

Any spare time during the day is put into process improvements and automations.

What inspired you to pursue a career in science, why did you decide to study it?

Engineering always felt like a clear choice to me. I am an avid puzzle solver, and engineering when you really break it down is solving one puzzle after another! Nothing feels better to me than the satisfaction that you get from solving a difficult problem.

I am also a very curious person, and have a need to understand the world around me, especially how technology works. My study of engineering helped me to answer most of my existential questions.

What do you enjoy most about working at Ionoptika?

Without a shadow of a doubt, the people!!! Going into industry after studying, I was worried that I would have trouble fitting in, especially given that English is my second language. That was never a problem here, everyone is so warm and welcoming. Always eager to share their knowledge. As a new engineer I could go up to anybody and ask them about their work, and they would happily show me.

I also love that my work is so varied, it has been a treat to work with such complex instrumentation with a variety of parts, involving quantum physics, electrical and mechanical. I really enjoy all the opportunities to expand my knowledge and skill set.

What are your greatest achievements in your career or personal life?

I’m Malaysian and moved to the UK as a student. I’m proud that I was able to successfully graduate from a UK University, whilst navigating life in a brand new country, away from my family for the first time. There were many challenges along the way but I overcame each one.

For me this is a key achievement in my career and personal life, as this experience has shaped both.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting their career in your field?

I would say always be open to learning new things. There will always be something more to know, and there are always people who know more. Engineering is all about pushing the boundaries, so don’t stay in one place, instead seek outside your comfort zone.

What’s been your best memory or achievement in your time at Ionoptika?

The level of understanding I now have about our instruments would have seemed impossible to me when I first joined!

One of my favourite memories at Ionoptika has to be when I travelled to Gothenburg University, as part of the team moving a J105 SIMS instrument.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I spend most of my spare time with my friends, and we all love to travel. I have been to various countries such as Australia, Spain, Indonesia, Norway and Turkey.

I have an undying love for bouldering, and go at least twice a week. To me it is much like engineering, like solving a puzzle. the bonus part is that you get to exercise while doing it!

Interested in becoming part of our team? Visit our Careers page.