Development lead for Mirada’s deep learning radiation oncology division, and team leader for software engineering. Driving improvements to systems and processes while ensuring the quality of our software and code is maintained. Line management responsibility for five developers.

Software engineer with the development team working on Mirada's radiotherapy products

My current role focuses on the design, implementation and maintenance of embedded firmware controlling both a product’s hardware and providing its functionality. This involves initial planning of both the high-level architectural design of a system, and detailed specifications of any new algorithms or features. The firmware is then written in either C or C++, and tested using build-time unit tests and functional testing performed in conjunction with the quality assurance team. At various stages in the project I present my progress to the wider team highlighting significant milestones and sharing new ideas and techniques.My work has exposed me to a variety of technologies and interfaces including XMOS multicore processors and ARM Cortex-M4 and -M7 based microcontrollers.Many products include accompanying desktop software that controls the device. When designing firmware, I work closely with the software engineer to ensure the two work harmoniously throughout the development cycle, and to find and eradicate any bugs.As part of my role I am responsible for reviewing firmware deliverables from other Focusrite engineers and from external contractors. This includes identification of possible errors, suggesting improvements to the readability of code and ensuring thorough documentation has been provided. I am also working with managers and other members of the firmware team to improve company processes; recently this has involved designing and implementing a new system for automatic builds.I also participate in on-going maintenance of existing products which provides exposure to a variety of technical problems from low-level firmware to desktop software and drivers.

There were two parts to my role at Focusrite. The first was general assistance to engineers. This entailed building and repairing product prototypes, modifying existing designs, sourcing components and testing possible circuit configurations. As part of this work I was responsible for prioritising tasks and communicating with the engineers about what needed doing and when it would be completed. Some notable tasks I completed included exploratory work to improve the colour of the LEDs on a range of products and reviewing other engineer’s designs including a PCB layout designed by a subcontractor in China.The second part of the role was as a hardware and firmware engineer on a number of projects. A hardware project entailed drawing a schematic and designing the corresponding PCB layout using CADSTAR software according to the functional specification given by the product designer. When built, I tested the design, ensured its electromagnetic compatibility and optimised the design to incur the lowest cost possible. A firmware project would also start with a functional specification from the product designer. I then wrote the program in C and used an in-circuit debugger to test it. For most products the firmware runs on a microcontroller from the STM32 family of ARM Cortex-M based processors. During the year I worked on the following projects:• Front panel PCB design for Clarett 8Pre and 8PreX• Lead hardware and firmware engineer for Launchpad MK2• Firmware design for RedNet AM2Projects involved significant independent work and I was responsible for my own time management. To ensure the product was delivered on time I had to work with the wider product team, including the designer, the test engineer and the manufacturer.During my final year at university I continued my role on a part-time basis.

Talking to prospective students and taking guided tours of facilities.

Tested drinks and machines and ensured work was completed by a strict deadline. The work was primarily quality control by repetitive vending of drinks. The machines were calibrated and a strict procedure was followed to ensure accurate results. The results were based on my judgement of the successfulness of the vend, specifically looking at the mess caused and the condition of the cup.

Work experience as crew member. Built stages, set up microphones, mixing desks and outboard gear, ran power and other cables, and tested and undertook troubleshooting the rig.