David Hughes MChem MRSC

Experience

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  Cardiff University

  Sept 2013 - Jul 2017

  Student

  3rd year Degree modules:Advanced Organic Chemistry - 2:1Advanced Inorganic Chemistry - 1st Advanced Physical Chemistry - 2:14th year project - Photocatalytic Degradation of Lignin Model Compounds

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  Huntsman Corporation

  Jul 2015 - Jul 2016

  Process Safety Student

  Part of the European team and had to travel from my host site for several meetings throughout the year.Based in the Operations Department where my primary role was to design spreadsheets and forms to assist Operators. As such, my job required me to work alongside Operators for a substantial portion of my placement year. Gained significant experience in Environmental, Health and Safety practices. A further responsibility of my placement year including giving visitor safety inductions, as well as inspecting various parts and processes on plant. These inspections included safety shower checks as well as fire extinguisher and fire pump checks.Led a research and development project relating to determining the macro effects of changes in operating parameters on overall process conditions. This required constant collaboration with operators.Took part in Six Sigma project identifying energy and nitrogen reduction opportunities on site.Key Achievements at HuntsmanAided in the process safety of the site by maintaining document compliance in Lock Out Tag Out system.Aided in achieving 5 years accident free site with no lost time accidents relating to behavioural safety on lower tier COMAH siteManaged a behavioural safety drive during a fortnight long site shutdown. This brought up awareness of all behavioural safety issues as well as strides in implementing 5S principles to improve the safety mindset of operators and fitters. Show less

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  PRA Health Sciences

  Jul 2017 - Oct 2018

  Project Associate 1

  • Facilitate meetings with core study teams and clients to ensure that PRA is meeting client expectations.• Prepare and maintain project tracking tools as well as project specific documents such as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).• Role requires strong communication and ICT skills.• Have gained significant commercial awareness.• Have had strong exposure to a clinical environment.• Thrived in a result-driven environment and have had to work to strict deadlines to provide high quality deliverables to clients.• Currently part of the team assigned to one of the biggest trials in the company and as such, have had to use team work and be able to collaborate with people across the world to achieve quality results.• Regularly sought out to complete jobs concerning spreadsheet design.Key Achievements at PRA Health Sciences• Ensured document compliance was consistently above 95% in the company Quality Management System.• All pieces of work were delivered on time and in full to the respective client and the company.• Gained a fantastic appreciation for the scale of use of Microsoft Excel. Show less

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  Excal Limited

  Nov 2018 - Aug 2020

  Project Scientist

  Fully assigned as Chemistry Manager to assist the decommissioning and demolition of a large metal refinery in Acton, London, for a large multinational client. • Created and managed the permit to work system. • Analysed and validated all decommissioned waste and assigned them to a waste stream before organising their collection from site. • Performed several cross-functional tasks which required the coordination of several departments to achieve a collective goal.• Performed a “lead by example” approach to safety and delivered several team and site wide toolbox talks and risk assessments. • Using Microsoft Excel and Access, I designed and managed the final database needed for final permit surrender of the site. • Coordinated and scheduled the cleaning and validation teams (16 people) and managed their workload. • Represented ExCal in progress and planning meetings with the client. • On a separate project, I performed data analysis for a European association regarding the update of a European Best Available Techniques Reference document or BREF Note in the galvanizing sector.• Using my statistical analysis skills, I ran qualitative and quantitative statistical analysis of 80 questionnaires, with 20 pages each, sent to sites across Europe. Following the analysis of the questionnaires, I presented the findings to the European wide association in Brussels.Key Achievements at ExCal UK• Submitted the HSE file and all necessary documentation to the client on time and in full prior to handover deadline.• Raised Permit to Work compliance for the project to >90% on a regular monthly basis.• Helped in achieving 18 months of decommissioning without any work-related lost time injuries.• All waste on-site was analysed and removed in accordance with environmental procedures.• Made formal data presentation to a European commission regarding the update of a BREF note.• Qualified in Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with high proficiency in 5S and Kaizen implementation. Show less

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  IQE

  Dec 2020 - now

  • Promoted to Senior Shift Process Engineer in January 2023, where I manage a team of three other Shift Process Engineers.• Oversee production of GaAs, InP and GaN epitaxial wafers using MOCVD processes.• Utilise statistical process control to achieve production targets.• Review characterisation data to confirm output is deliverable and to client specification and expectation.• Provide final review of products and subsequently authorize release of the product to the customer.• Present production and SPC data to the wider team during daily meetings.• Aided in several R&D projects that represent significant steps in III-V semiconductor manufacture.• Regularly produce reports containing equipment and characterisation data for new and existing products for a variety of audiences. • Received formal training in Process Safety Management and have become a process safety point of contact for my team.• First aid, BA and ERT trained to help in emergency situations.• Perform functional management tasks for a team of three other Shift Process Engineers and help organise their workload.Key Achievements at IQE• Oversaw millions of pounds worth of production of GaAs, InP and GaN epitaxial wafers across two sites and three generations of reactors.• Created the onboarding curriculum for new starters and set up instructional videos to support work instructions and SOP’s.• Aided in high pressure research and development projects for major, multinational clients. Show less

  • Quality Engineer

    Jan 2025 - now

  • Senior Shift Process Engineer

    Jan 2023 - Jan 2025

  • Shift Process Engineer

    Dec 2020 - Jan 2023