Aerodynamicist

Aerodynamics Design Engineer

Chief Designer

Control Systems Engineer

Data Engineer

Design Engineer

Drawing Office Manager

Electrician

Electronics Engineer

Electronics Technician

Production Manager

FEA Engineer

Finance Department

Head of Model Design

Press Officer

Race / Test Team Mechanic

Software Engineer

Sponsorship Manager

Sterolithography Operator (SLA)

Storeman

Sub-Assembly Manager

Technical Director

Race Engineer

Truckie

Vehicle Dynamicist

Wind Tunnel Manager

Wind Tunnel Operator

Aerodynamicist

An important role to car performance and winning ability, the aerodynamicist designs initial concepts for testing components in the wind tunnel and monitors and analyses test results.

Minimum qualification requirements would be a degree in engineering at a top university ie. Cambridge, Imperial, Southampton etc. and a PhD in Aerodynamics is preferable.  Candidates must have a flair for computer software and knowledge of CFD as well as commitment and the ability to work in a close team.

Previous experience in Formula One is preferable, however, having worked within one of the lower Formula’s ie. F3000, F3, etc would be the minimum career starting point.

Career progression usually starts with Junior Aerodynamicist and then progression to Aerodynamicist.

Aerodynamics Design Engineer

The main duty of an aerodynamics design engineer is the development of wind tunnel test components working from initial design concepts produced by the aerodynamicists.  Additionally, the engineer must possess the ability to work within the team environment to develop and enhance the mechanical systems / testing capability of the wind tunnel model.

The minimum qualification requirement is a mechanical / aeronautical HND, however, a degree is preferable.

Previous experience is not essential, however an interest in motor sport would be desirable and previous motorsport experience is preferred.

Chief Designer

The Chief Designer reports to the Technical Director and is primarily responsible for the day to day detailed drawings of the car.

The Chief Designer manages the procedures to achieve the technical objectives set by the Technical Director.  He/she also manages the following departments through the design and development stages:

• Mechanical design
• Composite design
• Finite Element Analysis
  

Control Systems Engineer

A Control Systems Engineer’s main role is to support the electronics control systems on the car whilst it is being raced or tested.

A Control Systems Engineer will also be involved in:

• Development of the control strategies used on the car
• Software tools used by the team
• Specific software developments for in-house projects

Another major task is to carry out fault finding.  In order to complete this effectively, a Control Systems Engineer will familiarise themselves with the specifications of the sensors, harnesses and electronic units fitted to the car.

The position of Control Systems Engineer is a travelling position and he/she will be expected to attend races and/or tests as required by the team.

Data Engineer

The data engineer works alongside the race engineer during racing and testing extracting and preparing data from the car.  The data and race engineer then work together analysing the data and drawing conclusions leading to suggestions for car set-up changes.

Other duties a data engineer will perform are:

• Operating and updating analysis software
• Developing new analysis tools
• Running and developing simulation software
• Reporting back to the factory on issues regarding the data system
• Setting-up and maintaining the garage computer network

The qualifications necessary for this position are a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering, preferably vehicle dynamics or automotive engineering.  A MSc or PhD in automotive engineering or vehicle dynamics would also be desirable.

The normal career route for a data engineer would be to progress to a race/test engineer for a few years, moving onto the position of Chief Engineer.

Design Engineer

Working in the Drawing Office reporting directly to the Chief Designer and ultimately the Technical Director of the company, a design engineer works on the present and future designs for the car.  This can be either in the Mechanical or Composite design area.

Composite Design encompasses: 

• Chassis design
• Driver fit
• Fuel volume
• Strength and stiffness etc.
• Wing structures
• Crash structures
• Suspension members
• Bodywork

Mechanical Design encompasses:

• Suspension
• Transmission
• Gearbox
• Driveline
• Engine Installation
• Water system
• Oil system
• Fuel system
• Hydraulic system
• Finite element analysis

For both these positions recommended qualifications are A-levels in Maths, Physics and Engineering, an engineering degree from a top ranked university i.e. Cambridge, Southampton or Imperial, and although not essential a PhD can be an advantage.

Experience is desirable, preferably within Formula One, but a starting point would be working within one of the lower Formula’s i.e. F3000, F3 etc.  A flair for computing is essential, as is the ability to work long anti-social hours within a close team.

Drawing Office Manager

The Manager of the Drawing Office is responsible for the successful day to day running of the Drawing Office.  He/she must ensure that all proposed ideas are followed through to perfection.  This job also involves the organisation of the office and ensuring the work produced is as accurate as possible.  The Manager of the Drawing Office must work closely with the design engineers ensuring that the designers’ intentions are met.

There are no specific qualifications required for this position, however, a minimum of a degree level qualification will be sought.

As with many of the jobs in Formula One, a sound experience base is required which is best gained by progression through the motorsport ranks.

Electrician

An Electrician will be present at races and tests to support the electrical systems on the car and provide assistance to the Control Systems Engineers to identify the source of any fault in the electrical/electronic system.  It is the responsibility of the electrician to effect any necessary repair to the electrical system or provide replacement parts.

Whilst at the factory an Electrician will also be involved in the manufacture of electrical system components, i.e. harnesses, sensors etc. Experience in motor racing is essential.

Electronics Engineer

Formula One, being at the forefront of motor racing, involves hi-tech electronics, therefore an Electronics Engineer has a challenging and varied job.  Included in this are the following:-

• Electronic design and development from:
  - specification
  - detailed hardware design and simulation
  - component selection and procurement
  - schematic capture and PCB layout
  - assembly drawings
  - test procedures
  - commissioning.
• Embedded software development
• Electronic system / sensor / component selection and evaluation
• Development of in-house quality control / inspection / test procedures
• Harness design
• Hands-on assembly / test / calibration / fault-finding
  

Minimum qualification requirement is a degree in Electronics Engineering or related discipline (with Honours preferred).

Experience does not necessarily need to be in Formula One but 2 to 3 years experience in motorsport / military or automotive fields is preferred.

Electronics Technician

The Electronics Technician is involved in assembling, testing and documenting design and development work within the Electronics Department.  Duties include:

• Electronics assembly / rework / inspection / calibration and test
• Termination and calibration of sensors
• Harness prototyping, manufacture, inspection and test
• Component test, servicing and fault-finding
• Electro-mechanical rig manufacture
• Development of in-house quality control procedures
• Documentation of all work undertaken in accordance with departmental procedures
• Assist travelling technicians with support of the race / test car build
• Provide cover for travelling technicians as and when required

Minimum qualification requirements are a City & Guilds Level 3 or HNC in Electronics Servicing or related discipline.

Two or three years experience in the motorsport or military fields is preferred.

Production Manager

Responsible for the running of the factory and anything that is factory based.  These duties may include

• Organisation of site services
• The sub-assembly department
• Inspection areas
• Fabrication area
• Machinery departments
• The stores and purchasing of materials for the company
• Composites department
  

Jordan Grand Prix’s Production Manager is qualified in a range of subjects including project management, corporate management, information technology, quality management and production and material control.  Qualifications in personnel and systems management would be advantageous for such a position plus experience of management role in a manufacturing environment.

FEA Engineer

An FEA Engineer undertakes FEA and hand calculations (mathematical modelling) to assess structural integrity and stiffness of components in either composites or metals, which is very important in a Formula One racing car.  This could include testing in order to verify results.

The minimum qualification requirement for this position is a degree in Engineering or an equivalent engineering qualification.  It would also be beneficial to have high grades in Maths and Physics qualifications.

A number of years’ experience in a general design / stress office using FEA/calculations would be preferable and Formula One experience is  desirable but not mandatory.

Finance Department

The financial controller at Jordan Grand Prix is responsible for two overlapping aspects of the company - legal issues and financial management.  On a day-to-day basis his duties include:

• Checking the accuracy of the company’s accounts
• Checking that the accounts area reflecting the company’s activity
• Responsibility for personnel
• Supervising the running of sponsorship investments
• Confirming financial decisions of the team
  

A degree in law would be beneficial, as would a background of working in a legal or accounting environment.  Necessary skills include financial management, computing, legal know-how and a good understanding of the world of international business.  The financial controller is assisted by accountants and financial assistants, positions for which accountancy qualifications and/or previous experience in finance (and preferably motorsport) are important.

Head of Model Design

The Head of Model Design is responsible for all aspects of wind tunnel design, manufacture and assembly.  He/she is also responsible for maintaining and advancing standards in these areas.  The major responsibility for the Head of Model Design is maintaining a full 3D assembly and sub-assemblies of the complete model.

The Head of Model Design will liaise with the full size design department in all aspects of body design and will be responsible for ensuring that the correct full size tolerances are applied to both model and aerodynamic design.

Additional responsibilities which the Head of Model Design must fulfil:

• Attending model tests
• Ensuring the ease of use and construction of the model during these tests
• To be fully trained in the use and running of the wind tunnel
• Ensuring that all items drawn in the Aerodynamics department can be

Relevant experience is essential.

Press Officer

Specifics will vary from team to team, but generally speaking the Press Officer is responsible for all media liaison for the team.  This is likely to include:

• writing and distributing press information and circulating photos
• writing and distributing press releases
• co-ordinating interviews with drivers and team personnel
• co-ordinating photographic shoots
• working proactively to produce stories and photo opportunities for the team and its sponsors
• organising press functions

The Press Officer will be expected to be at all Grands Prix and anywhere that there is likely to be a press presence to liaise between the media, the drivers and team personnel.

A good general education will be required for this position, to ‘A’ level standard or above.  There is a fair amount of writing involved in the job so word processing and English language skills are important.  Other languages, French, Italian, German, are often looked upon favourably as well.  The majority of the work centres around the media so journalistic or PR qualifications would be valuable and a number of years' PR experience is fundamental.  An in-depth knowledge of motorsport is not essential, although an interest in racing is obviously important.  Personal qualities should include an ability to communicate and work with people, diplomacy, excellent organisational skills, an ability to work under pressure and to deadlines and loads of common sense.

Race / Test Team Mechanic

Mechanics must have motor racing experience from lower formulae (Rally, touring cars, F3 and F3000 are the main four).  The role is not necessarily about the qualifications, however an apprenticeship as a mechanic would be good grounding on which to base a Formula One career.

Software Engineer

The primary role of a Software Engineer is to develop the software for all the control systems on a Formula One racing car.

The Software Engineer may also be responsible for the development of any software tools used by the team.

A Software Engineer will be expected to attend some races and tests as he/she may at times take responsibility for running the control systems on the car.

Sponsorship Manager

Sponsorship Managers are responsible for any matters that relate to the sponsors and marketing aspects of the company.  These may include:

Although there is no set qualification, a degree in a business subject would be favoured.  A qualification in sponsorship management would give a distinct advantage, however experience in sponsorship management or commercial negotiations and marketing is most relevant.

Sterolithography Operator (SLA)

As rapid prototype production is becoming increasingly popular within Formula One, so is the need for skilled personnel.  One type of rapid prototype production is Sterolithography.

An SLA Operator’s main duties are as follows:

Preparing the model and full size stl files for building
Operating the SLA machine(s)
Cleaning finished builds for post curing
Managing the overall production of the prototype parts to strict deadlines

Jordan’s SLA Operator trained as a model maker before moving into rapid prototype production.

Computer literacy is essential for this position and experience with 3D systems and using Magics and Lightyear would also be an advantage.  A probable path for career advancement would be moving to and adapting fairly easily to other forms of rapid prototype production.

Storeman

This role is fundamental to the smooth running of the team, as teams may carry the equivalent of three spare cars in part form to races and test so that three spare cars could be built at the track if necessary.  The storeman is responsible for ensuring that all parts are correctly organised and transported, and typically comes from a factory stores background.

No specific qualifications are necessary, but stores experience is a key requirement, as is the ability to get along with people and strong organisational skills.

Sub-Assembly Manager

The Sub-Assembly Manager is responsible for the team working in Sub-Assembly, where gearboxes, uprights and steering racks are produced.  The manager must ensure that all the parts for the car are made both correctly and on time.  The Sub-Assembly manager has a team of about eight workers within his team.
 
A City and Guilds or an HNC in Mechanical Engineering would be looked upon favourably for a job in this department.  Another good start would be an apprenticeship, which would be good experience for the future.
 
As with many jobs in Formula One, there are no specific routes into this position, and beginning work in a lower series of racing would be the best option.  There is then the chance to work your way up through the stages, gaining widespread experience as you progress.

Technical Director

The Technical Director is responsible for all technical aspects within the Company. These include car performance, car design and production.

The Technical Director with assistance from the Chief Designer sets the short, medium and long-term technical objectives for the Company. He/she also puts the necessary procedures in place to achieve these goals.

The Technical Director attends all races and tests to oversee and assist with any technical issues that arise before, during and after the running of the car(s).

Extensive experience in motor racing and Formula One is essential, and a relevant degree qualification is usually required.

Race Engineer

Becoming a race engineer is a popular dream for many who aspire to work in Formula One, as race engineers are seen as being completely involved in almost every aspect of F1 racing.  In reality this position is one of the most demanding, due to the hours worked and the amount of time spent travelling.

A race engineer oversees the operation of the race car before and during the race and test events, both at the circuit and the factory.  He/she must be in a position to make set-up decisions based on driver feedback and chassis sensor data to achieve the set-up or ‘balance’ required by the driver.

It is very important that the engineer and driver share a close working relationship.  Driver psychology is one of the most important aspects of race engineering as it helps ensure an understanding of how to maximise the performance of both the car and driver. 

A good degree in mechanical, automotive or aeronautical engineering is essential as a race engineer encounters many aspects of engineering.  An understanding of vehicle and aerodynamics are very important as is design and computer programming.  Further qualifications such as a PhD or masters degree would be useful.

Experience within the motor racing industry in Formula One of lower formulae is essential and computer literacy is very important as software is playing a bigger and bigger part in predicting and analysing car set-up and performance.

Entering race engineering requires a lot of hard work, and basing a degree around a career in motor racing (having a final year project linked to motor racing) would be a good start.  Working in lesser formulae is a good way of getting experience at the circuit and will stand out on a CV.

The nature of race engineering means that it is important to have a fall back position, as race engineering is not practical to have as a long-term position.  Therefore, experience in mechanical design or aerodynamics would be of great benefit for career opportunities after being a race engineer.

Truckie

Formula One truckies must have similar qualifications and experience to mechanics, as well as HGV licenses.  Prior experience in Formula One, or at the very least a lower formula is essential as truckies are responsible for a variety of technical and mechanical functions with set-up and execution at a race or test.

Vehicle Dynamicist

The role of a Vehicle Dynamicist is an important one as he/she develops models and simulations to help understand the important static and dynamics of a racing car.  His/her other responsibilities also include:

• Developing hardware and software to validate models/simulations
• Utilising models/simulations to improve and develop the race car
• Developing analysis techniques for on car data acquisition systems
• Designing and developing test rigs to measure various aspects of the car

Experience in vehicle dynamics is required, but specifics are dependent on the job vacancy concerned.  Motorsport experience, preferably within Formula One, is desirable but not essential.  A good engineering based honours degree (at least a 2:1) is essential.

The normal progression from this role is to complete some years as a Data Engineer as this is now the preferred route to becoming a Race Engineer.

Wind Tunnel Manager

The Wind Tunnel is the day to day focus of work for many of the Jordan Grand Prix team.  As aerodynamic development is crucial to the car’s performance, it is important that the facility and its staff are kept at the cutting edge of technology and perform to the best of their ability; this is the responsibility of the Wind Tunnel Manager.  Furthermore, projects instigated and planned by him/her determine how good the team will be for years to come.

A Wind Tunnel Manager needs a good background in fluids and engineering, typically from a degree or higher in aeronautical engineering.  A mix of theoretical and practical disciplines is ideal for a blend of understanding and experience necessary for the position.

Jordan’s Wind Tunnel Manager has a Physics degree, an Aerodynamics MSc and worked for 5 years in industry before moving into motor racing with Jordan Grand Prix.

Wind Tunnel Operator

A Wind Tunnel Operator’s main duty is to run and maintain the wind tunnel, and work on wind tunnel development projects.

The minimum qualification required for this position is an HND in Engineering or an equivalent engineering qualification.  It would also be beneficial to have high grades in Maths, Physics and English qualifications.

Experience in either mechanical or electrical design is desirable, but previous wind tunnel operating experience is essential.  Previous use of wind tunnel data acquisition software would be an added advantage.

A Wind Tunnel Operator could progress to Wind Tunnel Technician or  Model Maker.