If you’re a collaborative engineer keen to work in one of Ireland’s most innovative and successful technology companies, Ei Electronics wants to hear from you.
The Shannon-based company is possibly the biggest Irish success story you’ve never heard of but if you look up, the smoke alarm above you was very likely designed, developed and manufactured by Ei.
The core technology of the company is sensors. Products engineered around these sensors have enabled the company to become a world leader in the life safety and environmental connected home.
This high tech, low-key company employs 1,100 people at its global headquarters in Co Clare, with a further 150 people in its offices worldwide.
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The Shannon campus is responsible for the manufacture of 13 million home life safety devices a year, 95 per cent of which are exported, with an annual turnover of €400 million.
Ei is an innovation-led company with numerous design patents under its belt – a testament to its commitment to research and development, all of which is conducted in-house by a 30-strong team of engineers.
If you haven’t heard of it, you’re not alone. Neither had Kevin Moore, who is now a senior mechanical design engineer with Ei Electronics.
Moore’s work/life balance
Moore had just graduated from a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Cork Institute of Technology when he spotted a job ad for the company.
“I wouldn’t have been aware of it at all in college, but I did my homework for the interview and quickly discovered their products are probably in every home in the country,” says Moore.
Having secured a position, he moved from Cork to Limerick city, a half-hour commute from his office. It was an easy transition to make. The job came with a very appealing social side.
“By my nature I slot in wherever I go and the engineering team here is a really outgoing bunch. We go hiking and mountain biking together and in the summer go kayaking and surfing. I love music and quickly found a bunch of people to go to events and gigs with,” he says.
As a black belt in karate, sport is also a big part of his life. “We’ve a terrific gym here which is fully equipped and offers Spin, HIIT and Pilates classes, all for free,” he says.
Smart safety
The professional development opportunities were also key to his decision to work and live in the midwest. “I got immediate exposure to everything that was going on and got stuck into projects straight away, designing the plastic housings for alarms. Because I was working with tool makers in Taiwan, I got to travel there a number of times,” he says. He now manages entire projects, from conception through to launch.
Since joining he has developed a number of smart home life safety products for the company, including smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and home environmental monitoring devices.
“We are using smart home sensors and algorithms to gain valuable insights into what is going on in the home. With this data we can predict risks such as damp and black mould to the residents. Overall, designing life-saving products gives us an enormous sense of purpose,” he says.
Ei does a lot of business in the UK, its biggest market, where local authorities social and housing associations install its systems.
“In Germany, our market-leading remote-reading smoke alarms enable landlord authorities to carry out mandatory inspection of alarms without accessing the properties. This offers benefits to both landlord and tenants,” he explains.
Manufactured in Ireland
“One hundred per cent of our manufacturing is done here in Shannon. Every product gets tested at least twice before it leaves our facilities. All sensors are functionally tested in the environment in which they are designed to operate in. It’s not batch testing either, it’s every individual product because we are committed to making sure every device is built to meet our high quality standards. Our digitalised manufacturing process ensures that every device is fully traceable in the marketplace,” Moore says.
Learning environment
He attributes a huge part of Ei Electronics’ success to the way its cross-functional engineering teams collaborate, including mechanical, electronics, process, automation, hardware and software engineers.
“It makes for a wonderful learning environment and you get to develop into a much more rounded engineer,” he says.
“What also helps engineers is having the manufacturing right there in front of you. If an issue comes up, you’re on hand to resolve it. It’s why I like working here, the exposure you get as an engineer and the ability to grow. It’s also very collegiate, everybody has a voice, there are no egos - that’s the culture of the organisation, which comes from the top down.”
The company has a suite of high-tech testing facilities, including echo-free or anechoic chambers protected from electronic and radio noise. “The quiet when you’re in the chamber is incredible, you can hear your heart beat,” he says.
It has 3-D printers for prototype development, smoke tunnel testing equipment, radio mesh network testers and power analysers for testing electronics. “In a smart home, different devices that connect wirelessly using RF, protect the occupants. These then communicate to our Gateway which reports to a portal that provides insights from the sensor data captured,” he explains.
Ei Electronics is headed up by chairman and chief executive Michael Guinee, who undertook a management buyout of the company in 1988. Before that it was part of US multinational group General Electric (GE). Moore attributes the collaborative atmosphere at the organisation to Guinee. “It’s very collegiate here, everybody has a voice, there are no egos. That’s the culture of the organisation, which comes from the top down,” he explains.
Another factor that makes it a great place to work is Guinee’s commitment to creating sustainable jobs in the midwest, he adds.
The company was one of the early adaptors of lean manufacturing processes. Ei is working towards reducing its carbon footprint in everything from packaging to the development of local supply chains. Solar panels supply 20 per cent of the factory’s electricity.
It all makes for a very nice working environment. “We also have a fabulous restaurant with great food, all subsidised. We have an Astroturf pitch for lunchtime six-a-sides, and shower blocks for people who cycle to work. We have a cycling club and staff participate in numerous charity cycles,” he says.
The company’s commitment to corporate and social responsibility is also important. “It’s all about giving back to the community and here in Shannon, half the families have a connection to Ei Electronics. We sponsor community, educational, sporting and cultural events, for example Astroturf pitches for local schools and many local sports teams sport the Ei logo on their jerseys,” he points out.
It is a location that is conducive to a good work life balance too, he adds, with Cork, Galway and Limerick all an easy drive away, as well as all the beauty spots of the West of Ireland.
His favourite after work wind-down is to swim in the sea. “In summer I can leave here and be on the beach at Lahinch in 40 mins. I love it.”
Click here to find out more about career opportunities at EI Electronics