Dino - Group Lead Production
For the first two years of his career at VDL GL Precision, Dino was an Operations Trainee. Currently, he holds the position of Group Lead Production. Dino's ambition is clear: he aspires to become the director of one of our locations.
Describe your role in 3 words
''Dynamic, results-oriented, social''
What is important within your position?
''The great thing about production is the importance of speed. You have to be hands-on and dare to make decisions. You must be stress-resistant, know how to separate main issues from minor ones and keep things in perspective. You work with many different people, so good social skills will certainly come in handy.
Besides these soft skills, a technical background is very useful in my role. I regularly speak to craftspeople. Thanks to my knowledge of technology, I can present myself as a sparring partner in terms of content.
An example from my role where these skills come together is the daily tier 1 meeting. Here we measure whether our targets on the following three pillars, safety, quality and delivery, have been met. We discuss the status, what is going well and see where we can help each other.''
What makes Dino good at what he does: 'Within my team, I am known for daring to think out of the box, or as my manager says: for creatively colouring outside the lines. In everything I do, I try to ask the question: How can we solve something better than we are used to doing?''
What do you enjoy about your work?
"I like action and a lot of freedom. At VDL GL Precision, no day is the same. Sometimes you run from place to place with the sweat almost literally on your forehead. But it is precisely this action that gives me energy. Every day, I am working on my passion to explore the boundaries of the manufacturable and to drive innovation in daily life. It's great to see the impact of our technology in everyday life.
I also like the culture within VDL. Everyone knows each other and you get a lot of freedom. There is also a real hands-on and no-nonsense culture. If things need to be taken care of, for example, a product that needs to be moved from A to B; no one feels too good to help out when something needs to be done. "
What has been the highlight of your career?
"During my time as an Operations Trainee, I was the project leader for the completion of VDL GL Precision's new factory. Together with the Real Estate Construction Project Manager from VDL, I was responsible for this project from A to Z. This involved some 5,000m2 of production floor space. The space is now in use for various lathe and milling machines, above that we built the clean room, and a new parking area was also constructed. This was a huge project, nowadays I walk daily into the hall I helped to realise. That definitely is a highlight! I immediately got to know the entire organisation quickly. "
What advice would you give someone planning to apply for a job at VDL ETG?
"Looking at myself, I was given many opportunities to operate outside my comfort zone and I was given the freedom to direct my day-to-day work myself. This gave me the responsibility to take up things I had never done before. And this is exactly what energises me! If this is the case for you too, I would say pick up the phone and give us a call!
Always be open and honest, show what you have in you and that you are hands-on. Look for something you feel good about. You need to know what energises you in a job and go after that."