SMIFutures Early Career Profiles: Conor Gorman

Our next SMIFutures career profile comes from Connor Gorman, acoustic engineer, underwater systems at Thales UK. In this interview, Conor discusses his career in acoustic engineering at Thales, the varied and exciting opportunities that the maritime industry offers and the role of young maritime professionals in shaping the future of the sector. 

Can you tell us about your educational background and how it prepared you for your current role in the maritime industry?

After completing A-Levels in maths, further maths and physics I knew that I wanted to study engineering – applying theory into real world problem solving. For me, this initially meant mechanical, however at a university open day I stumbled across acoustic engineering and haven’t looked back since.

I studied Acoustical Engineering at the institute of sound and vibration (ISVR), University of Southampton. Technical modules such as ocean acoustics and signal processing really opened up the possibilities of working in the maritime sector, and have been directly applicable to my role at Thales in underwater systems.

Further general modules covering topics such as professional aspects of engineering and engineering management gave me a basis and appreciation for finance, project management and product lifecycles – knowledge I find is key when working on large scale and long timeline programs of work, as is often the case in maritime.

How did you navigate the transition from being a student in school or university to a working professional in the maritime industry?

I was very interested in getting stuck into work after university – for this reason I opted not to join a graduate scheme and found a direct entry role with Thales. In doing this, I found that I was able to get well integrated in ongoing projects and develop my knowledge on live products and programs of work.

Joining the industry during the lockdown period meant I spent limited time onsite working with the team, which was a challenge at first. However within a few months my role required me to be on site conducting testing across a range of systems, during this I found that I was able to become more involved in the teams capability and more importantly learn and develop the skills needed from my peers.

Can you share any memorable experiences or projects you've worked on?

I spent nearly 18 months working on the delivery of a large technical demonstrator program – initially as acoustics engineer and design resource, then expanding to on-site production support, resourcing and supply chain planning. This program allowed me to step up in terms of planning for delivery and work in a wider capacity to my core role.

Following on from this I became a key member of the trials team for the program; identifying and offering rapid solutions to problems that arise, working with various internal and external stakeholders to ensure a successful, safe trial was accomplished.

Being part of the team that undertook the trial and seeing the live deployment and test of a system I’d worked extensively on was extremely rewarding and a definite highlight.

What do you find most rewarding about working in the maritime industry, and what motivates you to continue pursuing your career in this field?

The maritime industry is so large and varied, within engineering alone there is many options and career routes available. My role at Thales covers a range of applications and systems – from submarine to mine hunt systems, this varied workload means I am constantly learning and developing.

The industry as a whole is constantly changing, with new challenges and opportunities arising. Addressing these challenges by helping to define and driving forward capability enhancement of my team is extremely motivating – what will the future of sonar systems and vessels look like?

How do you envision the future of the maritime industry, and what role do you believe young professionals will play in shaping its trajectory?

The maritime defence industry is rapidly changing – global political tensions and emerging threats driving new technology to be adopted to create a safer world. Introducing and encouraging use of machine learning and AI to support all aspects, from algorithms to design optimisation, and the ever growing field autonomous vessels.

Young professionals will play a key role in shaping this trajectory – helping define how the industry will evolve away from historic ways of working and moving into the future.