STG Bright Light Series: Aneta Stepien
In our Bright Lights series, we showcase some of our brilliant employees and their experience of working here at STG Aerospace. This time, we spoke to our Project Controller, Aneta Stepien about moving to STG two years ago and the unusual way in which she met her new colleagues for the first time.
After applying for a job and going through the interview process, Aneta was offered the Project Controller role on the day of STG’s annual Christmas party. Luckily, Aneta accepted the job and the team invited her to join the festivities. Despite not knowing anyone, she attended and used it as an opportunity to meet lots of new faces in a relaxed atmosphere. Reflecting on her first day she said:
“A lot of people might have found it a bit daunting, but I thought it was a great way to get to know people. It meant that when I went in the following Monday, there were lots of familiar faces, which was great.”
Aneta moved to the UK from Poland in 2005 with her family after her husband secured a new job role. She didn’t speak any English when she first moved but made it her mission to immerse herself in college to learn the language. Once she had got her English up to speed and built up her confidence, Aneta started her career in quality management in a medical device production company.
After several years working in the aerospace project management field, Aneta started searching for a new role and spotted the Project Controller role at STG. She said:
“I knew I didn’t have all the experience required for this role, so I didn’t have high expectations of getting the job. I completed the three-stage interview process and much to my surprise, I ended up being offered the position! I was told that they liked my expertise in quality management, which is beneficial in any aerospace role, and that I was a good fit for the team. They assured me that any parts of the role that I didn’t know could be learned through inhouse training.”
Working in a close-knit team of two, Aneta collaborates closely with Project Manager, Adam Morgan. The Project Management team plays a pivotal role in managing significant OEM projects, fostering close ties with our engineering team and spearheading collaborations.. There are of course several moving parts in a role like Aneta’s and managing projects with global clients can present its rewards and challenges. Speaking of a normal day at STG, Aneta said:
“It’s funny because no day is ever the same and like most people in the organisation, our days are shaped by customer requirements. From preparing meeting reports to generating purchase requests and tracking deliveries, my responsibilities vary a great deal. The flexibility I need to adapt to different tasks, keeps the work interesting and engaging, which I love.”
Aneta explains that the challenges that come with the role help her understand something new. Due to English being Aneta’s second language, she initially found it difficult to understand the technical engineering jargon. However, the team were more than happy to help her become familiar with it. She said:
“Sometimes the technical language would be difficult to understand, but the team really make it a supportive environment. My colleagues were very patient and now I’m comfortable with the challenging language!”
Reflecting on her most memorable project, Aneta recalls the intense yet rewarding experience of delivering a project for a former employer of hers, now a valued customer of STG. Tight deadlines, conflicting priorities, and limited resources, highlighted the resilience and collaboration within the STG team, ultimately leaving a lasting feeling of success. Speaking of the project, Aneta said:
“I think working together to a tight deadline is a big strength for STG as we are good at supporting one another to reach a goal. You can feel the pressure at the time but it’s incredibly exciting to see the final result.”
Looking to the future, Aneta is keen to continue learning and developing her skills and she recently completed a new project management qualification. The supportive environment at STG fuels her ambition to explore and expand her expertise.