Please tell us about your role at PNDC
My role at PNDC is to operate and maintain the equipment held on site to facilitate the research and testing carried out on a day to day basis. As a part of this, I see projects through from initial design to purchasing; installation; commissioning and testing liaising throughout with all the stakeholders involved in the project. I also carry out scheduled and unscheduled maintenance of the fixed and mobile electrical infrastructure on site ensuring strict adherence to standards and health and safety are carried out at all times.
How long have you worked at PNDC?
I started work in September 2021 after an enjoyable summer off with my family.
What was your background before joining PNDC?
My background has always been engineering and for the most Electrical Engineering having served my time as an electrician within the chemical side of the petrochemical industries in Grangemouth. I remained there for many years and broadened my skills to multi-skilled engineer before allowing my profession to let me see some of Scotland moving to the Northern Lighthouse Board as part of the Orkney maintenance team looking after the fixed aids to navigation which allowed me to spend many happy years living by the beach on mainland Orkney and was my first venture into renewables.
From there I spent some eight years working in Peterhead on the lifeboat where amongst my engineering duties I was full-time crew also. On leaving I did a short post within the food industry for a family-owned business as a facilities electrician upgrading the standard of the factories distribution before moving back to where I originally called home.
Here I began working for a printing business that eventually fell prey to the pressures of Brexit and Coronavirus. After seeing the factory ready to close I took up a brief role as a maintenance technician for a medical manufacturing group before joining the team at PNDC. I have been lucky enough to have had a diverse background that has seen me gain a breadth of knowledge and experience from a wide range of both private and public sectors in a widely varied selection of industries.
What do you enjoy most about working at PNDC?
The atmosphere and variety of work are what I enjoy most about working at PNDC. There is a hugely diverse workforce with a wealth of knowledge and experience and everyone is wholly committed to making the work of the centre a success whilst trying to retain as much of the fun as they can.
What can we find you doing in your spare time?
I have always enjoyed being out and about enjoying as much of Scotland as I possibly can. Most of my time is spent with my family these days trying to impart my love for Scotland onto them be it walking, cycling, boating or relaxing by a campfire with a beer and sneaky roll on sausage when the weather allows. When the weather’s not so great there’s always the dreaded DIY and tinkering about with my own projects.
Connect with Alastair on LinkedIn.