Nabila, 40 y.o, Project Engineer, Paris, Val de Seine

“I’m an Ekium project engineer, currently on mission on the production site of a major pharmaceutical laboratory, close to Paris. I work on new projects and also on the maintenance of the existing automatic systems. I’m also on-call (nights and week-ends), one week in four, for the various process control systems. My day-to-day work concerns design analyses (specifications, analysis of tenders, AF, AO, FAT, SAT test protocols, QI, QO, reports, etc.), programming and tests, and I provide technical assistance.

The main qualities required for this job are a multi-skills capability and responsiveness, and to be present in all the sectors involving non-stop production, such as the automotive sector, aerospace, mechanical construction, wood, textiles, foodstuffs and chemical, etc. The engineer handles negotiations with both suppliers and sub-contractors, and thus requires the dual skills of both manager and technician. My engineer training prepared me, and the experience acquired with Ekium since 2008 has strengthened my project management skills”.

Francis, 54 y.o, Development Manager for GLI at Villeurbanne

“Ekium has considerable experience in the field of industrial projects, and its merger with GLI, a commercial building specialist, allows the company to respond to new requirements. Personally, I have more than twenty years experience, which have enabled me to contribute to the creation and installation of many centralised management systems, including security and fire detection systems, in large building complexes. Today, the design and installation of these systems and networks are combined with consulting services for their operation and maintenance, in order to determine the best possible compromise between technology and human resources on the sites. Ekium thus provides an overall response to its customers”.

Sébastien, 28 y.o, Automatic Systems Project Engineer, Méditerranée Grand Sud

“Having qualified and obtained my engineer’s diploma (ESME Sudria, Paris), and following initial experience as an on-site technical assistant, I joined Ekium in 2008, as an automatic systems project engineer. This change has given me a far more overall approach to projects, right from the design phase. Whether it be the steel, nuclear or oil industry, our approach always starts with a design phase, followed by the creation and implementation phases. It’s this overall approach, and the broad diversity of situations, that I find interesting. Furthermore, this is why I’m so keen on my work for Ekium, and I’d like to progress further to become a project manager”.

Christophe, 41 y.o, Technical Leader, Lyon Grand Est

“Twenty years with the company have enabled me to develop in the general installation sector, progressing notably through the jobs of planner, project manager and, today, technical leader. I’m currently working on the design phase of an industrial site that will manufacture anodes for aluminium. I handle the flexibility computing for the plant hot pipe systems. I work in cooperation with various other sectors, such as structures, pipe systems, equipment, etc. Ekium is a company that stimulates internal promotion, and I’d like to continue my progress”.

Sébastien, 27 y.o, I.T. Project Engineer, Méditerranée Grand Sud

“Information Technology project engineer, with a Marseille Polytech’ diploma, I met Ekium at a recruitment forum in 2008. A friendly interviewer, willing to answer my questions, convinced me to join this company, whose sectors of activity had already aroused my curiosity. I completed an initial database development mission for the loading management system on an oil industry storage site. Since then, I’ve been developing monitoring applications at French Atomic Energy Authority (CEA) Cadarache site. The CEA is a major Ekium customer. In my day-to-day work, I share this mission with another engineer, and we work in close cooperation with the CEA contract managers. Within Ekium, I also have the support of the Industrial I.T. Activity Manager. The primary quality necessary to succeed in this type of mission that of listening to the customer. The requirements always change during the project, so you have to be reactive and a source of proposals”.

Isabel, 41 y.o, Management Controller, Bron

“Following initial training as a teacher, in Spain, I came to France and trained in HR. Two early jobs, for Altedia, and then with the Merck Laboratories, helped me to discover finance control. Two years ago, I joined Ekium. My choice was guided by the field of activity of this engineering company, which is based on a high added value for customers, and its reasonable size. This nice medium-size company was going to allow me to work within an overall scope, and at all levels, from the most operational to the most general. I don’t regret having made that choice. In two years, we’ve set up new procedures, for example fine analytical accounting methods, which were made necessary by the growth of the company. I now have an assistant who is continuing this work, while I’m working on an international implementation of what has been successful in France, which is an extremely positive career development”.

Christian, 57 y.o, Senior Planner, Lyon Grand Est

“I started my career as an engineering planner around thirty-five years ago, and I’d had several other jobs before joining Atecas in 2002, which has since become Ekium. I’ve completed many, extremely varied, missions. To give you a few examples: for a major pharmaceutical laboratory, I worked on several analyses concerning the location and installation of production units, office buildings and technical buildings, and a renovation analysis to remodel the laboratory’s production. For other companies, I’ve worked on the operating design of production and manufacturing units, the installation of medical gases and production means in the hospital environment, or aircraft fuelling for international airports. Although all assignments aren’t equally interesting, despite their varied nature, when a customer company manager once questioned me about project progress, I was able to answer: I’m enjoying myself!”

Frédéric, 39 y.o, International Installations Manager, Bron

“I’m 39 years old, and I’ve completed many international missions for industrial and tertiary sector companies, before joining Ekium in February 2005. My first responsibility with Ekium was to set up a subsidiary in Romania, while also managing the Polish subsidiary. Since 2010, we’ve launched other projects in a number of countries in Africa and Europe. Our department covers both construction and industrial and tertiary installation. From the site worker up to the project manager, the team comprises all professional sectors related to the technical lots, with more than 150 personnel in 2011. In an international environment, the main quality required of a professional, in addition to skill, is the ability to work alone, with a certain multi-role capability and the confidence that goes with it”.

Amandine, 29 y.o, Paris Val de Seine

“I came to Ekium after three years working in a small Irish service company, where I was a developer, working on the installation of PLC programmes. It was mainly the variety of the projects that attracted me to Ekium. From the beginning, I appreciated being able to develop my own project management skills through Ekium’s own specific working methods. During the first eighteen months, I worked for various customers, such as Agrana, the Lyonnaise des Eaux and the Paris Urban Transport Authority (RATP)... I’ve now been working for our customer Fives Stein for almost three years, where I manage the Chinese programming team for two silicon lines. I’m leading a programming team for the first time. I’m 29 years old, and this is my initial management experience. Regular team changes also have to be managed, along with western/eastern cultural differences, which sometimes complicate the solving of problems, not forgetting delivery dates that remain the same, in spite of the changes required while the project is in progress”.

Denis, 40 y.o, Chemical Pharmaceutical and Foodstuffs Manager, Lyon Grand Est

“After twelve years working for Ekium, I’m now Manager of the Chemical-Pharmaceutical-Foodstuffs activity, and I can say that the company’s main characteristic isn’t only the diversity of its sectors of activity and its international deployment, it’s mainly its ability to combine job expertise with overall engineering. This leads us to handle highly advanced project work in each of our specialist fields, such as automatic systems, information technology, electricity, instrumentation, pipe systems, civil engineering, building, etc… and also to design “turnkey” buildings or production units. To be part of our business unit, comprising project managers, job leaders, engineers and technicians, you need confirmed technical skills and, above all, real listening and integration qualities. That’s what you need to succeed in Ekium”.