Rhiannon Gardiner

Aerodynamicist makes her mark at Ford

In her dream job as an Aerodynamics Engineer at Ford Motor Company, Rhiannon Gardiner (BAeroEng(hons) 2014, BSc 2014) revels in the opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint of over half a million vehicles each year. To this end, she sets up and runs computational fluid dynamics simulations to model the most aerodynamically efficient shape for a given vehicle. Once an exterior design has been chosen, Rhiannon then leads the development of an aerobuck (a clay prototype) for wind tunnel testing.

“I test the prototype in the wind tunnel to determine the final shape of the vehicle,” explains Rhiannon. “It's rewarding to see design changes that I've influenced on Ford vehicles out there on the road – changes that have increased the fuel efficiency of vehicles by reducing their overall drag, thereby minimising carbon emissions.”

In her career, Rhiannon has learned to be resourceful and resilient when things don’t go according to plan…and to quickly recover from her own mistakes! “To save cost, I once inadvertently cancelled the order of a critical part,” she reveals. “Several vehicles couldn't be tested without this part, which meant that I’d put the project at serious risk of missing its deadline. When I discovered my mistake, I immediately set about pursuing every possible avenue to get the replacement part on time. Thankfully, my effort paid off.”

Having supported herself through uni, Rhiannon takes nothing for granted. “When I was in high school my parents were dairy farmers and were hit hard by the drought. We didn't have a lot of money and no one in my family had ever finished school, let alone gone to university,” she shares. “I had so much working against me and I'm very glad that I worked through it to end up where I am.”

Upon completing her double degree, Rhiannon secured a summer internship with the Australian government as an astrophysics researcher at the Gemini observatory in La Serena, Chile. “Prospective employers liked that I was flexible and confident enough to take on a role in a foreign country, and that helped me get into the 2016 Ford graduate program,” she relays. “Also, I’d been dedicated to every step of the application process. For example, if I had a video interview, I’d spend an hour or so beforehand answering practice questions on camera.”

Rhiannon advises against focussing too much on grades. “Companies do look at your grade point average, but it's only one of many things that they take into consideration. Ultimately, companies hire people that they want to work with,” she contends. “Remember that you're 'interviewing' them, too. One company asked me if I read mechanical engineering magazines for leisure. When I told them I didn't, they were disappointed. That company was clearly not a good fit for me.”

She also recommends that female engineers seek out a female mentor in a senior position. “When I first started my career, I told my mentor that I was concerned that I'd been too honest by telling my team that mechanical design wasn’t a strength of mine,” recounts Rhiannon. “She replied that, contrary to popular belief, vulnerable leaders inspire with their authenticity, and build bonds that lead to better performance. It was great to get advice from someone who could offer an informed perspective.”

What’s next for Rhiannon? “As much as I’m content for now to develop my technical and project management skills at a junior level, I'm working towards moving on to a senior role in the next couple of years,” she says. “I want a position where I can translate big strategic goals into specific actions for others to perform. In this way, I hope to influence the direction and impact of a company.” As always, Rhiannon will make her mark.