Matthew Deakin, Research and Development Manager, UNICAT Catalyst (Dewsbury)
Career Development – Process Development Engineer - Research and Development Manager
Describe your role at UNICAT? What drew you to this position?
My role is to manage the lab team and direct the research and development activities within the lab to develop new or improved products, improve production processes and drive innovation to meet the demands of our customers. I joined the company in 2012, as a Process Development Engineer, working on a number of projects, including a new range of Mercury adsorbents and working on the development of a novel catalyst carrier system, now known as Magcat®. It was the opportunity to work on exciting and leading-edge projects like this in a fast moving, innovative environment that drew me to the position.
Can you share an example of how UNICAT’s company culture supports employee’s growth and development?
Personal and professional development are a key part of UNICAT’s culture, with in-role development and internal promotion common throughout the business but especially within the laboratory and R&D team. People who have started within the company in the laboratory technician role have gone onto to grow into key positions within the business, including Assistant General Manager of our Vietnamese production plant, senior QC technician, Supply Chain Officer and Development Technologist.
Personally, I have also seen this focus on growth and development firsthand, as it is through the support and guidance of the company that I was given the opportunity to enrol in management courses, increasing my knowledge and confidence and directly leading to my current role as R&D Manager.
What do you enjoy most about working at UNICAT, and what keeps you motivated within the role?
Working within the Research and Development laboratory at UNICAT is an exciting and ever evolving role with a wide range of challenges. From using state of the art research to develop brand new products or working with Customers to solve and provide solutions to their problems, to providing support to keep the production lines in multiple counties running smoothly and efficiently. It is this ever-changing role that ensures that no two days are exactly the same, something which I love in my work.
What excites you most about the future of our company, and how can new employees contribute to that vision?
This is a very exciting time to be working at UNICAT with work starting on several new product lines and joint development projects with our partners in industry. As we expand into these new areas, the introduction of new employees can bring the wide range of experience and diversity of thought that is vital to approach the coming challenges in innovative and exciting ways. For people who thrive on meeting the challenges head-on and want to bring their own unique perspective to the company, UNICAT is an ideal company to both utilise and develop those talents.
