Career Profile – Sean Lehane

Where did you graduate from and what attracted you to KPC International?

I graduated from Cork Institute of Technology. To tell the truth, I was attracted to KPC because they were recruiting and there were not many jobs for graduates at the time. However, what made me more excited about the role was the chance to travel and use my chemical and biopharmaceutical Engineering degree. Since then, I have worked in Hungary, Paris, Singapore and Manchester. This has given me the opportunity to travel extensively outside of this.

What have you learned since joining KPC International?

I was lucky with KPC International in that it is a company with big aspirations. As a graduate engineer with limited experience, being immersed in an intense project environment allowed me to take on the duties and responsibilities of a more experienced engineer. Due to this, I had the ability improve as an engineer considerably more than if I was part of an organisation where this system does not exist.  The intense project environment has also given me the ability to learn the necessary soft skills to survive and excel in such an environment.

What type of projects have you been working on at KPC International?

I have worked on mainly Biopharmaceutical projects across various roles with varying duties. I have worked with several of the biggest pharma companies in the world and have contributed to some of the biggest pharma projects in the last few years. The work I have done is mainly around Commissioning, Qualification and Validation.

What advice would you give to somebody looking to join the KPC team?

Hard work and flexibility are key. This is a small enough corner of the industry and contacts are very important. The job is not easy by any means but it is rewarding.