#MotorsportCareers
Do you aspire to be at the cutting edge of #Automotive engineering, technology and speed. Can you help your team to push the limits and race for glory? If that sounds like you then keep reading to find out more about Careers at the pinnacle of Automotive, Motorsports
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Race Team jobs are roles that are based trackside. These types of jobs range from Mechanics, Engineers, and Garage Technicians. They are responsible for setting up the equipment and cars when they arrive at a circuit and then ensure the car is running correctly during sessions.
The sort of tasks carried out by mechanics and technicians will include setting up the garages properly, ensuring all tools, parts and supplies are organised and accessible.
Once set up, mechanics get to work checking and assembling the car, ensuring all parts are operating correctly and the vehicles are adequately fuelled and lubricated.
Depending on the size of the team, mechanics will be led by the Chief mechanic or Head mechanic who oversee and set the mechanical strategy and decide tasks and timeframes. The No1 mechanic will implement this, overseeing and monitoring the work of the No2 Mechanics.
Race Mechanic jobs have slightly different requirements depending on the role and level of the sport, for example a Motorsport or engineering degree would be required to work in Formula 1. However whilst a degree will be an advantage, you will find it is not always a requirement, as ability and experience working on a range of vehicles are often seen to be more important, as the role is much more hands on.
Full time hours are typically around 40 hours a week for a Team mechanic, however in the run up to Race weekends and events this will include weekend and late evening finishes and may be on a rota system with other team members. There will also be alot of travelling involved to different race locations, and testing facilities for example
Entry level Race mechanics may earn on average around £26,000 a year, and with experience this can rise to £36,000 a year, and higher still with progression into more senior roles within a team.
A Race Technician can progress from an entry level role such as a Number 3 mechanic, on to a number 2 or Lead Mechanic role. There will also be opportunities to learn a specialism on a particular system or components such as transmissions or electronics. Some motorsport mechanics also make the transition from race mechanic to race engineer
The Race Engineer will often report into the Director of Engineering and is responsible for being the link between driver and the team and must communicate effectively and clearly between engineers and driver to extract the most performance from the car.
Some responsibilities will include:
Other specialist Engineers on the team will feed back information to the Race Engineer they could be Performance Engineers, Aero Engineers, Tyre Engineers, Systems Engineers, Power Unit Engineers, Gearbox Engineers, and Electronics Engineers – all play a vital role in their fields and responsible for analysing data and calculating how to optimise the car for maximum performance.
To secure an Engineering role in a Race Team and to be effective in the job you will need to have an engineering degree. You could look at Mechanical or Aeronautical as your first choices, however, most STEM subjects will be sufficient. If you want to get into F1, most teams will insist on a 2:1.
Full time hours are typically around 40 hours a week for a Race Engineer, however in the run up to Race weekends and events this will include weekend and late evening finishes and may be on a rota system with other team members. There will also be a lot of travelling involved to different race locations, and testing facilities for example
An average starting salary for a Race Engineer is around £30-35k. This will assume that you have a degree in mechanical engineering or another relevant discipline and some Motorsport experience.
If you were to achieve a Master’s degree and 3+ years experience in the field you can expect your salary to boost up to the £50+ mark depending on the team and series. The sky’s the limit once you end up in the top flight though – a recent Formula E senior race engineer was appointed on a salary of £120k, and successful F1 race engineers have been reported to earn in excess of £250,000 a year.
A Race Engineer could progress on to become a Team Principal or senior team Strategist
Design jobs in motorsport are usually office based and are responsible for designing every aspect of the car and the parts, engines, and bodywork.
Every part and aspect of a car needs to be designed, so think of any part of a car and there will be a design job available.The types of job title you can expect to find are Design Engineer, CAD Engineer, Composite Designer and Surface Designer, wiring Harness Design Engineer, Electronics Engineer, Powertrain Design Engineer, Suspension Design Engineer, Hardware Design Engineer, Systems Design Engineer, and Mechanical Design Engineer.
Most of the time Design Engineers will be using various types of CAD software such as Ansys, Autodesk, Solidworks, Rhino, Creo Parametric, Alias and Catia to design and develop 2D and 3D models necessary in product engineering.
There will be lots of data analysis, looking at prototypes and existing products finding ways to improve designs and solving problems,
The best route into Design would be to secure a bachelor’s degree, however, an HND might be sufficient. The most important thing is to have exceptional computer skills, or at least be able to learn different platforms and software programmes quicky and efficiently.
Having a natural flair for design and being a creative person will go a long way to allowing you to adapt and develop your skills.
Full time hours are typically around 40 hours a week for a Design Engineer, however in the run up to prototype or testing deadlines you will need to be willing to work longer hours to ensure a project is complete on time
An average starting salary for a Design Engineer is around £25k. This will assume that you have a degree in Design or another relevant discipline
With some experience you can expect the salary to rise increase up to approximately £40-45K
A design Engineer may start out working on specific components or systems and progress on to a Lead designer role where they would oversee the overall design process of a new Race car or designing an entirely new platform concept for the team to develop.
Production jobs in Motorsport are mostly factory based and use advanced machines and techniques such as moulds to manufacture race car parts. Roles could include CNC Machinists, Composite Technicians, Laminators and Trimmers.
Fabricators in motorsport turn raw materials into finished components or product. In most fabricator motorsport roles, this means working with metal creating engine parts, exhausts, and chassis through welding using either MIG or TIG.
To work in production in motorsport, you will be producing all sorts of parts and supplies needed for vehicle assembly. You will be required to work with Technical Manuals and drawings to product the high-quality parts needed for race cars. You will be fitting and trimming composite components and composite moulds. You will work with a variety of materials, such as pre-peg carbon fibre and you will be responsible for kitting, layup, bagging and de-bagging the component.
Whilst a degree is not always a requirement, general engineering and manufacturing knowledge is required. Some courses will be worth looking at such as Diplomas and Technical Colleges to help define your skills.
Full time hours are typically around 40 hours a week for a production operative, however Some roles will require flexibility to work night shifts and weekends.
An average starting salary for a Production technician is around £21k.
With experience you can expect the salary to rise increase up to approximately £26K. If you work up to production manager you could earn up to £35-40k
As a production worker you could progress onto being a technician for the manufacturing equipment, or a production supervisor. In time you could then move on to production management roles where you will oversee the planning and progress of the production process
Travel and Logistics job roles in motorsport are responsible for ensuring all equipment and personal are correctly and safely transported nationally and internationally, depending on the series. This involves lots of advanced planning and booking to ensure the shipping is efficient and effective.
Hospitality staff in motorsport usually plan and execute the hospitality programme at race events. Responsible for providing great guest experiences, responsibilities will include managing drivers and sponsors in hospitality units and ensuring everything is set up and on brand.
The job titles in Hospitality are very varied as there are so many different jobs that need doing. Some of the different jobs required in Hospitality are Event Staff, Hospitality Manager, Front of House, Host, Guest Relations, Catering, Partner Lead, Chef, Cook, Barista, Bartender, Supervisors & Team Members.
For travel and logistics qualifications relating to geography, travel and tourism would be beneficial, along with relevant experience with event planning and dealing with multiple contractors and venues will be essential to be successful in this role
For Hospitality roles, qualifications relating to customer service and client services would be valuable, alongside experience in a hospitality role from a different service sector for example accommodation or hotels.
Full time hours are typically around 40 hours a week, however there will likely be a significant amount of travel to different venues involved and working hours will need to be flexible in the run up and during event days typically across weekends and evenings
Entry level Travel, logistics and Hospitality careers can lead to supervisory and team management roles with experience.
