Erika Velio - Product Assurance Engineer

‘I get all the space I need to develop myself here.’

A holiday to the Netherlands brought Erika Velio to Airbus Defence and Space Netherlands. After previous jobs at Arianespace in Kourou and Paris, she was given the opportunity to work at the quality department at Airbus. “I really appreciate the honesty and candour of my colleagues here.”

Dedication
“Officially, I’m employed as Product Assurance Engineer, but in practice I fulfil several roles, for I’m also Tactical Configuration Manager and vice-chair of the Works Council. I’m fully committed and feel real dedication to my work and the roles I fulfil. My job makes me happy and I leave my house filled with enthusiasm every morning.”

“That’s due in part to my colleagues, who have always been amazingly helpful. I get lots of support and feedback, which is great when you want to learn. It is important for me to be involved closely with the organisation, and for that reason I’m doing my best to master the Dutch language. For even though the working language here is English, it’s handy to be able to switch to Dutch. It creates more of a bond.”

Balance
“I’m a single mum and therefore work part time. That way, I can split my time between caring for my two children and contributing to the efforts of Airbus. Striking a workable balance between work and my private life is an absolute must. The fact that I can work part time makes me a far more effective employee. Airbus is very mindful about a healthy balance between work and one’s social life. They promote employees’ general health in several ways, actually, regularly organising all kinds of sporting activities.

“Airbus DS NL is a company rich in knowledge and talent. A lot of time and effort is invested in our skills and remedying any individual shortcomings. It gives you a good idea of what’s expected of you and what you can do to meet that expectation. I think it’s very good that there’s time to evaluate our performance, because it’s something that can only make us stronger. It’s the groundwork for personal growth. My manager knows exactly where I want to go and gives me all the support I need in that respect.”