Maeve was the 4th person to be hired by ICS and has seen the company go from a small start-up with 5 employees to now having 80 employees and operating out of a state of the art facility with an added extension on the way. Maeve was recently promoted to Senior Engineer and shares her insights on how she got to where she is today and her experience of working in a medical device start-up.
How long have you worked in ICS Medical Devices? Tell us more about your education/career background.
I have worked in ICS Medical Devices for 3.5 years. Previous to this I worked in Creganna Medical as a Product Builder and then a Technician. Before this I worked as a Product builder in Boston Scientific and Potrero Medical in San Francisco. I studied Biomedical Science in IT Sligo and graduated with a Level 7 in 2015, and completed the Level 8 in 2019.
What made you apply for a job in ICS?
I had a great experience working in a start-up company previously and saw that you can get involved in many different parts of the company which can open up more opportunities, so I was always interested in getting back into one. The work here is different to other companies as we get exposure to various products at different stages. I work in the design group where our focus is devices which are still in the design and development phase, allowing me to be creative and hands on which I really enjoy.
Maeve pictured in the design process of one of ICS’ projects.
How has your role evolved in ICS since you started?
I started in ICS in September 2019 as an Engineer and was recently promoted to Senior Engineer.
What piece of advice would you give to young engineers starting a career in medical devices?
I would say don’t be scared to get involved in different areas of the workplace, especially when on placement. Figure out what area you like and get to know the people in that area. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, share ideas and make mistakes.
What is one skill you think everyone should learn and why?
I think communication is very important. We are lucky here in ICS that we get to talk to customers and vendors daily and get to build a relationship with them from the beginning of a project.
As one of the first employees hired at ICS what was your experience like working at the early stages of a medical device start-up?
It was a very different experience to any previous jobs I have had, and you really get exposure to different areas of the company. It was challenging at times but seeing all the hard work pay off and seeing ICS go from a small number of people to 80 people now with customers all over the world is very rewarding.
Outside of your job is there anything you are particularly passionate about?
I love going to the gym and keeping fit. I enjoy walking and like a lot of people during the pandemic started running. I’m also looking forward to starting up tag rugby in Corinthians this summer again with the ICS team. I love to travel and was fortunate to travel to South East Asia for 6 weeks in December and January, with thanks to ICS for accommodating the extended leave.