Automobile

The President and the Managing Director of Péenicia Conseil have spent most of their professional career in the automotive industry and have a thorough knowledge of all the positions in the sector, which allows them to provide high quality advice in the recruitment of talents adapted to the specificity of the functions on an international level

Presentation of the sector

From the design office to the first crash test, engineers and designers conceive, draw, develop and test a prototype. Technicians manufacture the various parts of the vehicle, then operators assemble them on an assembly line directed by mechanical or automation engineers.

The number of employees in the motor trade is falling, while the repair sector is growing, driven by the ageing of the vehicle fleet. Repairers, mechanics, bodywork specialists and experts work on damaged vehicles and ensure that environmental and safety standards are met.

As vehicles are becoming increasingly sophisticated, some positions require mastery of advanced technologies. Finally, dealerships and rental agencies are recruiting warehousemen, salespeople and managers.

The automotive world is mainly made up of 4 types of companies: manufacturers (Renault, PSA Peugeot-Citroën), equipment manufacturers (manufacturers of engine control systems, dashboards, shock absorbers, etc.), distributors (dealers) and repairers (garages and body shops).

The sector is undergoing major changes. Manufacturers have refocused on their core business, namely the design and final assembly of vehicles and the manufacture of engines and gearboxes.

As for equipment manufacturers, they are the driving force behind recent innovations that are changing the face of the automobile.

Their market is grow ng in France, but a so abroad, where large groups are opening subsidiaries and developing their sales. The automotive industries also have activities related to the industrial vehicle, cycle and motorcycle.

With the rise of new vehicles, the automotive industry is facing new strategic challenges.

The sector’s players are developing batteries and chargers for electric and hybrid vehicles and innovating in the field of autonomous and connected vehicles.

Manufacturers and equipment suppliers are revising their production methods and focusing on research and development. Specialists in specialized fields such as electronics, lighting, air conditioning and transmissions are increasingly involved in the research and development (R&D) of new vehicles and contribute to innovations in the industry. Virtually all automotive parts are involved.

Some major equipment manufacturers continue to recruit engineers to strengthen their R&D departments. The same is true of engineering companies, which offer their expertise in innovation. These two types of players are particularly looking for specialists in electronics and embedded systems.

Jobs, training and diplomas:

Purchasing Manager:

The role of a buyer is to buy products in large quantities to supply the shelves of a store (dairy products, books, etc.) or a factory (machine tools, printing equipment, etc.). Whatever the field, he or she knows the characteristics of the products purchased perfectly. In constant contact with suppliers, he negotiates the best purchasing conditions for his company: prices, quantities and optimum delivery times.
Its objective is to minimize inventory and the cost of producing or selling the product, in order to increase the profit margin. In industry, the buyer works with the marketing department or the accounting department; in distribution, with the department managers and merchandisers. As an e ployee in industry or mass distribution, the buyer has a strategic role within the company, as very large sums of money are at stake. The young graduate starts in inventory management or procurement.
In the industry, a double technical and commercial competence is imperative. With the international opening, the practice of English is very recommended.

Education and qualifications:

3 years to obtain a professional licence (1 year after a baccalaureate + 2) or a business school diploma; 5 years for a master’s degree, a diploma from a business school or an engineering diploma, possibly supplemented by a specialised master’s degree in purchasing (1 year). Another possibility: 2 years to prepare a BTS in international trade or a BTS in technical sales, supplemented by a few years of professional experience.

Head of Sales:

As the link between the sales force and the sales management, the sales manager is responsible for a customer base in a given geographical area.
He can also be specialized on a category of products or customers. His function is comparable to that of a coach. Every day, he has to motivate his troops, monitor the results obtained by each member of the team, and implement strategies to increase sales.
Requiring great interpersonal skills and unfailing dynamism, this job is accessible after a 2-year degree and a few years of professional experience.

Education and qualifications:

Bac + 2: BTS in negotiation and digitalization of customer relations; operational sales management. Bac + 3: marketing techniques degree, professional degree in operational marketing, trade and distribution, food product marketing, e-commerce and

dig tal marketing… D ploma from a busi ess school or management school. Bac + 5: master’s degree in marketing, sales; diploma from a business or management school.

Mechanical engineer:

Without mechanics, there would be no satellites, high-speed trains, engines or gearboxes. Together with electronics and information technology, it provides industrial sectors with the equipment and components they need.
In the design office, the mechanical engineer participates in the creation of new products or the improvement of existing products. On the computer screen, he or she can design an aircraft wing, a landing gear or the shape of a car body part and determine the stresses on the mechanical system (temperature, air resistance, friction) and deduce the characteristics of each part. This work requires numerous calculations carried out with the help of specialized software.
In an engineering company, the mechanical engineer designs the equipment used by industrial companies.
He then defines the architecture of the automated machines that manufacture engines or assemble bodies. Then he supervises their installation.
Responsible for a production unit, he ensures the smooth running of the workshops, ensures compliance with quality and deadlines, helps to solve various technical problems and improves the organisation of workstations.

Education and qualifications:

5 years to obtain an engineering degree or a master’s degree in mechanics.

Automation engineer:

The automation engineer designs and builds complex automated systems: programmable logic controllers, robots, automatically guided vehicles, etc.
He s the main person responsible for the automation of a factory, a company, a sorting system, etc. He is present in all fields of industrial manufacturing that use a production line: automotive, aeronautical, mechanical engineering, wood, textile, food processing, chemical.
His mission: to specify the specifications.
As a project manager, he manages, leads and motivates teams, and works in close partnership with production engineers, manufacturing, maintenance and methods managers, suppliers and service providers.
He is both a very good technician and a manager, because he has to justify the expenses incurred to his company. Finally, he advises, assists and trains users.
He works in an SME (small and medium-sized enterprise), a large group or an engineering company that subcontracts the execution of projects. His qualities:
Technical and managerial skills, good adaptability and organizational skills, and excellent command of English.

Education and qualifications

5 years to obtain an engineering degree or a 3EA master’s degree (electronics, electrical energy, automation) or automation, robotics.

Calculation engineer:

The calculation engineer is an industrial mathematician who studies the characteristics of the parts used in a mechanical construction project.
He works in the aeronautics, oil exploration, railway construction and energy sectors, etc. He determines the stresses on parts before they are manufactured.
He evaluates the resistance of materials and structures by simulating falls or pressure (crash studies). He works with designers and can provide ideas for manufacturing processes.
He s fluent in techn cal English and 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) software.
Reflection, rigour and organisation are important qualities for this job.

Education and qualifications:

Bac + 5: engineering degree with a specialization in computing and modeling or scientific computing; master’s degree in high performance computing, simulation; mechanical engineering; computer science, applied mathematics, statistics; mathematics and applications; transport, mobility, networks, etc.

Electromechanic:

The electromechanic installs new machines in a workshop or on a building site: production machines, lifting equipment, etc. Based on the manufacturing file, he/she assembles the motors, bearings or speed variators, and makes the electrical connections.
He makes the various adjustments and checks the proper functioning of the unit.
But his main role is to maintain and repair the machines. He/she carries out the planned maintenance tasks (cleaning, checking the insulation of electrical circuits, greasing bearings, adjustments, changing mechanical parts, etc.).
He also carries out all the checks intended to identify an anomaly, such as overheating, deformation or wear of a part. He then changes the defective elements.
When a failure occurs, he carries out a series of tests and measurements to find the cause of the failure.
He then replaces the affected parts, makes the necessary adjustments and puts the machine back into operation. Most electromechanics work in industry, in industrial maintenance companies or in companies such as EDF, SNCF or RATP.

After 3rd grade :

Bac pro in electricity and its connected environments; maintenance of industrial equipment.

After the baccalaureate:

High voltage electrician:

Electricity at 400º000 volts transported from its place of production to large urban areas.
A project made possible thanks to the energy highways and the high voltage lines technician.
He is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the electrical installations to ensure that power is always transmitted. His role

also consists of d tecting any anomaly or accident on the high-voltage line network.
An emergency call (EDF, neighbour, etc.) often triggers his intervention. He is quickly on the scene and implements the most appropriate device. Sometimes, he intervenes on the lines themselves to replace an insulator or reinforce a protection system.

Education and qualifications:

Bac + 2: BTS electrotechnics..

Geologist:

A modern detective who deciphers the secrets of the Earth, the geologist collects rock fragments and fossils, and takes gas from the top of a volcano.
From microscopes to aerial photographs, he is as interested in a soil sample as in a uranium deposit.
Examining the composition of a metal allows, for example, hypotheses to be made about the pollution risks it may cause in a region.
The geologist is also looking for new deposits of raw material. Observing and collecting materials is only part of the geologist’s job.
He must also exploit laboratory work, research documentation on the subject and propose new interpretations on the history of our planet, the relationships between the soil, the subsoil and the biosphere.
He is both a naturalist and a scientist using digital data, with skills as a physicist, chemist and computer scientist. He may be assisted by a geological technician who takes samples to be studied (for drilling and boring) and performs chemical assays on the rocks.
Field and laboratory work:
When the geologist specializes in the study of soils, he is called a pedologist.
When it comes to groundwater, he is a hydrogeologist.

Education and qualifications:

2 years to obtain a BTS in applied geology for the technician; 5 years for a master’s degree (Earth and planetary sciences, environment; bio-geosciences with a specialization in geology), an engineering degree in geology (École des mines, Eost Strasbourg, Institut Polytechnique LaSalle Beauvais) for the engineer.