Culture

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Karen Graham, a 60-year-old woman who has found her professional home at Flex Medical Solutions. I want to share my journey within this amazing organisation, which has provided me with endless opportunities for development and personal growth. And, I might add, it has been an absolute blast along the way!

Having joined the company two years ago, I thought I was embarking on the final chapter of my career; I had no grand plans for professional development, as I thought I had reached the stage where I would gracefully coast towards retirement. I quickly realised that age is merely a number, and learning has no boundaries. The vibrancy and vitality of my co-workers created an environment where curiosity thrived and new ideas flourished. I found myself inspired to push my own boundaries, to explore new avenues.

The company’s commitment to nurturing talent and promoting internal mobility allowed me to explore different roles, and I am happy to share my journey with you. Having started at Flex as a Manufacturing Operations Technician, I moved to the post of QC Lab Technician shortly after my first year, and then recently to my current position within Document Control. Here, amongst my day-to-day work, I’m known for being the formidable keeper of the paper shredder! Yes, you read that right, I’m the shredder guardian.

When I first dipped my toes into the world of Manufacturing Technician, little did I know that this would be just the beginning of things. From this, I transitioned into the world of Quality Control as a Laboratory Technician. This role exposed me to the meticulous art of ensuring the highest standards for our products. Through it, I developed an eye for detail and a deep appreciation for the company’s unwavering commitment to excellence. But my journey did not stop there. The opportunity for lateral movement beckoned, and I found myself venturing into the realms of Document Control. As a Document Controller, organisation, precision, and unwavering efficiency are essential as well as paper shredder guardian duties! We take our work seriously in the Quality Department and the shredder is a symbol of our commitment to security and confidentiality.

At Flex, the spirit of knowledge sharing and collaboration runs deep. As a woman in her sixties, I am embraced and valued for the wisdom and unique insights I bring to the table. It is refreshing to work for a company that values individuals for who they are, regardless of age or background. Together, we embark on projects, tackle challenges, and celebrate victories. Age becomes irrelevant as we come together to bring the customers point of care diagnostic idea to life, from concept to commercialisation.

What truly sets Flex apart though, is not just the boundless opportunities for growth, but the incredible people who make up this vibrant community. We are a close-knit family, brought together by our shared passion for what we do and our love for a good laugh. The energy within the workplace is infectious, and it keeps us motivated, inspired, and excited to come to work each day – from staff nights out to our Summer BBQ there is always time for both work and play.

The devices we make have a positive impact on the end user, allowing diagnosis of a range of conditions from infertility to heart disease at record breaking speed. Working at Flex allows me to have a positive impact on people’s lives and complete job satisfaction while doing so.

Darren Lamb – Product Development Engineer

Over the two years I have spent at FlexMedical Solutions, I have had the opportunity to work on a great variety of projects and products. All projects have presented unique technical challenges to solve, but it has been rewarding to work with the fantastic team here to resolve them and offer up successful solutions to our clients.

Having started at FMS as a recent graduate, I have had lots of opportunities to apply and build on the knowledge that I gained at university, as well as expanding on this with all the new skills and information I have picked up along the way. I have particularly enjoyed being able to get hands-on with the manufacturing processes and equipment which, as well as being a personal interest of mine, has helped me to better understand the requirements of our processes and build these into the design of our products from the get-go.

There is a great team of people working at FMS who are always happy to help out when needed. There are a lot of people who are very knowledgeable in their field, and I have enjoyed being able to work alongside them… whilst absorbing as much of their knowledge as possible!

The company is proactive in offering on-going development options, such as training courses and various certifications that allow you to progress your professional career. In my case, this took the form of the Yellow Belt Six Sigma training course, something I learned a great deal from and plan to expand on by undertaking Green and Black belts in the future, both of which are offered by the company. There are plenty of other non-technical development opportunities too for example Excel training and First Aid training.

It has also been nice to see that hard work doesn’t go unnoticed at FMS, having personally experienced progression since starting at Flex myself. In the relatively short time I’ve been here I’ve been promoted from my initial position of CAD Technician into Product Development Engineer. I was, and still am, very grateful for this opportunity. At times the additional responsibilities can seem daunting, but I know that I have the support of more experienced and senior members of the engineering team to help guide me through any challenges that are thrown my way.

It’s not all work though at FMS, as everyone also enjoys getting to relax from time to time, and the social events that the company put on are the perfect way to do this. The annual summer BBQ is a particular highlight in the Flex calendar, and there are plenty of other opportunities to socialise with everyone at the company.

Whenever someone outside of work asks if I enjoy my work I tell them that I love it without hesitation, and I think that tells you all you need to know!

Luke McGill – R&D Scientist

My first two years at FlexMedical have been very exciting. I joined the company in March 2021, which was an opportune time, as new facilities had just been acquired, allowing for a significant increase in R&D laboratory space and manufacturing areas. The company has grown rapidly in the short time I’ve been here. In terms of the staff numbers, I was employee 26 and now there are 55 employees.

My background was in a different field of science and although I have transferable skills and experience of working in an R&D laboratory, there was lots of technical knowledge I had to gain to get up to speed relating to in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) detection systems and electrochemistry. However, I was well supported in doing so. I’ve found that this is the best aspect of working here – there is a great culture, and everyone is helpful and supportive. This includes not only my immediate colleagues that I work beside in the lab, but across the entire company. Whenever you step into unfamiliar territory you are always guided were this is needed. This makes for an all round collaborative and friendly atmosphere and encourages progression.

I started as a Product Development Technician where I was primarily focused on developing an enzymatic assay for a Point of Care (POC) IVD device. This involved building reagents, executing experiments, analysing data and reporting findings. Through development opportunities and a development plan I progressed to a R&D Scientist I. My role now involves working alongside the manufacturing team, as we have recently moved into Phase 3 of a development project.

Since progressing to this role, I have assisted in the Operational Qualification (OQ) phase by drafting manufacturing procedures and participating in manufacturing runs. One factor that enables me to do this is the in-house training I’ve received on various pieces of manufacturing equipment, primarily focusing on our automated deposition system, and writing corresponding programs. I’ve been supporting in the setting up and running of said equipment as well as advising and providing information with regards to the product and it’s CTQ parameters. This should help ensure an efficient transfer over to the manufacturing team when we progress to the next phase i.e. Performance Qualification (PQ) runs.

There are always opportunities for development, which is a positive aspect of working at FlexMedical. For example, I have received external Six Sigma Yellow Belt training to learn fundamental problem solving methodology and tools. Additionally, science team members including myself have received internal electrochemistry training from a senior scientist with lots of experience in this field. This is available to newcomers as they join and for any staff member interested. A further opportunity made available to all employees recently that I also took up was Intermediate Excel training. This allowed me to enhance my data processing skills and obtain more valuable information from experiments.

At FlexMedical we have an annual review process called ‘Go-Far’, where we have individual goals and objectives set, aligned to the company’s goals and objectives. This provides us with the chance to agree personal development needs with our line manager that supports our progression and personal development interests, with objectives tailored accordingly. Our progress towards objectives is followed up by a mid-year review, which provides an opportunity to identify any additional support required before a final year-end review takes place. The ‘Go-Far’ process also allows for and encourages employees to provide feedback to their managers.

My time here so far has been a fresh, engaging, and exciting experience. Further down the line I hope to keep progressing by achieving my Six Sigma Green Belt certification and more internal training manufacturing equipment to broaden my capability to ultimately contribute towards FlexMedical’s success.

“Since joining FMS as a Manufacturing Technician, I have fitted in well with my team and the job role. I am enjoying the challenges of working within a fast-growing medical device company, that develops products that will improve peoples’ lives…. Best decision I have made.”
Carolyn Thomson – Manufacturing Technician

“FlexMedical Solutions gives you lots of opportunities to work with people with different chemistry and manufacturing backgrounds at all levels in the company.  It is a very collaborative environment where you can still make your mark and have ownership of experiments you run.”
Victoria Thomson – Product Development Technician