Joe Ashford
About Joe Ashford
Joe Ashford is a Manufacturing Engineer at Rocket Lab in Auckland, New Zealand, where he has worked since 2018. He holds a Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering and has experience in implementing Lean 6 Sigma methodologies to optimize production processes.
Work at Rocket Lab
Joe Ashford has been employed at Rocket Lab as a Manufacturing Engineer since 2018. In this role, he is based in Auckland, New Zealand, where he has contributed for six years. His responsibilities include designing efficient manufacturing processes and creating requests for quotations (RFQs) for tooling and equipment. He also coordinates resources and communicates major milestones and project risks to ensure the success of various projects.
Education and Expertise
Joe Ashford holds a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Salford, which he completed from 2015 to 2017. He also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the same institution, studying from 2011 to 2015. Additionally, he studied at Huddersfield New College from 2009 to 2011 and attended St Catherine's Catholic High School from 2004 to 2009. He has further specialized in Flight Dynamics Test at the National Flying Laboratory Centre in 2013.
Background
Before joining Rocket Lab, Joe Ashford gained practical experience as an Engineering Intern at Airbus from 2013 to 2014, where he worked for eight months. He also interned at Airtech Advanced Materials Group in 2014 for two months. Following his internships, he served as a Project Engineer at Airtech Advanced Materials Group from 2015 to 2017, where he applied his engineering skills in a project management capacity.
Achievements
In his current role and previous positions, Joe Ashford has acted as a Subject Matter Expert for Team Center PLM and Infor LN ERP systems. He specializes in implementing Lean Six Sigma methodologies to optimize production and test operations. His focus on creating process automation aims to enhance manufacturing efficiency, and he is responsible for designing faultless processes.