PA Consulting
Dr Tim Lunn, Managing Consultant
PA Consulting Group, Cambridge Technology Centre, Melbourn, Herts SG8 6DP
Biography
Tim Lunn is a consultant in PA’s Wireless Technology Practice with 20 years’ experience of working in the telecommunications industry. He is an expert in the delivery of complex technology projects and has a technical background in digital signal processing for wireless systems. Since joining PA in 1999, Tim has worked on the design of 2G, 3G and 4G systems, and more recently has helped companies to plan and organise themselves to better deliver their own technology products.
Prior to working at PA, Tim worked for Omnipoint Technologies Inc., a US start-up developing mobile phone technology. Tim started his career at the British Telecom Research Labs where he worked on the baseband signal processing for satellite communication systems.
Employer
Name of organisation: PA Consulting Group
Number of employees: 3000
Size: Medium
Name of business unit or department: Communications and Electronic Systems Practice
1. How many people are part of the project team with which you would typically work and what are their roles?
This varies depending on the job. A small consulting job may have a team of 1 or 2 engineering consultants carrying out a review and producing a report. A development project may have 30 engineers working on different subsystems using different technologies and possibly located in several countries around the world. The team members will be carrying out the requirements capture, architecture design, implementation, testing and integration of software and hardware systems.
2. In a typical week, what percentage of your time would you spend on project management and organisational tasks and could you give some examples of your work activities?
As a consultant my time is divided 3 ways: project management, project operating and business development; I normally say each one occupies about half of my time. The actual split very much depends on the jobs that I am leading or on which I am working. During a large development my time will be 90% project management. While mainly operating I try to keep the business development at around 30% of my time and the project management around 10%.
3. If you were interviewing for a new engineering project manager, what skills and personal attributes would you look for in a candidate?
A positive can-do attitude. Experience in engineering, so that they know the compromises that have to be made and can judge the feasibility of the work at hand. Good communication skills as they have to keep everyone working on the same page and will be reporting progress up, down and sideways.
4. What are the most common weaknesses you have seen in newly-qualified graduate engineers?
Thinking they know everything already. It does take time for new graduates to realise that they don’t stop learning when they graduate.
5. What training and development do new project managers require when they begin employment in your business area?
We have training on the key tools and processes that PA uses to run its business: the Management Information System, and the commercial, legal and project processes. The main training is on the job by gradually building up the responsibility held over a series of assignments.
6. What is the single most important piece of advice that you would give to a new graduate engineer who is in charge of projects?
Make your own decisions but get advice from your seniors, peers and, in particular, respect the contributions made by each member of your team.
