​After his degree, Aditya worked for three years in the automotive industry in India. His passion for motorsport brought him to the UK to pursue a masters in motorsports engineering. On graduating, he saw the role of design engineer at ISIS. Although unsure about taking a job outside of motorsport, he was told at interview: “just try it – you will love it", and he did!

Aditya joined the ISIS Design Division in 2022. “I thought - it's something different. I'll give it a shot," he says. He has worked on the new analyser for the Osiris beamline and the flight tube for FREIA, which will be built at the European Spallation Source. He is now lead designer for the HRPD-X instrument upgrade project, part of the Endeavour programme. This will be the first project he's worked on at ISIS that he'll see through from the start all the way to completion.

“I loved the challenge of motorsports – having to fit that much complex design into such strict parameters," he explains. Although the new HRPD beamline will be built from scratch in a new building, there are still a lot of constraints to consider, and it's this that he finds interesting. When he started on the project, he thought; “Yes! This is what I wanted to do – it's just the type of challenge I was looking for. I just love it, as we're making truly bespoke products."

As well as working on the designs himself, Aditya is involved in the planning, scheduling and checking​ of the design work. Although a design may look simple on the computer, it's important to consider the practical aspects of a build, from ensuring the materials can be supplied, to thinking about the time it will take to assemble, all while taking into account the sustainability of the project. He has found that he really enjoys the people management and planning as well as the technical work.

Starting at STFC has meant a move out of an industrial environment, which has brought benefits he hadn't considered. “I really value the work life balance that we have here. We still have targets and deadlines to meet, but the people are really supportive."

“I have been able to bring my experience from industry and feel like I can speak up and express myself when I have something to contribute," he adds.