Alan Reid - Principal Lecturer for Industry Engagement

Alan graduated in the Top 5 of his cohort from Queen’s University Belfast in 1994 and was awarded a placement in Delft University due to exceptional examination performance in his 4 year degree course.  As a postgraduate he started his engineering career in Tetbury with Powerscreen.  Having gained relevant experience, he returned home to set up a NI plant for the company and upon completion of this he assumed the role of Fabrication Manager.  Career advancement & the love of a challenge meant that within a few years Alan moved companies and worked with Caterpillar in various roles including Industrial Engineer, Engineer Group Leader and Project Manager.  With this experience under his belt he began working for Kyocera and spent several months travelling between their NI, Japanese & American plants; the majority of his days were spent working to tight deadlines which involved a high level of organising, planning and prioritising activities for himself and his team.  With over 15 years of industrial experience he decided he could share his knowledge within the classroom and 12 years ago he took a lecturing post within NRC.  

In addition to gaining his teaching qualifications Alan is also a Prince 2 Practitioner in project management and the level 2 assessor award (TAQA).  Alongside lecturing, Alan also adopts the role of ‘shared lecturer’ meaning he manages project work for local companies 1 - 2 days per week. 

He was also the curriculum manager responsible for DfE’s ConnectED Project for 7 years, which funds staff and enables them to establish links with other colleges and universities, while looking for opportunities to support local industry through technology transfer and projects. His current role as Principal Lecturer for Industry Engagement involves supporting a team of Technical Specialists responsible for the delivery of Innovation projects whilst maximising available funding.  

Alan’s specialism is most certainly his knowledge of robotic systems and he is proficient in the use of ABB, IGM, CLOSS, KUGA, Universal Robots & KAWASAKI systems. 

When not at work, Alan likes DIY and exploring new places.