The beginning 

From a young age, Jan-Thijs has been involved with technology, transport & trucks. When he was 14, he started cleaning and driving trucks as part of his side job at a rental company. Once he became 18, he got his C and C-E. Not because he wanted to be a driver, but because it allowed him to support where needed. Having grown up with trucks from a young age, he wanted to work at DAF after college. 

My daily tasks as Production Engineer

As Production Engineer you are responsible for the production processes. In my teams, vehicles and vehicle systems are tested, adjusted and calibrated. Think of alignment, brake test, power test and final inspection. In addition, roof spoiler and side skirts are also assembled on my team.
When people ask me what I do at DAF, I often explain it using the example of a bakery. As a Production Engineer, you are responsible for the machines used to bake the bread. You fix malfunctions on the machines, make sure they are properly adjusted and make adjustments to the bakery when and new types of loaves need to be baked. All this in the most efficient and safe way possible. 

Currently I am working on a project for the electric DAF. Optimization the process for mounting roof spoiler and side skirts. What makes my job interesting is that I have an office job where I am 50% at my desk and 50% in production.

Future 

I hope to land further in my current job first. At my job interview, it was mentioned that it would take about 1 year to really get into your role. I am starting to believe this more and more. Once I have been in my current position for several years I would like to move to a managerial position. 

And concluding for all aspiring Production Engineers:

"Do your best, try to learn into the organization as quickly as possible: people, systems, tools etc. It is super nice to see the product you are working on, on the road every day. This makes you proud and also connects you to the product"