Harriet Burdett

Strategic Partnership Developer, Johnson Matthey

Please tell us about your current role and employer

Johnson Matthey is a world leader in sustainable technologies and, as a company, we are working towards catalysing the net zero transition. JM's vision is for a world that is cleaner and healthier, today and for future generations. Within JM, I work in our Catalyst Technologies business which licenses our intellectual property for the design of world leading sustainable processes, such as blue hydrogen, eMethanol and sustainable aviation fuel production. Our CT business also manufactures and sells catalysts for these and other processes. In this business unit, I am a strategic partnership developer, responsible for identifying, executing and maintaining strategic relationships which benefit the global energy transition.

What does a typical day in your current role look like?

My role varies significantly from day to day, with a mixture of internal and external work. There is some international travel to conferences and to meet our current and potential partners face to face. Internally my main focus is on developing new ways of working and methods to track partner engagements while coordinating with our business unit Commercial and Technical teams to progress work streams with partners. Externally, I build relationships and gain market understanding to create strong value propositions and technical alignment to benefit our customers, which I really enjoy.

What was your journey to getting a job after graduating from Birmingham? 

I applied to join the JM LEAD Graduate Programme and received an offer prior to graduation. I spent a lot of time in my final year applying for rotational based graduate schemes in the chemical industry as I was undecided on roles and career paths. I applied to a number of different schemes and completed video interviews, virtual interviews and assessment centres before being offered my role with JM. During my time on the graduate programme, I completed three rotations, one in each of the science, engineering and commercial streams before off-boarding into my current role.

How do you feel the learning experience on your course helped to prepare you for your career?

The technical knowledge I gained necessary to understand JM’s process technology and the logical thinking and problem-solving skills were the most valuable experiences from my course. My chemistry degree also equipped me with the ability to take a step back and see the bigger picture, allowing me to understand how various moving parts interact and determine the best path forward.

How did the University's support services (e.g. Careers Network) help to prepare you for your career?

The University provided a lot of support in terms of career advice, where to look for roles, interview advice and practice for both my industrial placement year and graduate roles. The Chemistry department also provided a lot of support in writing CVs and cover letters. I would strongly encourage students to take advantage of the support that is available.

What are your top tips for students graduating today?

My top tip for students graduating today is to network as much as you can. Take every opportunity to attend careers events, alumni networks and industry talks etc to learn what people do for their jobs and career journeys. There are so many jobs out there that you don’t know exist so just speak to people and find out what the possibilities are.

What were the best things about your course?

The people! From my friends and course mates to the lecturers. The faculty always seemed to have time for students to help us understand content. The course structure, from labs to tutorials, also helped put into practice the theory we learnt in lectures.

What was your biggest achievement during your course?

My biggest achievement was completing my industrial placement year. Studying, working and completing a mini-dissertation was incredibly challenging to balance. It was incredibly rewarding and the skills I learnt have stood me in good stead in my final year at university and my career.