William Mercer
Hertford,Hertfordshire
Summary
Results-driven professional with nearly twelve years of experience in composite manufacturing, focusing on aerospace and Formula 1 sectors. Expertise developed through an advanced apprenticeship in engineering, leading to diverse roles in composite production. Progressed from composite fitter/trimmer to team leader, demonstrating strong leadership and technical skills. Currently contributing to Mercedes F1 Team, specializing in the production of floors and plenums for HPP customers.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
Work history
FTC composite fitter
Mercedes AMG Petronus F1 Team
2026.01 - 2026.06
- Building a wide range of components and subassemblies, working to engineering drawings and build manuals.
- Surface preparation for adhesive bonding. Such as vapour blasting, dry blasting, hand abrading and AC130 etching.
- Bonding – using various adhesives
- Working with pressure taps and producing pressure taps assemblies
- Demonstrating various hand trimming and fitting techniques such as drilling, riveting, trimming to scribe and hole detailing
- Working in a team and as an individual
- Working under pressure to meeting tight deadlines
Team leader
Parker Meggitt
2024.01 - 2024.12
- Ensuring that deadlines are met
- Driving a Right First-Time culture
- Ensuring TPM checks are being carried out correctly
- Delivering tool box talks and safety stand-downs
- Running a DLA level 1 meeting and representing my teams at level 2
- Driving 5s and Kaizen improvements
- Contributing to MRB
Composite fitter/trimmer
Meggitt / Parker Meggitt
2018.09 - 2023.12
- Radome and nose cone fitter for a military company working to industry, customer and company standards, procedures, and specifications, all under AS9100 accreditation.
- Sub assembly fitter on composite components, consisting of carbon fibre, fibre glass and Kevlar. Also working with various metals such as aluminium, steel, and titanium.
- Working to written working instructions (following SOP’s) and engineering drawing
- Wide range of experience with Bonding, Riveting, drilling and other necessary fitting techniques
- Experienced working with bonding using film adhesives, two-part adhesives, and sealants
- Working with a wide range of hand tools and measuring equipment
- Setting up and using jigs and fixtures
- Responsible for parts throughout the process from moulding to final finished goods
- High attention to detail working with tight tolerance components
- Responsible for training new staff
- Trimming and fettling parts to meeting drawing requirements.
- Working in conjunction with health and safety, environmental safety and FOD procedures
- Carrying out TPM checks
- Working to strict and tight deadlines to business requirements
Engineering apprentice
Cobham / Meggitt
2014.09 - 2018.09
- Moving throughout the factory working on the shop floor in laminating, fitting, kitting, RTM (Resin Transfer Moulding) this experience allowed me to gain a wide knowledge of the business practices and a solid understanding of composite materials in the aerospace and defence sectors
- Day release to college to complete BTEC lvl 3 in engineering & NVQ lvl3 in mechanical manufacturing engineering (composite manufacturing engineering).
- Worked for 2 years as a pre preg laminator working with a wide range of materials to create radomes and nose cones
- Focused on composite fitting in the first and last year of my apprenticeship
Education
BTEC lvl 2 - Engineering technologies
2015.01 - 2016.01
NVQ lvl 2 - Performing engineering operations
2015.01 - 2016.01
BTEC lvl 3 - Engineering
2016.01 - 2018.01
NVQ lvl 3 advanced apprenticeship - mechanical manufacturing engineering, composite manufacturing engineering
2018.01 - 2019.01
Skills
- Ability to adapt and tackle issues throughout the shopfloor ensuring a positive outcome for production and quality
- Strong team working skills and the ability to work alone
- Business orientated, will go above and beyond to get the job done
- Ability to learn new products and processes
- Extreme attention to detail and a continual pursuit of perfection
- Excellent organisational skills
- Quick thinking a problem solving being able to tackle complex tasks
- IT Skills: Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Explorer
- Well-developed analytical and numerical ability
References
References available on request
Timeline
FTC composite fitter
Mercedes AMG Petronus F1 Team
2026.01 - 2026.06
Team leader
Parker Meggitt
2024.01 - 2024.12
Composite fitter/trimmer
Meggitt / Parker Meggitt
2018.09 - 2023.12
NVQ lvl 3 advanced apprenticeship - mechanical manufacturing engineering, composite manufacturing engineering
2018.01 - 2019.01
BTEC lvl 3 - Engineering
2016.01 - 2018.01
BTEC lvl 2 - Engineering technologies
2015.01 - 2016.01
NVQ lvl 2 - Performing engineering operations
2015.01 - 2016.01
Engineering apprentice
Cobham / Meggitt
2014.09 - 2018.09