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Chris Malone from Bassendean (taken 2023) 100 Year pull-up banner in background

A talented materials engineer dedicated to seeking out and sharing knowledge

Based at our workshop in Bassendean, Western Australia, Chris has made a name for himself across the business as a friendly and approachable teammate whose desire to help colleagues understand the materials and metallurgy aspects of the job helps ensure the quality of our products day in and day out.

Having grown up on a dairy farm in the small town of Tumut, located at the base of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, Australia Chris said there was never any pressure from his parents to follow in their farming footsteps, rather “they were just happy for me to do my own thing”, and it led him to materials engineering.
Despite coming from a non-engineering background, this soft-spoken lover of cricket and footy (who made sure to clarify that ‘footy’ in Western Australia refers to Aussie rules and not rugby league as it does in New South Wales) has proven to be a natural fit for the materials field. Having a keen interest in maths and science from a young age, he credits a fateful high school chemistry lesson for sparking his interest in how materials can be manipulated into new and better forms and has since embarked on an exciting career in the industry.
Chris began his journey with Bradken in 2010 having received a company-funded scholarship to study Materials Engineering at the University of Wollongong. During the summer breaks he did work placements at Bradken sites across Australia, which helped him gain valuable experience and a good understanding of our operations.
“I did placements at four different Bradken sites while I was studying which were all really interesting. In my final year of university Bradken offered me a full-time position as a Graduate Materials Engineer based at Bassendean. I jumped at the opportunity because I'd already done placements there and loved it. That was almost eight years ago and I’ve been here ever since.”
Chris Malone from Bassendean with equipment (taken 2023)

Forging a career

Chris worked as a Graduate Materials Engineer for several years and during that time was involved in a number of Research and Development projects. He says the work gave him a sense of pride and accomplishment as he felt he was able to add real value to the business. “I worked on developing two different types of weld overlay product in those early years which I guess kind of has my name on it now and is something I’ll always be able to say I contributed to Bradken.”

He was soon given the opportunity to step up to a management role in the Product Development technical department, leading a team of engineers across Australia and Canada, before being appointed to his current role as Technical Product Delivery Lead. In this role Chris and his team operate on a global scale looking at first article reviews, gauge designs and specifications for Bradken’s entire mining products range making sure the quality of our products is up to scratch before they leave the foundries or workshops.

quote

I’ve have had some great managers that have been real role models to me… I hope that I’m serving that same purpose for others coming up the ranks now.

- Chris Malone
Asked what he likes most about his job Chris says it's being able to make improvements to our products that help make life easier for other people.
“We have the ability to make a positive impact by implementing changes that make the manufacturing process easier or more efficient for our people on the workshop floor. Even better we can make changes to the design of a product before they’re made in a production batch, that then benefits the ultimate end user, our customer.”
He enjoys the constant learning that comes with the job and finds it fulfilling to work in a business where people are so willing to share their time and knowledge to help you succeed. Chris says it’s the people he gets to connect with that make Bradken a great place to work.
“I’ve had some great managers that have been real role models to me. If I've come to them with a question, they've given me advice or helped guide me to a solution and I hope that I’m serving that same purpose for others coming up the ranks now, as I did before.”
Chris describes the Bradken work environment as supportive, collaborative and full of opportunity. “There are always things you can do to make improvements and there's always opportunities available for anyone who's willing to grab them and go with them. There are so many skilled people at Bradken that have been around much longer than my eight years, so if you have an issue and aren’t sure what to do, be open in asking for help and you’ll always find someone familiar with the situation and willing to help you out.”

Learn as much as you can

His advice to anyone considering starting out in a graduate role reflects this message of being open to continuous learning and teamwork – “You’ve got to have a willingness to learn as much as you can and most importantly, don’t think you know everything. You might think you do but if you’ve got a great idea, all it can take is a quick conversation with a colleague who has a slightly different take on things, and presto - your good idea becomes a great idea.”

If you're a young person looking to pursue a career in materials engineering or related fields, Bradken is a company that values its employees' development and growth. Chris's story is a testament to the opportunities that are available at Bradken for those who are passionate about the industry.

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