Interested in finding out what our global team is like? Check out this Q&A with Bulgaria-based Senior Systems Engineer Ivaylo Vasilev.
1. Describe yourself in a few sentences.
I consider myself a highly motivated, adaptive and organized systems engineer with extensive interdisciplinary and multi-cultural experience. In my private life I love traveling, playing tennis and football, and spending time with family and friends.
2. What made you decide to work at Visteon? What gave Visteon the advantage over other companies you were considering?
For me, the most decisive factor was the team I knew I would join. During my first visit to the company, I met a lot of very talented people who put great value on teamwork. I believe this is the only way one truly excels at what they do – by reaching their goals while working in a great team. Another key factor was the scope of the position and field of work. For several years, I wanted to go back to working in the automotive sector, and my dream finally came true at Visteon.
3. You previously worked at Visteon, and then got international experience in Germany. Why did you decide to look for career opportunities in Bulgaria again?
I know one can develop professionally very well abroad, but after spending 12 years in Germany and Sweden I strongly believe in the simple saying: “There is no place like home.” When I realized I could also reach my professional goals in Bulgaria, it was a very simple and easy choice.
4. What are the primary responsibilities in your current role?
I am part of the systems engineering department at Visteon in Sofia, and my current role is senior systems engineer. The project I am currently working on is an instrument cluster for a well known and established German automaker. My main responsibilities include the development and maintenance of the product system specification, as well as the investigation of risk assessment and mitigation strategies in order to ultimately improve product quality. Moreover, I am in constant contact with all other areas of the business and the customer, in order to ensure that the customer technical requirements are understood, fulfilled and verified.
5. What is the best parts of your job? What do you enjoy most about working at Visteon?
I find it very exciting and challenging to work with sophisticated automotive components on a systems level. This helps me learn something new every day and develop constantly. Moreover, I really enjoy the dynamics of the systems engineer position. I am in constant contact with talented and ambitious engineers within Visteon and at our customers. All of these make working for Visteon a true pleasure.
6. What is something valuable you have learned by working at Visteon?
Perhaps the most valuable lesson I learned at Visteon is that a high level of professionalism and dedication ultimately lead to greater efficiency and great products.
7. What might surprise people about working in automotive electronics?
In general, people tend to underestimate the complexity of automotive systems, how crucial they are in our everyday life and the manpower needed in order to successfully develop products for major OEMs.
8. What is today’s biggest challenge in your work?
One of the biggest challenges in my line of work is the engineering complexity of the products we develop. A systems engineer should possess an excellent system-level understanding of the product, which in our case includes topics from software, hardware, mechanics and optics. Another key challenge I face every day is the efficient communication with external and internal stakeholders. Often one needs to achieve a fine balance in order to keep customer satisfaction high while complying with internal schedules and resources.
9. Do you have any career tips for others?
Do not settle at a position you are not entirely happy with. Keep saying “yes” to trying new things at work. Being outside your comfort zone will greatly accelerate your professional growth.
10. What would you say to someone who is considering applying for a job at Visteon?
I would say the work climate in the company is fantastic, and the possibilities for future development are excellent. If you join Visteon you will be at the forefront of automotive electronics research and development, and you will be working with a talented team who will make even the hardest chores at work seem like a lot of fun.