If you've ever wondered why an airline flight crew is adamant about passengers turning off cell phones and other digital devices during certain portions of a flight here is the answer: EMI - or electromagnetic interference. This happens when electromagnetic energy from one source, such as a cell phone, interferes with the operation of a nearby device, such as an airplane's fuel gauge or its flight control system, which may be susceptible to dysfunction by a passenger's urgent call to inform someone, "Hey, I'm taking off now."
Electronic systems and devices are an omnipresent part of our world and are routinely susceptible to EMI. Fortunately, there are companies such as Leader Tech, a Tampa-based subsidiary of HEICO Corp. Leader Tech manufactures solutions for commercial and government customers who need to incorporate EMI protection into their products and services.
This is an industry that needs engineers, supervisors and skilled technicians, such as tool and die makers, who understand terms like conductive elastomers, ferrites and BeCu fingerstock gaskets.
Laura Anderson is the human resources manager at Leader Tech and she is on a quest to find and hire such employees. Throw in a requirement to respect tight tolerances and it can be a formidable search for the right job candidate.
"Because it's such a niche industry it's kind of hard to fill those positions," she says. Anderson adds that it can take months to fill some positions. Qualifications for many of the jobs include experience in mechanical engineering, quality assurance and tool and die setup.
While the business of Leader Tech is technology, Anderson characterizes the working environment as personable. "Leader Tech is a very family-oriented company," she says.
Benefits offered by Leader Tech include medical, dental life and disability insurance as well as a 401K plan and paid vacation time.
Writer: Brad Stager
Source: Laura Anderson, Leader Tech, Inc.
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