A passion for Engineering equals a dream job - Sam Taylor '88
Wednesday, 30 October 2019
Established in 1893 - 30 years after Auckland Grammar School was founded - the Auckland Grammar School Old Boys' Association celebrated 125 years in 2018. With almost 2,000 active members, the Association's objectives remain the same today as they did back in 1893 - to foster the friendships and connections developed during school years.

Ask any Old Boy about their time at Grammar, and their response is always the same; they are immensely proud to be part of such a well-established school, of the values it stands for, and the traditions it is steeped in. Sam Taylor '88 is one such Old Boy.

"We were always proud of the School, as we were taught to be, but we bought into it in a genuine way. I have been surprised at how much I have enjoyed the reunions and reconnecting with other Old Boys recently. The thought of having to see people who I did not get along with created some reticence, but it evaporated instantly."

Sam has always had a passion for Engineering right from when he was a teenager. He was also a very bright student academically, staying in the 'B' stream class throughout his five years at Grammar. He credits the environment that Grammar provided to allow him to follow an academic career path.

"Studying Physics and Calculus and pushing myself to be the best I could be meant that Engineering School was a natural progression. It was impossible as a teenager to have the maturity or perspective to understand the privilege it afforded me but it became apparent later.

After completing his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the University of Auckland, Sam began his career as a Graduate Electronic Design Engineer for Fisher and Paykel, before moving up the ranks to become a Project Engineer. However, his current role - as a Propulsion Test Manager at Rocket Lab - piqued our interest and we wanted to know more.

Established in 2006 by New Zealander Peter Beck, Rocket Lab is an aerospace manufacturer and a small satellite launch service provider. In June 2009, the company claimed to be the first private company in the Southern Hemisphere to reach space after launching its Ātea (Māori for 'space') suborbital sounding rocket. They are now in a transition phase from a start-up company to a substantial production facility.

With his background in automated testing, Sam works with the team that tests vehicle stages, engines and other components before they are assembled onto the rocket for launch. Although he has only been at Rocket Lab for a year, Sam loves having a role to play where he can "make substantial contributions to such a challenging endeavour" is something he relishes in.

"We are still a very young organisation and we are making decisions now that will have an enduring impact. Just in the last few months, I have started to make big inroads in automating our test operations and seeing the genuine improvement to my colleagues' experiences is very satisfying."

While his day-to-day achievements at Rocket Lab are now "far beyond" what he was capable of when he first started, Sam says his great professional accomplishment to date came from a previous role, where he worked around the clock to achieve an unlikely project goal with an even more difficult deadline.

"I designed a world-class test fixture which was much more capable, faster and reliable - and having to have it complete by the end of the financial year is often a key driver of crazy deadlines. This is probably my number one career standout. However, by the following January, it was no longer significant or even memorable! Business always moves onto the next priority and does not look back."

Sam admits that he still makes mistakes, but also that he will never stop learning from them. "I have been taught that the best leadership is when you create an environment where people can thrive, rather than riding them for results; the results will naturally follow if you give them the environment they need. Putting this into practice and seeing my colleagues eager to carry on is very gratifying."