Imagination at work

GE Aviation
Aircraft Engines, Systems, and
Aviation Services
Lynn, MA
Engineering Finance
Caitlyn McBride
Spring 2014
About GE Aviation
With 25,000 engines in service, a GE
powered aircraft takes off every 2
seconds. Thats pretty cool.

GE Aviation is a global company that
strives to fill the engine, systems, and
service needs of it commercial, military,
business and general aviation customers.
The company boasts a wide array of
engine options that stretch over multiple
platforms and even include land and
marine applications. GE is not afraid of
technology and innovation, constantly
reinventing the standards of jet
propulsion technology.
In 2012, GE Aviation recorded
revenues of $20B and invests $1B in R&D
programs annually.
Company Culture Lynn, MA
Lynn is one of the few locations where design, manufacturing, test, and productions can all
occur onsite. This plant has a long history, going all the way back to GEs founder, Thomas
Edison. With a colorful history comes a deeply ingrained plant culture. Since Lynn is an active
manufacturing plant, the culture is quite casual. GE is one of the largest corporations in the
world, yet the traditional corporate stereotypes are in many ways replaced by plant culture.
The Finance and Engineering teams do a great job of incorporating co-ops into the culture and
the cycle is full of social events, lunches, and dinners. I even had the chance to attend a Red Sox
game at the GE box in Fenway; it was amazing. In addition, there is a strong EID culture, allowing
you to connect with the other co-ops and interns, mostly engineers.
The plant employs about 3,300 people and is a huge facility. Working here will definitely get
you accustomed to the sights and sounds of engine testing and large machinery.
Engineering Finance Co-op
Engineering Finance is a section of the Finance
department that focuses on expense and cost
accounting. In this co-op you work with a team of cost
analysts and you mostly support the military
turboshaft/turboprop department (helicopters like the
Apache and Blackhawk). This position gives you great
exposure to the engineers and the products.
The role is more focused on controllership than
FP&A, as you have hardly any exposure to the income
side of the business. However, you do get exposure to
budgeting, proposals, cost tracking, and analysis. The
co-op is tied closely to backend operations.
Imagination at work
Responsibilities and Training
For this co-op, your responsibilities include:
-Weekly reporting of company and customer
funded spending
-Ad hoc data and analysis requests from
Engineering and Finance
-Weekly spending reports to support program
managers and engineers
-Monthly support of government reporting
-Monthly spending analysis and reporting
-Processing and loading proposals
-Updating budget data and tracking targets
-Monthly yield analysis
In this co-op position, there are a set of weekly and
monthly tasks that must be completed, however a
large part of your work is ad hoc.
Training for this position is very hands on. You sit
with your manager for awhile, but a lot of the training
involves becoming familiar with the systems and GE
speak, which is comprised of more acronyms than
imaginable. You are constantly learning and there are
resources all around to guide you. Attending meetings,
testing the systems, and asking questions will help you
grasp the position as quickly as possible.
Skills Required
-Prioritization and ability to react to
changing deadlines and ad hoc requests
-An open and objective mind to approach
problems logically and methodically
-Ability to work independently
-Strong sense of organization
-Drive to work through problems
independently
-Moderate to Advanced Excel skills
Skills Learned
-Ability to quickly form concise opinions
and thoughts
-Presentation skills
-Confidence in analysis abilities
-Problem solving techniques
-Software exposure (IBM Mainframes,
Spotfire, Cognos, Excel, PMCS/EMCS,
Centerpiece, Digital Workbench)
Innovation at GE
GE Aviation is built on a culture of innovation. The companys continued success
requires constant innovation of its products, processes, and technologies in order
to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Not only do you see the
development of truly innovative products, the culture calls upon you to contribute
to operational innovation. GE is focused on innovation through simplification. As a
co-op you are tasked with constantly seeking ways to simplify your role as well as
the general processes of your team. The business constantly pushes you out of
your comfort zone in an effort to grow your skills and push you to do your best.
Personal Development
As my first co-op, this position has
taught me a lot about corporate finance
in general. I had the opportunity to
experience the operations and culture of
a large corporation and they gave me a
chance to make an impact on the team
and the company. My projects were
meaningful and I was able to earn the
respect of my coworkers for my opinions
and contributions.
The culture at GE reminds you that
there is always a way that you should be
challenging yourself to grow and develop,
pushing you from your comfort zone. I
was able to witness the translation of
ideas and analysis to business impacts.