Iona Williams

Background:

Iona joined the Zotefoams Graduate Scheme in August 2020 after completing an MEng in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Manchester. 

As part of the previous two-year Graduate Scheme, she was able to spend each year in different teams to give her a balanced overview of the Zotefoams business. Her first rotation was in Process Engineering where her role was focussed on the technical aspects of Zotefoams materials and products, plus learning and understand the three-stage manufacturing production process.

After a year in Process Engineering, she then joined the Application Engineering team, which, although still largely a technical role involving testing the foam in various ways relevant to the application, also gave her a commercial insight into the business and how the foams are used. 

“Both of these experiences were great training grounds for transitioning to technical support,” she says. “Knowledge of our products and processes is important as well as having some commercial awareness,” she adds.

She completed the Graduate Scheme in 2022 and was then offered a job as a Technical Support Engineer where her role involved providing technical advice and support to the business and customers regarding the products and process. This involved organising, analysing and presenting test data as well as understanding and practicing compliance of the products with industry standards and regulations.

In July 2025, Iona was promoted to Application Engineer in the Technical team.

What do you like about working at Zotefoams?

• “The people – especially the graduate/early careers network. We help each other in the workplace and enjoy spending time together socially.
• How special the products are because of our unique manufacturing process and how they are leaders in their respective markets.
• Having a materials manufacturing company in London is quite rare. It’s great to be able to live in a big city where there are lots of things going on and also working in engineering.
• I am also grateful for the opportunity to travel around the world with Zotefoams.”

What do you like to do when you are not working?

“I love team sports and anything outdoors. I play football for an 11-a-side Sunday league team, and I also organise a five-a-side kick about with some of the Zotefoams employees. I have also played Australian rules football for four years and I play for England and Great Britian in European and transatlantic tournaments.

I also design kit and merchandise for my football team, which is a nice therapeutic balance to all the sports and engineering.”

Tip for success at Zotefoams?

Fantasy career?

“Probably playing sport professionally or working with elite athletes in worldwide sporting competitions.”