Matt graduated from Loughborough University in 2018 with a First Class Honours Master’s degree in Automotive Materials Engineering. During his studies, he completed a year-long industrial placement as an Integrated Factory Automation Engineer at Nissan’s NMUK manufacturing plant, earning a Diploma in Industrial Studies. He was also an active member of the Loughborough University Kart Club and represented the university in the British Universities Karting Championship.

Following graduation, Matt joined Nissan NMUK as an Engineer within the Trim & Chassis department, working on current model vehicles. He was responsible for engineering delivery across defined vehicle areas, primarily Rear End Exterior and Luggage Room Interior on the Nissan Qashqai. During this time, he also achieved a Level 4 Improvement Practitioner qualification, developing expertise in Lean Six Sigma methodologies, structured root cause analysis and continuous improvement techniques.

In 2023, Matt moved into a New Model Development role on the all-new Nissan Leaf. He led planning and engineering activities for the Rear End Exterior, Luggage Room Interior, and Upper Interior vehicle areas throughout the physical development cycle, contributing to the successful vehicle launch and stable series production. As part of the vehicle development, he spent five months at Nissan’s Zama Development Plant in Japan, working alongside colleagues from NMUK and Nissan Global Headquarters during vehicle pilot build and development activities.

Outside of work, Matt has a longstanding interest in motorsport and modern classic cars and continues to enjoy car projects and karting recreationally.

Matt joined Hawkins in July 2026 as an Associate in the Road Traffic Collision team, based in our Leeds office.