Education and qualifications:
Foundation (ExF) Qualification, CompEx
National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, NEBOSH
MSc Professional Engineering (Distinction), Aston University
BEng (Hons) Professional Engineering (First), Aston University
Distinction in HND Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Yeovil College
Distinction HNC Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Yeovil College
ONC Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Yeovil College  

Job title:
Senior M&E Project Manager

Employer:
Wessex Water

What inspired you to become an engineer or pointed you towards an engineering career?
My interest in solving problems and learning about new and existing technology. I have always loved taking things apart and putting them back together again! I enjoy the technical challenges of complex engineering projects and am continuously learning through different experiences and real-life situations.

Please describe your role or position within your workplace.
I am a Senior Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) Project Manager, specialising in the management and delivery of Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Controls and Automation (MEICA) projects. Most of my experience is in industrial and commercial design, installations, site commissioning and fault diagnosis. I am responsible for forecasting project cost and carrying out multi-million-pound projects from concept to completion. I am fortunate to lead a great team of people who deliver innovative M&E projects that span across multiple business sectors on time and to budget.

Can you describe a typical working day?
No two working days are the same, which is one of the things I love most about my role. I can be managing design on one project and be in construction or commissioning stages on others, the variety keeps it interesting! I manage a team that plans, budgets and controls tasks to ensure their successful delivery, as well as carrying out estimating and project forecasting, preparing tender and contract documents/specifications, programming M&E construction activities and sequencing with civil works. Overall I maintain the project schedule by monitoring project progress, coordinating activities and resolving problems as they arise.

Are there any particular challenges or unusual aspects to your role?
Working in the water industry means I get to visit many beautiful locations such as Wimbleball, a stunning surface water reservoir on Exmoor. I get to plan maintenance and refurbishment activities on the water network and liaise with different internal departments to ensure that any work doesn’t impact the water supply to customers.

What do you find most enjoyable about your job?
Working within the water industry on water treatment plants is a big responsibility and I am proud of the work I undertake in ensuring that the highest quality of water is delivered to customers. I enjoy the day-to-day challenges and learning about the latest engineering technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), 3D design and artificial intelligence.

Is there a great professional achievement or high-profile accomplishment that you would like to tell us about?
I’m very proud of achieving a distinction in my MSc Professional Engineering and a first in my BEng (Hons) Professional Engineering degree while working full-time. These qualifications and my 18 years of engineering experience, demonstrated that I met the criteria to apply for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status, which I was awarded in 2021.

I was pleased to have my work recognised through the Baroness Platt of Writtle Award, which I was awarded in July 2018.

What contributed to your decision to become professionally registered?
Becoming professionally registered has always been a goal of mine, it demonstrates dedication, experience and technical knowledge to the highest standards.

In what ways has registration benefitted your career?
It demonstrates the hard work, commitment and technical skills required to be recognised as both a professional and competent engineer and is highly valued by my employer. After achieving CEng status I was promoted to Senior Project Manager.

How does your employer benefit from your professional registration?
The assurance that I have satisfied a rigorous assessment of my engineering competence gives my company creditability that it employs the highest standard of engineers. I have access to development and networking opportunities that ensure I remain up-to-date with innovations in technology, which I then report back to a professional development network within Wessex Water, ensuring all the engineers within the organisation benefit.

Is there any advice you would pass on to someone considering professional registration?
Put the time and commitment in to meet the criteria for professional registration; putting the effort in ultimately benefits your career.

Where do you see yourself in your career in five years’ time or what are your future ambitions?
In five years time I see myself continuing to grow in my career and taking on more responsibility to help shape the future of my company, contributing to the growth and success of the organisation.

Outside work, is there any activity you enjoy doing in your spare time that relates to engineering? For example, do you participate in mentoring, volunteering or membership of other engineering groups?
I mentor other Wessex Water engineers and encourage school and college leavers to enter the profession.

I am also an Academic Supervisor at Aston University, where I provide engineering support and guidance to students undertaking the BEng Professional Engineering programme. This programme supports engineers in achieving Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Outside of work I am a keen boater and enjoy the engineering aspect of maintaining motor boats and cruising around the South West coast, which can require a lot of preparation and planning!