Site Agent at Coffey

The opportunities the Department of Civil Engineering gave me have meant a lot. Looking back, I think that if my first-year lecturer hadn’t encouraged me to go to the ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) East Midlands Graduates and Students meetings, I probably wouldn't have attended them so early in my university course. 

I’m still involved in work with the ICE now and it’s gone on to shape a lot of my career outside of my day-to-day work.

 

What did you do when you graduated?

Before I applied for university, somebody came to speak about civil engineering careers at my school and advised me on civil engineering scholarships that I could apply for. I was awarded the ICE QUEST Scholarship in my first year at University and was sponsored by Taylor Woodrow, Vinci Construction UK.

When I finished my degree, I was offered a job on their graduate programme on High Speed Two, a joint venture project with Balfour Beatty, as an Assistant Site Engineer, which I accepted.

Where did your career take you next?

I worked for Balfour Beatty Vinci for 5 years, first as an Assistant Site Engineer and then I was promoted to Site Engineer in August 2020. I was promoted again to Section Engineer in January 2022. This was all on the High Speed 2 (HS2) project in Birmingham, where I was responsible for the management and delivery of several sections of work on site.

What do you do now?

I recently started work at Coffey as a Site Agent, running a reservoir repair scheme in the Peak District, working with Severn Trent Water. It’s a complete change - they’re a smaller company, fresher to the UK market in construction, but I’m in a more senior role with a lot more responsibility which I am really enjoying so far.

What's your favourite thing about your job?

One of the most exciting things I’ve worked on was a structure called Marston Box, whilst I was working on HS2. We built a reinforced concrete bridge over six months, in a field next to the M42 just north of Birmingham. Then, we slid it into place over the motorway during a week-long closure, over the distance of 165 metres.

We beat the world record for the world’s longest bridge slide. It was the first major structure I’ve ever been part of as a civil engineer, and I managed the temporary works for it. It was a really exciting project to be part of.

My favourite thing about my job is the variety. Working on-site there’s always lots going on and it keeps it interesting. There’s plenty of challenges and problem-solving, and you meet lots of different people on a variety of projects.

What was your favourite thing about your degree?

It was probably my final year, and my investigative project/dissertation. The civil engineering course is quite structured for the first couple of years as you need to learn the key engineering principles. In the final year, I had a lot more independence to define my project work and undertake research in the department transportation laboratory.

It provided reassurance that this was the right career path for me. It gave me confidence, responsibility and experience in project management and decision-making. It’s all relevant experience that I’ve carried forward into the working world.

How did your time at University help shape your career? 

The Department of Civil Engineering put a lot of opportunities in front of me to help and support my career, from being a member of the Industrial Advisory Board to being a Student Ambassador, representing the department on Open Days.

In my first year, one of my lecturers invited me along to the ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) East Midlands Graduates and Students meetings. At the time I didn’t know too much about it and I was a bit nervous about going, but I’m glad I did. From my third year at University, I became a member of the committee going on to be Chair, the first year after I graduated. Following this, I became one of the ICE President’s Future Leaders, a competitive international scheme, which put me in a position to see things within the civil engineering industry that I would never have done so early on in my career from a leadership perspective.

Did you do any industry placement of any kind?

I didn’t do a year-in-industry placement, but I did work 8-10 weeks each summer for my academic sponsor, Taylor Woodrow, as part of the ICE QUEST Scholarship working on Crossrail in London and the M5 smart motorway upgrade.

What has your UoN experience meant to you?

The opportunities the Department of Civil Engineering gave me have meant a lot. Looking back, I think that if my first-year lecturer hadn’t encouraged me to go to the ICE East Midlands Graduates and Students meetings, I probably wouldn't have attended them so early in my university course.

I’m still involved in work with the ICE now and it’s gone on to shape a lot of my career outside of my day-to-day work. In my third year at University of Nottingham, I was Committee Secretary of the graduates and students for the East Midlands. In my final year at university, I was Vice Chair and then, in my year after graduating, I chaired the committee and then I went on to apply for the ICE President's Future Leader’s programme.

I was more interested in working for a contractor, rather than going into design whilst studying on the course. Through the Student Advisory Committee, I was able to feedback on where the course could provide more opportunity for learning the project management and decision-making side of engineering which is more relevant for a contractor. Everyone running the course was very responsive and listened to my needs. If you want to learn more about a key aspect, they will listen and do their best to address it.

What did you enjoy about your social time here?

University Park campus is quite self-contained. They have every club or society you can imagine, and there’s always something to get involved in. I was a member of the Boat Club, the Rambling and Hillwalking Society, and the Latin, Ballroom and Salsa Society over the 4-years of my degree.

There are multiple taster sessions throughout the year. If you miss out on something at the start of the year and want to give it a go later, there’s still time to get involved. Societies are very inclusive and supportive. I sent messages to some of the clubs asking about how I could get involved and always got a reply and about joining and coming along for the first time. I decided partway through my second year to join the hiking society, it was easy to get involved and I enjoyed it.

What advice would you give someone considering studying Civil Engineering?

Get involved in as many extracurricular activities as you can. No opportunity is a bad one and will always provide valuable experience for your career going forward. From sponsorship programmes and placement opportunities, ICE meetings, careers fairs and degree programme meetings, employers will be looking for it on your CV when you leave university, and often look for a well-rounded individual with a varied skill set. At the University of Nottingham there are lots of opportunities to get involved in which will help you stand out from the crowd!