Assistant Engineer

I’ve been working at South Gloucestershire Council for 16 years. I previously worked on construction sites doing general building work and completed an NVQ qualification in Bricklaying. I started here as a trainee Technician and spent several years studying to get my qualifications in civil engineering and waste management. I now have a HNC in Civil Engineering and currently work in our Highway Maintenance team.

New challenges

The council currently has a multi-million pound local infrastructure programme in place to improve and upgrade our current infrastructure to reduce flood risks across South Gloucestershire.

As part of my role I manage a number of sites under the programme, overseeing projects from start to finish and every day is different. I’m involved in both planned and reactive work and spend most of my time on drainage projects. This involves talking to local residents and Councillors and conducting site surveys. I’ll then recommend and cost potential solutions, before programming construction work with contractors. My role is very much hands-on, overseeing the projects through to completion and resolving issues along the way.

In addition to managing planned projects, my team also have to quickly respond to any flooded roads and properties. When this happens it’s my responsibility to organise the relevant crews and traffic management teams to get the job done, with minimal disruption to our residents and businesses.

Making a difference

Because of the tight timelines in delivering the projects we work on, the demands are always high. Nevertheless, I like taking a proactive approach in meeting deadlines and take pride in knowing the work we do will make a difference to improve people’s lives.

Teamwork

I really enjoy the variety of my working day, which is mixture of site visits, catching up with colleagues in the office and working from home. I also like the friendly team I work in, as every day is fun and the work is challenging but enjoyable. It’s great to feel part of a team that offers support and advice when I need it, and I’ve learnt a great deal from colleagues over the years.