Lilian Gowans is a Graduate Water Engineer at AECOM. She's a very ambitious and hardworking team player who's enjoying her role at AECOM immensely.

Lilian grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland and gained a place at Loughborough University to study towards a Masters in Civil Engineering. Loughborough University runs a programme where students can be sponsored by Engineering firms who provide bursaries and work experience. She was fortunate to gain sponsorship with a civil engineering firm, where she undertook three summer placements in Glasgow. In her final year of University, her dissertation focused on vegetation in open channels. The work she did for her dissertation strengthened her belief that she wanted to pursue a career in water engineering. She then successfully secured a role with AECOM and began working for the Water Team in Croydon in 2015.

"I like at AECOM how I get the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects. After working for AECOM for only three months, I was involved in one of the biggest projects in the UK, Tideway. I also think that it's the people who make a company what it is - and AECOM certainly has a great wealth of talent," explains Lilian.

Lilian works with the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Team on the design of four central London sites: Blackfriars, Victoria, Albert Embankment and Heathwall Pumping Station. This involves developing the design of Blackfriars, Victoria, Albert Embankment and Heathwall Pumping Station and liaising with all the different teams involved in Tideway, including Structures and Computer Assisted Design (CAD). She's also engaged in drafting Flood Risk Assessments and Reviewing proposed drainage strategies submitted as part of full planning applications.

When it comes to AECOM as an employer, Lilian says that the company has given her the opportunity to deepen her knowledge of the water sector and learn about the importance of engineering in terms of its impact on people’s lives.

"I've learned to work alongside a range of people who all have a common goal. AECOM fosters a collaborative environment with good communications between teams. Above all, AECOM invests in its employees while delivering value to its customers," explains Lilian.

Lilian cites AECOM as being a very fair employer and says she has never felt either advantaged or disadvantaged due to her gender. "I get the same opportunities as everyone else and I'm very pleased that I have great access to some of the top women in the business as my role models."

Find out more