AECOM is recruiting heavily in Ground Engineering right now and there are so many brilliant career opportunities available.

AECOM and Where Women Work are shining a light on some of the people already working in the arena to provide some great insight into what they do, the positive impact they have, and why they enjoy their work so much. Enjoy this series meeting some very impressive AECOM people thriving in their jobs within ground engineering. 

In this series Lynn Masterson, Regional Director for Ground, Energy & Transaction Solutions in the North, Scotland & Island of Ireland talks about all things ground engineering. Lynn discusses the key issues facing the ground engineering industry and shares her views on getting more women into STEM careers. Lynn also considers why equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) are so important to the Ground Engineering team at AECOM.

Be sure to read further articles in this Ground Engineering series featuring Riya Patel, Sophie Hoggard and James Todd.

How did you find yourself working in Ground Engineering? 

When I joined AECOM as a Graduate Engineer, we did rotations and worked in different disciplines for a year at a time. I began my career in the Highways team in Glasgow and this equipped me with some great skills and experience. However, when I rotated into the Ground Engineering team, I enjoyed the variety of projects and the work so much that I decided to stay and make a career in this area.

What makes you tick?

Working in part of a strong team is what makes me tick, whether it be delivering projects or as part of the leadership team. I really enjoy the times when deadlines are difficult to achieve and I am under pressure to deliver, this is when I am at my best. 

What are key strengths you call upon and demonstrate in your role?

I am highly organised and thrive under pressure. These skills have served me well on some of the projects that I have worked on where we have delivered to very challenging programmes. I try to always stay calm and whilst this can be challenging, I truly believe that this achieves the best results in the long term.

What is your favourite project?

One of the best schemes I have worked on is the M77 Fenwick to Malletsheugh. This was quite early on in my career and there were lots of technical issues that needed to be resolved. The scheme gave me a wealth of experience, which I then used to get Chartered.

More recently I have really enjoyed developing the Newry Southern Relief Road in Northern Ireland. This is a technically complex project involving a magnificent bridge crossing that I hope to see constructed one day. The teams on both these projects have been excellent and it has been a truly collaborative multi-discipline experience.

What is the key issue in Ground Engineering right now?

The key issue in ground engineering is recruitment and retention of people and it is an industry-wide problem. There are simply not enough people interested in pursuing a career in Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology and this is beginning to cause serious pressure on existing resource pools across the UK and Ireland. A key focus area for the ground engineering industry must be publicising the great projects we work on and the contribution to these schemes by the ground engineering professionals. As an industry we need better links with universities and learning institutions in order to promote what we do in ground engineering, and to show people what a truly rewarding, diverse and exciting career it can be.

Why is ED&I so important to the Ground Engineering practice at AECOM?

Equity, diversity & inclusion (ED&I) are extremely important to the Ground Engineering practice at AECOM as it provides an overall strength and the broadest spectrum of thought and talent. The Ground Engineering practice is made up of people with many technical and personal skills, and a diverse team enhances this strength. An inclusive environment is essential to ensure that we have a fairness within the teams and to create a culture that does not disadvantage certain individuals, thus allowing everyone to thrive.

How can we get more women into STEM careers and ground engineering?

Getting more women into STEM careers is vital and, in my view, it needs to start early, at primary school. As an industry we need to capture the attention and interest of girls when they are young to encourage them to study STEM subjects, thus opening-up many careers for them later. I would like to see more programmes aimed at the teaching staff to ensure that they are fully aware of the range of engineering careers that are available to allow them to properly advise and guide students. I have helped at several STEM events at schools and the students have really enjoyed the different activities we have put on.

I am involved in a female mentoring programme at Dundee University. This initiative enables female civil engineering students to be mentored by women who are currently working in the engineering industry. It provides the students with an insight into what life is really like working as a civil engineer. There is sometimes the perception that engineering is not very female oriented, and this can lead to women leaving the industry once they have obtained their degree. I am very keen to dispel this perception, and to show the students what a great career they can have and discuss the opportunities available to them.

Ground engineering can often involve more site work than other disciplines which can be daunting for some. There can be a fear that there will be negative reactions to women being on construction sites, but this is simply not the case. I have never had anything other than complete support from others when working on site. Being on site is a great way of seeing the soils and rock first hand for the design that we do in the office and is a vital part of our development.

What are key strengths of AECOM’s Ground Engineering practice?

I believe that AECOM has one of the strongest and most technically capable ground engineering practices in the UK and Ireland, and across the globe. We have extremely talented individuals and I am convinced that we have the right experts to tackle any project or problem that arises. Another real strength of the Ground Engineering practice at AECOM is the number of people who are passionate about and dedicated to training and developing people. There are also great opportunities for people to develop and grow in the business and achieve their career goals.

When you're not working, what are your favourite ways to spend time?

I volunteer as a Reviewer for the Institution of Civil Engineers and I sit on their Professional Standards Panel which allows me to give a little back. I am also a volunteer for Women in Transport, and I have recently started to deal with external partnerships. This is very much a work in progress, but it has given me the opportunity to meet some amazing women that I would have probably never met otherwise. For fun, I enjoy Crossfit at my local community gym as it allows me to throw weights around. Finally, I am a fair-weather runner, not a very fast one but I find it great for releasing energy.

Become part of this amazing team today 

If you want to work for a company that believes in each person’s potential and work on some of the most cutting-edge, technically demanding and innovative projects and programs of our time, then apply for a job in Ground Engineering at AECOM.

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