Equipped for a career in infrastructure development

A global outlook

Having a strong interest in the built environment, Tim decided to build a career in structural engineering. To support his studies in civil and environmental engineering at Imperial College London, Tim used money from the ELS programme to undertake engineering-related work experience placements around the world.

From an internship on the Lötschberg tunnel in Switzerland, to a bridge construction project in Bangladesh and fixing wind turbine pumps in Kenya, Tim’s aim was to broaden his perspective and gain skills on the ground.

Seizing opportunities

Upon graduation Tim spent two years working at the construction firm Sir Robert McAlpine, gaining formative site experience. He then became a chartered engineer while working at design consultancy WhitbyBird, getting a grounding in design, calculations and structural design. “They were the bedrock engineering experiences that I gained, which I chose to further in overseas work,” he explains.

Next, he managed a small NGO’s construction programme in Uganda, followed by doing a graduate diploma in economics. “It broadened my thinking into the underlying rationale for doing engineering projects – the economic justification, cost benefit analysis and international finances as well.”

Broadening horizons

All these experiences paved the way to his present role as an infrastructure adviser in the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, where he oversees UK aid funding for infrastructure such as ports, rural roads and water projects in developing countries. “I’ve broadened from my original engineering, construction and design training, and now use those skills in the development sector which is really interesting and impactful".