Deborah is a Senior Director at Arcadis, based in London, with a distinguished career in civil engineering that began after an early passion for constructing things and a pivotal moment at a summer engineering course at Salford University in 1991.

Over the course of her career, Deborah has contributed to high-profile projects like flood defence schemes along the Thames Estuary and the innovative Medmerry Managed Realignment, which transformed the British coastline.

After earning a 2:1 in Civil Engineering and becoming a Chartered Engineer in 2002, she quickly advanced in her career, benefiting from a supportive family and educational environment. Now serving as an NEC Project Manager, she oversees complex projects, where every day brings new challenges and opportunities.

A strong advocate for diversity in engineering, Deborah encourages young girls to pursue careers in the built environment, highlighting the chance to make a meaningful impact.

Today, we dive into her story, exploring the experiences and lessons that have driven her success and shaped her journey.

When did you realise that a career in engineering was right for you? Was there a particular moment in your life?

As a kid I had always liked toys like Lego, Meccano or making dens in the garden …oh and obviously mud pies! So clearly from an early age I liked to construct things and enjoyed the outdoors! I opted for science and maths at A level as I thought that would get me further rather than what I was good at, Music, French and Humanities!

The teacher I babysat suggested engineering as she said, “I could see you as a civil engineer” and I had no idea what that was. I was lucky enough to attend an INSIGHT For Girls course at Salford University in the summer of 1991 that explored all forms of engineering, and it was here I decided that civil engineering was a career I’d be interested in, so I guess it was on that course that defined my career choice!

What does an average day look like for you?

My days are very varied, my current role is as an NEC Project Manager administering contracts for the Environment Agency delivering flood defence schemes across the Thames Estuary. My day can involve visits to site to monitor progress and resolve issues, meetings in offices with team members, engaging and talking to clients, assessing change on my projects and reviewing programmes. It’s rarely the same!

How did you get into this career?

I applied to various universities and was accepted back to Salford University to study Civil Engineering with an Industrial Year, and I was fortunate enough to be successful at my second year interview and gained a place at Costain for my year out. Here I was able to build on my theoretical knowledge as well as getting a good understanding of what life was like as a site engineer!

What qualifications did you get?

I got 4 A Levels (just) in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and General Studies. I then went to university and gained a 2:1 in Civil Engineering and then in 2002 I became a Chartered Civil Engineer.

Did you face any challenges with your career decision as a woman engineer?

I was fortunate as I didn’t. My parents were very supportive, and my teachers encouraged me.  

What advice would you give to young girls considering a career in engineering?

If you have a passion for the built environment, then do it.

If you want to make a difference, then do it.

If you want to improve the quality of life, then do it.

Basically no one should be stopping you from doing it. It’s a varied and interesting career and can take you anywhere in the world if you want it to. It’s not a “dirty” career as was once thought and construction companies are actively seeking diversity in their workforce and as such the working conditions have improved vastly since I started my career!

Do you have any standout memories from your career as an engineer?

Not sure if it’s a funny story but when I started back at Costain after my career I learnt a valuable lesson about record keeping. In a road construction you have to clearly mark out where things like drainage gullies and draw pits are. I made a mistake and couldn’t find one in a footpath before it was to be tarmacked…so I was given a shovel and a pick axe and told to “find it”…I did…but I didn’t overlook a measurement again!

The project I am most proud of is Medmerry Managed Realignment as this was innovative and unique. It was a flood defence scheme that involved a 7km embankment in land from the beach between Selsey and Bracklesham with the aim was to provide not only flood defence but also a variety of habitats. We did this through a 110m breach (create a gap) in the shingle beach and allowed the sea in to create the variety of habitats. You can see this realigned coastline from the air and it's changed the shape of the British coast line for ever…that’s something to be proud of!

Curious about our #ShesAnEngineer series? Dive into our video series featuring women who are driving change and breaking down barriers in this male-dominated field. Discover their inspiring stories here: https://www.alexander-assoc.co.uk/women-in-engineering.

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