insights Why should you take your project management career to an engineering firm?

Take your project management career to an engineering firm, and you’ll help address some of the most pressing issues our planet is facing, such as building sustainably. The built environment contributes around 40% of the UK’s carbon emissions, so there’s a lot of work to be done, and engineering firms are on a mission to find the top talent out there. Including AtkinsRéalis .

The Group, which also comprises our Atkins, Faithful+Gould and Acuity businesses, believes in people development. If you have a dream job, we’ll help you get there, and if you’re not sure what path to take, we’ll support you on your journey.

So how can you engineer a better world through your project management career?

The engineering sector is undergoing a digital transformation

The digital transformation is revolutionising engineering, enabling professionals to be more accurate and innovative and giving them access to invaluable data. This transformation is redefining the way engineers carry out operations, but what does it mean for the project managers working alongside them?

The new age of engineering and construction technology means that project managers can gain new insights that will refine their decision-making and facilitate continuous improvement. Technology is shaping modern engineering, and project managers - from graduates to senior project managers - get to be at the forefront of this revolution.

Become a subject matter expert

By specialising in engineering project management, you’ll become a subject matter expert and establish yourself as an integral part of a team, ensuring they stay connected. Though you don’t always need an engineering degree, you will oversee and approve the project's technical engineering components, meaning you’ll get to be involved in the more complex aspects of the project.

Be a part of sustainable project management

Project managers in the engineering sector set themselves up for an exciting workload, and a diverse one too if they choose a global company. They’re responsible for providing high-quality project and programme management standards across the whole project lifecycle. But there’s a lot more to the role than that.

Working alongside engineers, architects and planners, you’ll play a vital role in building a better world for the generations to come. At AtkinsRéalis , Engineering Net Zero is our blueprint for the future. We empower our project managers and remind them that they can choose a career where they make a positive impact.

We’ve not yet seen the full potential of sustainable project management, so the best is yet to come.

Develop your strategic mindset

Leading and managing a multi-disciplinary team throughout the lifecycle of an engineering project requires a disciplined thinker who has the judgement and the capacity to think through complex issues. This is where strategic project management comes into play.

At any stage of the project lifecycle, you’ll need to be a competent decision-maker, no matter whether it's regarding commercial accountability, quality assurance, environmental management, technical and legal matters, or health and safety. Exercising your strategic thinking, you’ll work to improve efficiencies on projects, implementing new initiatives to save time, money, and prevent waste.

Project managers develop their consultancy skills

Atkins are committed to finding the brightest minds and offering them the opportunity to realise their potential. Tasmin enrolled on our Level 4 Higher Apprentice Project Manager programme, which has not only exposed her to some of our most exciting engineering projects but it’s also given her the space to develop her consultancy skills.

Our projects tackle some of the biggest challenges within engineering and design, so knowledge of project costs, risks, issues and other technical expertise is imperative. But to lead a project successfully, project managers need to build genuine relationships with their clients to relay this information back.

Choose a career path that is right for you with AtkinsRéalis

At AtkinsRéalis , there’s no set career path. Just take Andrew as an example, who made a career change from quantity surveying to project management. He was looking for a more active role that would challenge him. So whether you’re ready to join us as a project manager or are interested in what other career options we can offer you, we want to hear from you.

Browse our latest engineering project management jobs, or explore our markets to find out more about what we do.