insights Our teams that operate the most complex projects across Hong Kong

Nestled between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island, a beautiful and vibrant city – Hong Kong is known to be one of the most developed cities in the world. Being a city with a finite landscape, Hong Kong has always focused on innovation and has come up with brilliant ways to build world-class infrastructure that prioritizes sustainability. AtkinsRéalis Hong Kong has been supporting the government of Hong Kong in major projects.

The company’s vision of building a better world while keeping sustainability at its core is synonymous with the government’s commitment to city-wide growth and development that is dedicated to environmental policies. From collaborating with Hong Kong Airport Authority to undertake the construction of the new Hong Kong International Airport, to building the lifeline project of the city – MTR (Mass Transit Railway), a major public transport network, AtkinsRéalis is paving the way towards sustainability.

Why work as an engineer in Hong Kong?

Being one of the most developed cities that is densely populated, Hong Kong brings in a lot of unprecedented opportunities for civil engineers and architects, helping them achieve the curve in their career growth. A spirited team culture that is inclusive of all ethnicities, compelling projects that are dynamic, and flexible working hours that support the goal of building an agile working environment – that is what our AtkinsRéalis office in Hong Kong looks like.

Below, we bring to you the stories of our very own people, Yudan, Rob, and Krishna, who have relocated to Hong Kong and are now working with us at AtkinsRéalis. Find out how they have been supporting development through sustainability, and why you should consider a career in Hong Kong.

Yudan, Geotechnical Engineer

After receiving her PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Nottingham, Yudan Jia started working at AtkinsRéalis in the summer of 2013. She has now relocated toAtkinsRéalis – Hong Kong in 2021 where she works as a Geotechnical Engineer for infrastructure projects. Before moving to Hong Kong, she contributed to the Transportation Sector, Highways as well as Rails, and Design Engineer/Construction Support in AtkinsRéalis – UK.

Being at AtkinsRéalis - Hong Kong, Yudan says she enjoys flexible working – an aspect that is crucial for her as she strives to find a good balance between work, family and giving time to her own self. She also enjoys the reasonable commuting distance. Besides that, when asked why someone should look forward to joining AtkinsRéalis – Hong Kong, Yudan enunciates the multi-faceted projects for the government and private sectors. She further emphasizes that Hong Kong is one of the most developed cities, bringing in plenty of opportunities in the field.

Keeping work apart, Yudan describes Hong Kong as an amalgamation of East and West culture with scrumptious food, great universities/research teams, and lower tax rates. She also says that it is fairly easy to go and explore mainland China where one can dive deep into the world of Eastern culture, history, art and food. However, with a winking face, she says one should be well prepared to live in compact spaces.

Rob, Transport Consultant

An integrated master in Geoscience from Royal Holloway, University of London, Rob Fleetwood now works at AtkinsRéalis - Hong Kong as a Transport Consultant, since 2021. He began his career at AtkinsRéalis UK in the year 2019. One of the reasons Rob chose to advance his career with AtkinsRéalis was that he realized the crucial role that AtkinsRéalis plays in the future of transportation globally. He became more aware of the issues in the transportation sector and now finds a sense of gratification while working on projects that have a positive impact on the transportation sector. Transport engineering, traffic engineering and safety & mobility is one of its major focus areas of Rob.

Given the kind of impact these projects have on people’s lives which may positively affect them for a month, years or for decades, Rob says that the projects he works on in Hong Kong are diverse and challenging yet rewarding and gratifying. What makes the work more intriguing is his colleagues and the unwavering support from the team. Rob describes the office environment as positive and is glad to work with like-minded engineers who work diligently on the same output. Having come from The United Kingdom, he found himself surrounded by friendly and helpful colleagues who made the transition process very smooth for him.

When in AtkinsRéalis, opportunities keep flowing in for you and that isn’t any different in the Hong Kong office. Rob looks forward to Fun Fridays, hosted every last Friday of the month by the AYP or AtkinsRéalis Young Professionals. The AYP is a group of young and zestful engineers who come together to put up Fun Friday, which, at its core, is an event that helps people network while also involving themselves in merrymaking. Fun Fridays give the much-needed break to employees, where engineers of various departments meet to discuss their work; form various groups like sports, charity, and study; celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and the achievements of colleagues, or simply bond over football matches.

From being apprehensive at first to appreciating the office culture, its people and the work, Rob says that if given a chance, engineers should absolutely look forward to relocating to Hong Kong as it gives an experience like no other. And while he was taking some time settling in the city, he found solace in Cha Siu and Baked Rice – his favourite cuisine so far in Hong Kong, picturesque sightseeing locations, the perfect mix of nature and the classic city skyline, the culture and the kind and helpful people around in general.

Krishna, Assistant Engineer

Krishna, an Indian citizen who loves to travel, is having a great time at Hong Kong as two of his favourite locations – mountains and beaches, are just an hour or two transport rides away.

He discovered AtkinsRéalis when he was pursuing his Master of Technology at IIT Madras, India. Krishna loved how AtkinsRéalis works around the globe, impacting the world with their sustainable development, and it was since then that he decided he wanted to work at AtkinsRéalis. With sheer dedication and hard work, he was able to make it to AtkinsRéalis, Gurgaon in the year 2019 after his graduation. Krishna started working for the regions of the UK, US, Ireland as well as Asia Pacific which included a variety of projects concerning storm water drainage for highways, railway station as well as airports. Having worked on a few projects in Hong Kong earlier, which included the major work of Hong Kong International Airport, Krishna was intrigued and a part of him was eager to work on more projects for one of the world’s most developed cities. And when the opportunity knocked, Krishna opened the doors with wide arms. He moved to Hong Kong in June 2022 and started working as an Assistant Engineer on Road Drainage, Sewage Network and Water Supply Scheme projects, something that was quite new to him. Talking about office culture and the people there, Krishna elaborates on a particular event where on the second day of his joining, the graduates and trainers took him and his colleague to an Indian Restaurant for lunch. He felt included and welcomed by his colleagues. Krishna describes the culture of the office as ‘equals’, where there is no discrimination based on region, nation, or even titles. He considers himself lucky to be working with one of the brightest individuals who are very supportive and will never hesitate to help in any kind of situation.

According to Krishna if you are someone who is looking – to grow your engineering career, to work along with people from various parts of the world and for a place where you can unleash the traveller within you, AtkinsRéalis – Hong Kong is the place for you.

Find your next job at AtkinsRéalis Hong Kong

Being a people-centric organization, we aim to provide an insightful journey for our employees that connects them with people, data, and technology to design, deliver and operate the most complex projects across Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, we support clients across the country. Our workforce applies innovative thinking, pioneering technologies and strategic management to create the best outcomes for our clients and future generations.

If you’re looking forward to joining a truly inclusive organization with exciting career opportunities, then explore our wide range of options and apply for a job in Hong Kong today.