It's about more than what we build

Meet Ellie and read how she turns infrastructure projects into real opportunities for people and communities.

Ellie joined AtkinsRéalis from a community development background, her first role in the private sector. As a Social Value Consultant working across Heathrow, Gatwick, Surrey County Council and Fusion, she designs the programmes that turn infrastructure projects into opportunities for the people around them.

I'm a Social Value Consultant based in Epsom. My job is to design and deliver programmes that create positive social impact, particularly through skills, employability and community engagement, and make sure that infrastructure projects deliver real value beyond what gets built.

I work closely with project teams, stakeholders and partners across some of our biggest frameworks: Heathrow, Gatwick, Surrey County Council and Fusion. Each one looks different, but the question I'm always asking is the same: how do we make sure this project leaves something positive behind for the people and communities it touches?

From psychology to social value

My background is in psychology, and before this role I worked in careers and education outreach, coordinating programmes that connected young people with employers and opportunities. I've also got years of experience in sports coaching, I was previously a national-level gymnast, and more recently I've been Head Coach of a women's and non-binary football team, alongside coaching at university level.

All of that shapes how I work now. Coaching teaches you how to engage and motivate different groups of people, how to lead inclusively, and how to design experiences that actually land. Psychology helps me think about behaviour and communication. Together, they've given me a really people-centred approach to a role that's fundamentally about people.

Bridging projects and communities

My day-to-day is about bridging the gap between large infrastructure projects and the communities they serve. That includes designing programme content, managing stakeholder relationships, facilitating workshops and tracking outcomes, making sure social value isn't a tick-box exercise but something structured, measurable and genuinely useful.

Right now, I'm leading initiatives like work experience programmes for young people with special educational needs and disabilities, Women in STEM sessions, and outreach activities that connect young people with careers in the built environment. I also coordinate staff volunteering with local charities, strengthening community partnerships across the South East.

A day that brought it to life

One project that really demonstrates the impact this work can have was a Women in STEM insight day I designed and delivered in May, as part of our social value work with Surrey County Council. We welcomed 27 Year 8 and 9 students from local schools to our Epsom office to explore careers in engineering and the built environment.

The day was structured to be engaging and confidence-building, hands-on workshops including nuclear surveying technology and a cyber escape room, a keynote speaker, and a speed networking session where students connected with over 20 colleagues across disciplines. We facilitated open discussions around the challenges of being a woman in STEM, and how to overcome them.

The feedback was what stayed with me. One student said:

“I learnt that there are so many different jobs in STEM, and women can do any of them!”

Another reflected:

“I would like to speak up more in lessons to improve my confidence for the future, because everything involves confidence and communication.”

A teacher described the day as “incredibly insightful and inspiring.” For me, this showed how a well-designed programme can genuinely build confidence, broaden aspirations and create lasting impact.

Small decisions, long-term impact

Sometimes the moments that matter most aren't the big set-piece events, they're the small, practical decisions. One example I keep coming back to is our choice to open up our Epsom office facilities to local charities, free of charge, as part of our social value commitments.

We've worked with the Sunnybank Trust for over two years, providing access to meeting rooms and professional space. That's directly supported the development of their consultancy initiative Understand Us, which is led by consultants with lived experience of disabilities working with local businesses to improve accessibility and inclusion.

By having consistent access to a professional environment, Sunnybank Trust has been able to grow this offer, creating paid employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities and building a strong proposition around lived-experience expertise.

As their CEO put it:

“AtkinsRéalis has supported our charity, The Sunnybank Trust, and our business initiative, Understand Us, for over two years. The opportunity to experience a corporate environment has been hugely beneficial for their professional growth. Your support makes our work possible.”

It's a reminder that small decisions, made deliberately, can enable long-term sustainable community impact.

What “engineering a better future” actually means

To me, “engineering a better future for our planet and its people” is about making sure the projects we deliver create lasting, inclusive benefits, not just physical infrastructure. In my role, that looks like embedding social value into projects so they actively improve people's lives and open up opportunities, particularly for those who might not otherwise have access.

It's about making sure infrastructure investment supports people as well as places, leaving a positive legacy where communities feel included, empowered and better connected to opportunities.

What's it like working here?

This is my first role in the private sector, and the thing that's stood out most is how inclusive and supportive the environment is. There's a real openness to different perspectives, and people are willing to help you succeed.

It's also a culture that combines ambition with inclusivity. You're trusted to take ownership but supported to succeed. I've been pushed in a really positive way, taking on new responsibilities, leading programmes, contributing more strategically. That balance of support and stretch has built my confidence and helped me develop both professionally and personally.

If you're thinking about joining a team like this, I'd say go for it. Social value is still a relatively new area, and that's what makes it so exciting, there's a real opportunity to shape how things are done and make a tangible impact. You're not just contributing to large infrastructure projects. You're helping to create opportunities, support communities and deliver real social outcomes. You genuinely feel like the work is making a difference.

Curious about a career where your work genuinely makes a difference? Discover opportunities with us and be part of shaping projects that deliver real value beyond the build.