This International Women’s Day, we asked our people to share their stories...

For International Women’s Day 2026, we invited colleagues across AtkinsRéalis to share their stories, their career journeys, the people who shaped them, and the moments that mattered. The response was extraordinary. People from nine countries, across every career stage, opened up about what it means to build a career here.

These are some of their stories.

Careers that don’t follow straight lines

One of the strongest themes was that careers at AtkinsRéalis rarely look the way people expected. 

Tracey, a Regional Director in Complex Projects based in Bristol, joined eleven years ago looking for a job. It became a career. She spotted a gap, built a new team, and eventually petitioned leadership to create an entirely new practice - Programme Advisory, which has grown from eight people to around fifty. She’s done all of it while working part-time.

“Every role that I’ve interviewed for has never been specifically advertised as part-time,” she says. “But the business has been flexible in its thinking and seen how the quality of who I am and the results I can achieve outweigh the need to be present five days a week.” 

Jo, a Technical Director of Town Planning based in London, has just marked twenty-five years with the company. Before joining, she was working in Soweto on a heritage trail that has since become one of South Africa’s most popular tourist destinations. Since then, she’s worked in China, Singapore, and led the planning strategy for Havant Thicket Reservoir, the first reservoir consented in the UK in thirty years.

Her philosophy? “I’ve had lots of great opportunities and experiences just by saying ‘yes’ a lot. Stepping out of your comfort zone is the only way to grow.”

Piriya, joined as a graduate engineer in 2012. Fourteen years later, she’s a Practice Manager in the Water business, leading workshare between the Global Technology Centre and Ireland and serving as Technical Framework Lead for a major Irish framework. Her career has spanned three countries, and progression came through what she could do rather than how long she’d been doing it. “Your career growth is only limited by the ambition you harbour.”

And Doaa, Talent Attraction Manager for AMEA and GTC, pivoted from marketing and graphic design after a LinkedIn message four years ago. She hasn’t looked back. “That leap reshaped my career,” she says, “and it continues to shape how I approach talent today.” 

The global and the technical

Across the stories, what sets AtkinsRéalis apart comes through clearly: the scale, the technical complexity, and the cross-border collaboration. 

Advika, a Construction Data Analyst and San Francisco Office Leader, has worked across aviation, high tech, pharmaceutical, and commercial real estate, contributing to projects ranging from $20,000 to $10 billion. “It’s exciting to see projects come to fruition based on numbers and schedules you produced when it was still a concept.”

Mamta, a Senior Principal Engineer in Mumbai, has worked across Canada, Australia, the UK, and India, earning Chartered status from Engineers Australia and a Canadian P.Eng licence in the same year. “Every project brings a new perspective, and that constant exchange keeps me learning.”

Eliza, a Director of UX and Data Visualisation, works remotely from New Zealand, where we only have a couple of employees. She started as a contractor in Creative Design in London and progressed to Director. “Whether you’re based in UK, Canada, India, Australia or New Zealand, there’s a sense of camaraderie in finding colleagues near your time zone and asking them for help.” 

And Anna, an Associate and Technical Authority for Natural Capital, is working on water security schemes that are changing how infrastructure considers the environment. “The guidance I wrote when I was at the Environment Agency is now driving the work I do on a day-to-day basis. As an environmental professional, that’s a pinch-me moment.”

Support that shows up when it matters

Story after story returned to the same theme: the people around you make the difference.

Sameera, Lead - Talent Acquisition for the AMEA region, talked about returning from maternity leave. “What stood out immediately was the trust and support I received. There was a phase where I was rediscovering my rhythm and quietly questioning myself. But what I found here was not hesitation, it was belief.”

Katiana, PMO Lead and Practice Manager for Project Controls, was diagnosed with vasculitis in 2022 and started aggressive treatment while continuing to lead. “It wasn’t anything dramatic. It was the everyday things, people being understanding, giving me space when I needed it, not making me feel like I had to explain myself all the time, and still trusting me to do my job.”

Clare, a Flood Risk Associate Director with seventeen years at the company, remembers a moment early in her career when a manager handed her a pencil before a difficult stakeholder meeting, calling it the “Simmonds shield.” “It might sound odd, but it was something we could see and remember that whatever happened, we had her support. I’ve never forgotten it.” 

Hrudya, a Geotechnical Design Manager in Bangalore, became a Chartered Engineer while navigating two maternity breaks. The turning point was her Practice Director encouraging her to sign a training agreement with ICE at a time when she wasn’t sure she could commit. “At that stage in my career, he had more confidence in me than I had in myself. That belief made all the difference.” 

And Merna, a landscape architect, named six women who’ve shaped her experience. “They’ve made challenges feel manageable, not by removing the work, but by supporting, encouraging, and trusting me every step of the way.”

Being yourself at work

For many, International Women’s Day is about the freedom to be authentic and the distance still left to travel. 

Anna, who is neurodivergent, was clear about what helps her thrive: “Flexible working, trust, support, and the ability to be authentically me. My brain doesn’t work in straight lines. I often need breaks, the ability to work non-core hours, and to feel trusted and empowered to do my job.”

And Tracey, who competes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, she’s a 2025 NoGi British Champion, put it this way: “I’m a woman working in a still heavily male-dominated industry, I work part-time, I fit the traditional stereotype of the primary caregiver at home but I compete in an incredibly male-dominated sport, often the only woman on the mats, and I’ve had a successful career in spite of these barriers.”

Hrudya’s perspective on IWD comes from something deeply personal. For three generations, the women in her family have been educated, working, financially independent, going back to her grandmother in the 1950s. “I grew up believing equality was natural. It was only when I stepped outside that I realised not every woman has that same support system.”

Their advice 

We asked every contributor what they’d say to someone building their career. The answers were direct, personal, and worth reading in full across their individual stories. Here are a few that stayed with us.

“Don’t be shy about using your voice and your platform. You were chosen to be here because of your strengths, your perspective, and your potential.” - Advika, Construction Data Analyst, San Francisco

“Deviations can lead to beautiful locations. I never anticipated having a career in change and transformation, it was the result of a project secondment that opened my eyes to the possibility and joy it brings me.” - Tracey, Regional Director, Bristol

“Don’t hide in the comfort of being capable, step into the discomfort of being seen.” - Mamta, Senior Principal Engineer, Mumbai

“Build relationships. Your technical skills will get you in the door, but relationships will keep you here and help you grow.” - Jo, Technical Director, London

“Own what you know. Clarity isn’t arrogance.” - Katiana, PMO Lead, Epsom 

“Your journey does not need to follow a predefined path. You don’t have to choose between ambition and authenticity, you can carry both.” - Sameera, Lead - Talent Acquisition, Bangalore

“You can literally become anything with the right mindset.” - Eliza, Director, New Zealand

“Give yourself permission to grow at your own pace. No need to compare. It’s all about resilience, clarity, and self-belief.” - Hrudya, Geotechnical Design Manager, Bangalore

“Your career growth is only limited by the ambition you harbour.” - Piriya, Practice Manager, Noida

These are just some of the stories shared by our people this International Women’s Day. Read each person’s full story on our careers site, and explore what a career at AtkinsRéalis could look like for you.