You don't have to be an engineer to build a career in water

I joined AtkinsRéalis when I was 21, fresh out of grad school, after meeting the Floodplain Management team at the Association of State Floodplain Managers conference. In a room full of companies looking to hire, this team stood out. They were professional and genuinely engaging, and I was drawn in straight away.

There was just one catch. I was hired as an engineer, and I am not an engineer.

My background is in marine and environmental politics. I couldn't design things or model floods in GIS. I couldn't even open GIS. So during the eight months I worked as an engineer, every time I introduced myself to a client as an engineer, it felt like I was claiming a background I didn't have.

Anyone who knew me back then probably heard me say it out loud: "I'm a bad engineer!"

The thing is, I wasn't bad at my job. I was applying real policy analysis skills to national work, helping FEMA and other agencies advance the adoption of modern building codes. I just had the wrong label.

My manager understood, and helped me move to the title of Planner. It sounds like a small change. It wasn't. It opened me up to new projects and signaled to the wider Water group that I could be leaned on for the things I'm actually good at: technical writing, qualitative analysis and strategy. Today I'm a Planner II. I still work on our STARR II contract with FEMA, and I support projects across the country.

Work you don't see

A lot of what I do protects communities in ways people never notice. Building codes save lives, protect property and cut the long-term cost of flooding, the most expensive natural hazard we face.

There's a direct link between a community using up-to-date codes and how well it recovers when the water comes. Even water quality is part of it: better building standards mean less debris in the water after a flood.

The team that championed me

What's kept me here is the people. From the first day I met this team, the mentorship went beyond teaching. When I was new and nervous about speaking up, someone always advocated for me.

In 2024 they surprised me by nominating me for the Global Water Technical Network's Excellence in an Early Career award, where I was a runner-up. Every year, someone from this team is spotlighted or wins in a category. That's the level of support here. When I hit a hard problem, I know some of the best people in the field are ready to help me solve it.

Room to lead

I've also found room to lead outside my projects. I coordinate activities for my Lynnwood office, and I lead the engagement working group for our Emerging Professionals Network, connecting early-career people across the US to opportunities in the company.

I came in as a politics grad who kept insisting she was a bad engineer. What I found was a team that saw what I could actually do, gave me the right role to do it, and championed me every step of the way. That's why I'm still here.

Explore water careers at AtkinsRéalis

We're growing our US water team. If you want work that protects communities, and a place that will meet you where your strengths are, take a look at where you could fit.