Antonios
Project Manager, Rail & Metro
I graduated from the University of Sheffield with an MSc degree in Concrete Engineering. During the course I spent considerable time deciding which company I wanted to work for. I was looking for a firm that could provide me with the right tools to become a good engineer - to be a professional with independent judgment in my field of expertise.
I chose Atkins, a decision that was strongly influenced by the feedback from my University tutors. I joined the highways division in Oxford in October 2000.
As a graduate engineer within the Bridges team, I immediately entered a period of structured training under agreement, working on a variety of design and assessment projects. These included the design of the substructure for three bridges and an aqueduct for the Birmingham Relief Road (M6 Toll).
Polish secondment
In December 2002, looking for new challenges, I applied for a job in Poland with Atkins Polska H&T. I was offered a secondment and I was promoted to the position of Team Leader. This was a challenge as I had to manage 5 engineers and guide them in the use of the UK Highways Standards. As part of this enjoyable process I learnt a lot about the Polish construction law and EU employment law.
I also had the opportunity to learn Polish, hike in the Tatra Mountains, drink Vodka in the traditional Polish way and enjoy life in the cities of Krakow and Gdansk.
I returned to the UK in May 2004 to continue my employment with Atkins H&T in Cambridge. There I gained site experience by supervising refurbishment works on 36 bridges around Peterborough. I eventually became the bridge inspections project manager for the Cambridgeshire County Council Commission, responsible for planning, organising and executing inspections across 1,450 highways structures.
Atkins Rail
In March 2006, I joined Atkins Rail. I am currently a project manager at the company’s Rail office in Swindon where I work on a wide variety of bridge engineering and rail infrastructure projects. I am also planning to sit my professional exams and there is always support and appropriate training so we can meet these challenges.