SAE – Amber Oliphant
Assistant Project Engineer – High Speed Rail Solutions
My Job as a Project Engineer in the Rail industry is to help integrate complex rail infrastructure projects, this means that I help ensure that the projects i work on are safe, reliable and compliant. I work on a variety of projects across the UK with lots of other project engineers from different backgrounds and disciplines to use our skills and knowledge to keep trains moving and improve infrastructure.
I have so many achievements i am proud of in my career so far, including featuring on a few engineering podcasts to share my experience and perspective on the industry. I also love engaging in the STEM work i do to encourage young people especially women into the engineering industry – i hope to continue to work with the next generation of engineers all the way through my career and be a role model for all.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
A typical day for me is working on Hazard Records (this is where we keep all of the potential risks and worries we may have for the safety of those interacting with the project) as well as attending client meetings where we will catch up on the progress of the project and work out what we need to do next. As well as safety document generation and reviews. It is really exciting and rewarding to work on projects that will come to life – i feel a great sense of achievement knowing one day i may even use the route or station myself!
What advice would you give to your 15 year old self
“The words you speak to yourself become what you believe, choose your words wisely and dream BIG.
You’ll get there sooner than you think.”
Who or what inspired you to get into engineering?
I was inspired to get into engineering after work experience with my school where we looked at all kinds of engineering and what the industry has to offer.
What was your route into engineering?
My route into engineering was through an apprenticeship, i firstly studied general engineering at college for a year before gaining an apprenticeship as a Toolmaker within the Automotive industry, this was a four year apprenticeship where i studied Mechanical Engineering. I then moved into NPI (New Product Introduction) once finishing my apprenticeship and really enjoyed moving into a Project Management role rather than a hands on approach to engineering which i had previously experienced. I then moved to High Speed Rail Solutions as a Project Engineer and really enjoy my role here! I am really excited to see where my career will take me within the rail industry.
What are the best and worst things about the job?
“The worst thing about my job is the length of time projects take to come to life! i am always super excited and keen to work towards the end goal as quickly as possible but naturally these things take time and are always worth the wait.
The best thing about my job is getting to work with so many different and interesting people, i have learnt so much and always try to squeeze every bit of knowledge and experience i can from those i work with both in my team and customers. I am looking forward to continuously growing and developing myself professionally and personally!”
