Design Engineer Profiles Edition 2 – Meet the Designers

As part of our industry-leading and multi-disciplined project teams, RSE’s Design Engineers oversee the design aspects of projects from inception through to implementation. To demonstrate the role of the Design department, some of our Design Engineers share their personal experiences of working to develop innovative design solutions within the water industry.

More About Abbi

Abbi McLeod is a Mechanical Design Engineer who joined the RSE team during her 4th and 5th year of university when she had the opportunity to undertake a Summer Placement. After successfully completing her Masters degree, Abbi returned to RSE as a Graduate Mechanical Engineer for two years before being promoted to a Mechanical Design Engineer position.

What does your typical day as a Mechanical Design Engineer involve?

“As a Mechanical Design Engineer, I am involved in a broad range of activities every day which can include attending design site visits and producing scoping documents for clients, producing mechanical deliverables for design submission and supplying technical support during the construction stage, until the project is completed on site. My role also involves being a Design Lead on a couple of projects, which oversees that particular designs are on track to hit key dates (i.e. HAZOP Submissions, Final Drawing Reviews, etc). As part of this role, I also complete monthly design programs and forecast updates”.

What is the most exciting aspect about being a Mechanical Designer?

“I enjoy the variety of projects we work on within the Design department. For example, during my time at RSE I have been involved in the design of Transportable Treatment Units (TTU) which were installed on a remote part of Orkney (Stronsay) and the maintenance and refurbishment of both small and large scale wastewater treatment works. I have additionally gained experience in the installation of innovative pilot plants at various water treatment works (WTW), including the DWQR driven upgrade, and refurbishment works at Turriff WTW.

As RSE is a design and build company, it is valuable to see designs start out as a concept, following the full design process and then entering the fabrication phase. This process provides the opportunity to see what has worked well during the design stage and what hasn’t work so well for future improvements. Working so close with the Delivery team, where there are a lot of people with onsite experience, allows for interesting conversations about the buildability of design. This is a great environment for young engineers who have come straight out of university to learn quickly. I really enjoy helping the Graduate Engineers who are just starting their careers, as it not only helps to consolidate my own knowledge by explaining concepts, but it is also rewarding to watch them develop”.

What are your career aspirations over the next few years?

“There is so much to learn within the water industry, and I hope to continue to develop my knowledge as a well-rounded Engineer. I believe RSE is a great place for me to continue to develop as an Engineer due to the large range of different design projects that I have the opportunity to work on and the access to multiple experienced Engineers who I can learn from.

With the support of my mentor, I am additionally hoping to submit my application for professional Chartership in the next year”.

More About Szymon

Szymon Weier is a Senior Engineer within the Civil Engineering Design team who has been with RSE for over six years. Szymon originally joined RSE as a Graduate Engineer, with no previous experience in the UK water industry, but he was enthusiastic to learn and was brought into the team to develop his knowledge and capabilities. Within his first three months, Szymon was promoted from his Graduate role into a Civil Engineer role based on his proven abilities, where he excelled until being further promoted to a Senior Engineer position three years later.

What are your duties within your role as a Senior Civil Design Engineer?

“My role is dual focussed as I support our Civil Engineering team as well as our CAD department to aid in technical designs as well as checking works. I also take a keen focus on developing our digital capability, implementing new systems for the Design team. The liaison approach involved with my role ensures open communication between the Engineering and CAD teams to allow us to align and improve our work stream. I also assist in developing new staff that join the teams in their personal professional development”.

What is the most enjoyable aspect of your role?

“All of the challenges I encounter become opportunities to develop, as I work alongside talented engineers with an amazing passion for their work and an energy that is infectious. Working at RSE has been a very satisfying for my career development, as it is a great working environment to be in and my colleagues are always willing to assist me to work well as part of a wider team. I appreciate the great teamwork, fun activities and most of all, respect for each other”.

What are you aiming to achieve professionally over the next few years?

“I thoroughly enjoy the training and development of others and I look forward to implementing this further as the Design team grows. I also hope to achieve my professional Chartership in the next few years, whilst also continuing to expand my knowledge within the Water sector”.