Joe Lawson, Graduate Infrastructure Project Manager.
A year as of May 2024.
As an assistant project manager (APM) on my projects my role has a lot of variety, the primary objective is to deliver a streamlined project to the client. On a day-to-day basis, I facilitate team communications, organise technical advisors/multi disciplines towards the client’s objectives & goals, make sure actions are attended to promptly, tracking progress & risks, giving updates to stakeholders, and being the interface between the design team and the client.
My days are very much dynamic in the sense the projects I work on span from bids, designs and post completion works, which all require a tailored approach and have different demands.
In my current role at AECOM, I am an APM for a decarbonisation initiative aimed at achieving carbon neutrality for a university campus. Part of the scope is expanding & upgrading the district heating network to cover circa 98% of the campus area while decommissioning legacy energy infrastructure and replacing with innovative technologies such as air source heat pumps & condensers, electric boilers, waste heat recovery, thermal stores and upgraded pipe insulation to achieve net zero, all housed and controlled in a new energy centre.
This initiative represents a significant step towards reducing carbon emissions and mitigating environmental impact. Outside of my specific projects, working for AECOM contributes to a positive impact on the environment as we champion sustainability and innovative technologies and methods for construction.
While working on the RIBA 2 multidisciplinary design for the mentioned project, I was introduced to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling. This was an essential for the design process, to help assess the risk posed by the phenomenon’s created by the condensers on the new energy centre, such as cold plumbing and ground freezing.
The modelling provided confidence to the university and project team that this would only minorly impact the surrounding environment in several conditions, which was key as there is an adjacent motorway and plumbing has potential to reduce visibility in the worst conditions.
One of the first things I got to work on when joining was AlUla, for Lead Design Infrastructure (LDI). This was a massive eye opener for me on how large programmes and projects can be and the amount of resource it takes to deliver. I got to work with senior members who instilled a respectable amount of trust in me and listened to what I had to say.
Another interesting experience I’ve had is being involved with the interviewing process for the new graduate position in my team, I got to sit and very much lead sections of the interview with candidates which is an experience I am grateful for as it is something I didn’t think I’d get to do till a more senior position.
The level of exposure to large scale projects and learning to deliver projects as part of a larger network, allows you to drawdown on experience from outside your local office. Outside of project delivery I’ve been on chartership residentials which AECOM facilitated, which was useful experience in my goal for chartership.
It also gave me the chance to network with other PMs and disciplines in the same position, which is important at this stage in my career as I can rely on the support and guidance of peers when needed, for which I’m grateful for. Locally, my office offers an Early careers network which serves as a platform for collaboration, mentorship, and continuous learning.
The trust and responsibility you get from the start of your graduate program, along with this it’s nice to feel like you have a support network who you can ask anything you need.
I use freedom to grow to cultivate fairness in my working life, if I’m immersed in a task, even if it's beyond regular work hours, I work to finish it instead of calling it a day and losing track then I reclaim that time later. It's comforting to know that this practice is encouraged by the company.
Firstly, I’d research the company thoroughly and understand the values and culture that is present within the company, next be prepared to discuss your own experiences and skills and how they align to the values of the company. I would begin to network with current and previous members of the company as this will provide a valuable insight to the company and being a consultant. Finally, be authentic and genuine throughout your application.
Dynamic, engaging, sustainable.
