Simon Smith - Associate Director, Engineering, Manchester

Simon Smith is an Associate Director in Engineering based at our Manchester office.  With 16 years’ service at WYG, here he talks about his passion for civil engineering and the projects he’s most proud of.

What did you study? A Bachelors and Masters degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Manchester. 

What attracted you to study this? My love of Maths and Physics which is what Engineering encompasses.  Plus, I was interested in a career that constantly challenges you and really does provide you with the opportunity to learn something new every day. There is also a great sense of achievement seeing a completed project which will far outlive my career.  

What is your specialist area? Structural analysis and design.

What attracted you to this field of expertise? Civil engineering encompasses a whole range of skills including financial, management, people skills, design and analysis. For me personally, design and analysis provides that challenge which keeps me motivated.

What are you most passionate about in this field? Technical ability and excellence.

Why is this important to you? As a professional Engineer, I feel that we should be providing “state-of-the-art” technical solutions to our clients which are of the highest standards achievable.

How does your work make a positive impact? As a Chartered Engineer I have the opportunity to contribute to society providing a better infrastructure and environment.

What projects are you most proud of? Landmark projects are always something to look back on and I’ve been fortunate to work on City Centre projects in many major Cities. I am currently working on a new Conservatoire and concert venue in Birmingham City Centre which is a once in a generation type of project. I also received the Institution Branch prize for the MMU Business School project which is one that has given me a great sense of personal achievement.

Where would you like to see your specialism take you in the future? The technical aspects of projects is what drives me and I would like to continue to be provided with the challenges on larger, more complex projects.

How does WYG support you to develop your knowledge and interests? In my time at WYG I have been lucky enough to be provided with the opportunity to work on a wide variety of interesting projects.

Find out more about engineering and related projects here.

If you are interested in a career in engineering, search and apply for jobs via our careers page here.