Shaping the future of infrastructure

What could an Engineering degree at Cambridge lead to? For Rachel Attwood, Engineering 2015, it has taken her from a childhood curiosity about how things work to a career delivering major highways projects across the South-East of England.

After graduating from Cambridge in 2019, Rachel began her career on construction sites before moving into design management and becoming a Chartered Civil Engineer. Today, she works at the intersection of design, construction and problem-solving, helping to deliver infrastructure that is safe, sustainable and built to last.

Rachel’s story is a reminder that an Engineering degree can open doors to many different paths, and that you don’t need to have your whole career mapped out when you start. Here, she shares her journey, her ambitions and her advice for the next generation of engineers.

A passion sparked from a young age

I think I’ve always known I was destined for a STEM career. From a very young age, my Dad encouraged me to question the world around me; we talked about how things worked and he frequently involved me in little DIY projects around the house. When I was about 15 I attended a couple of summer residential courses with the Smallpeice Trust to find out more about engineering. These were typically 3-4 day events based at a university campus, with some introductory talks about the principles of engineering followed by a design-build-test project in small groups. That decided it for me, and in 2015 I started studying Engineering at Cambridge. I already knew by this point that I was interested in Civil and Structural Engineering, but I still enjoyed studying other disciplines in the first two years of the course, and most roles interface with other disciplines, so its useful to have some knowledge of what other engineers do.

Since graduation

When I graduated, I spent two years working on location as a Site Engineer for Graham Construction, making sure that what was being built matched the design – there was lots of ‘setting out’ to show the other workers  where to build, as well as quality control checks and record-keeping supporting the commercial team and planning team to keep the project on programme and budget.

Then I moved into Design Management, where I still work now, delivering Highways upgrades to major motorways and A-roads in the South-East of England. My role as Design Manager involves interfacing with the designers, client and other stakeholders, from the start of the design process, right through to handover to the client once construction is complete. There’s a lot of problem solving along the way to make sure we’re building high-quality, durable and safe infrastructure that actually meets the needs of the clients and local area. 

Becoming a Chartered Civil Engineer 

In 2024 I passed my Professional Review to become a Chartered Civil Engineer. Becoming Chartered was my main career goal when I graduated; now, I’ve set my sights higher. I would like to become more involved with the Institution of Civil Engineering (ICE) – the institution strives for sustainable, ethical and innovative infrastructure and civil engineering practices across the world – the ultimate goal being to be president of the organisation.

Inspiring the next generation

I’m also dedicated to outreach and inspiring the next generation of civil engineers – I’m particularly proud of my involvement in a collaboration between Girlguiding and the ICE a few yeas ago, to produce a challenge pack full of civil-engineering related activities for girls aged 10-18 to give them an insight into civil engineering – those activities included structural stability, transport planning, water management and communications systems. 

An Engineering discipline is a great starting place for your career as there are so many directions it can take you in. I have friends working in manufacturing, AI/machine learning, supporting NGOs in Africa, structural design, designing and testing medical devices and researching biofuels in a start-up – all starting from a degree in Engineering. If you’re not sure if it’s for you, I’d recommend looking for local courses, events or work experience opportunities – Smallpeice Trust and the Engineering Development Trust run courses, or reach out to local companies to see if they can support even 1 day of shadowing so you can see for yourself, and talk to engineers about their stories – each one is unique. 

Learn More

You can also read Ana-Maria Marcu’s engineering story here, learn more about Engineering at Cambridge and read about our Scholarships and Awards