Jordan

Rail Electrical Graduate

Leeds

What is your name and role at AECOM?

My name is Jordan Duggan and I’m an electrical engineer in the eastern rail team based in Leeds. I work in the Electrification & Plant (E&P) team delivering design services for our main client network rail via the SRSA framework.

How long have you worked for AECOM?

I’ve worked for AECOM for just over 2 years now, I joined at the start of 2022 after completing my bachelor’s degree in electronic & electrical engineering at Leeds Beckett university.

Describe your role and day-to-day work?

My role in the Electrification & Plant rail team is mainly design based, but with frequent trips to Network Rail sites as well as client offices around the UK. Day to day involves reviewing client documents and requirements, producing electrical schematics, calculations, and general arrangement drawings for our construction partners to reference when the design is installed on site.

Thinking about the projects you are involved in what impact have you had to improve social outcomes for communities?

My work in the South Rail Systems Alliance (SRSA) has had a positive impact on people and communities in Anglia and Southern regions since I joined 2 years ago as a graduate. I have been supporting the successful bank of CP6 track renewals by designing, drawing and delivering sustainable, cost-efficient points heating designs that allow communities that rely on the railway network to keep moving and stay connected.

How has your work at AECOM contributed towards having a positive impact on the environment?

My biggest impact to the environment is through my involvement in the Darlington Station Enhancements programme, a project that is going to transform the area around Darlington and make the station more accessible for people choosing to travel by foot, cycle or public transport. My work in this project involves lighting level and electrical cable calculations to support the design of the new proposed platforms 5 and 6, where we have made efforts to deliver an energy efficient lighting system in collaboration with our lighting suppliers DW Windsor, Designplan and Vertiv that will enable the creation of a modern transport hub in the Tees Valley that supports our country’s net zero aspirations and ties in with AECOM’s sustainable legacies.

Do you have any interesting experience around collaboration, multi dis work, and thinking and acting globally at AECOM?

Examples include my work in the South Rail Systems alliance, where as part of my day-to-day work, I co-ordinate the production of engineering drawings and reports with our colleagues in Enterprise Capabilities Bangalore. This presents a great opportunity to support my own development and delegation skills but also the growth of our teams in other parts of the world.

Another example as part my work in the South Rail Systems alliance is collaboration with disciplines from our Madrid office, mainly the OLE team, where they have a wealth of experience. It has been fantastic working with the Madrid team on the alliance and coming together from across all the different regions to deliver these renewal works that support the network and the community.

Darlington station enhancement programme is a job where collaboration is at the heart of how we are delivering the project. I’ve worked with teams from Leeds, Glasgow, Birmingham and many others in the UK where we have had to come together to work through elements of the design in the project and come up with creative solutions and ideas, it’s been a real team effort from all disciplines across all the teams involved and I’ve enjoyed learning from the wide variety of other disciplines on the project that I’m not usually exposed to such as architecture & telecoms.

Are there any other interesting or unique opportunities you have had through your work at AECOM? Or interesting experiences with clients or building client relationships?

Along with some other colleagues from York I had an opportunity to use one of AECOM’s social values days last year to help build a bridge for a local small community in Hunton, North Yorkshire. Funding for the bridge was obtained via Richmondshire District Council and plant equipment and tools provided by colleagues and members of the community. It was a fantastic day and we all had a great time helping provide the village with some desperately needed infrastructure! Since then, the locals have voiced their gratitude to the AECOM staff that helped build the bridge over the beck. See attached photo, myself on the far right in blue hat.

How has AECOM helped you in your career development?

AECOM has supported me with my professional development extensively, from meeting with my line manager I know where the gaps are in relation to my competency and how we will address those going forward. This also extends to my professional registration, I understand the competency pathway and given time I will be able to reach what’s needed for chartership thanks to my manager’s guidance and wider teams help.

What do you like most about working for AECOM?

What I like most about working for AECOM is the wealth of opportunities I get out in the real world to get hands on with the projects I work on, from being in the Alliance this has been invaluable in understanding the design concepts of my discipline (E&P) and being able to translate what we see at site into our design and produce an effective solution.

The people are also one of the best elements of working for AECOM for me, being in the rail team has allowed me to learn from more experienced, talented engineers who have the knowledge and experience I need to develop. We also have a strong early careers contingent as well that I can share my own experience with and who are on a similar career path to me it is valuable to be able to discuss the various aspects such as our professional registration applications and other processes we are all involved in.

How do you use AECOM’s ‘Freedom to Grow’ to give you a good work/life balance?

I use AECOMs freedom to grow to change my working hours to best suit mine and AECOM/the client’s needs. For example, if we have a deadline in the middle of the week, I may work longer hours before the submission and once delivered I have the flexibility to get that time back later in the week and use it for instance; to go to an appointment, train at my rock-climbing gym which is a new hobby I’m enjoying at the moment, or anything else I might want to use it for. I feel that with freedom to grow it allows me to bring the best version of myself to work, I don’t need to worry or stress about my working pattern as I know AECOM is fully supporting me with the freedom to grow policies.

What has been your favorite project to work on at AECOM?

So far I would say Darlington for the reasons listed in response to question 5. The Darlington project has been a great experience for me as my usual work with the Alliance is often small scale, numerous mini-projects that run at the same time. So it was a big change to work on a big station project like Darlington that I hadn’t experienced before that allowed me to develop my skills in elements of station design such as lighting calculations. It has also broadened my collaboration and communication skills as I have had to work with new team members from disciplines I don’t encounter in my usual work such as architecture.

What’s your proudest moment at AECOM?

My proudest moment at AECOM was when I saw my first full points heating design constructed on site at East Ham in London as part of an S&C job for the South Rail Systems Alliance. It was satisfying to see the fruits of mine and the design/construction teams labour in person, reminding us of the impact of what we do and how important it is in keeping the railway performing at its best to provide the public with the best service.

What advice do you have for any prospective candidates?

Communication & collaboration is key in this role, my advice is to make sure you have good experience working in teams or groups whether that’s through academic projects or on the job experience, the work we do is often multi-disciplinary and requires all the teams to work together smoothly for the project to be a success.

My other advice would be to work on presentation skills, this would have been useful when I started as I didn’t have the confidence when presenting to my team or the client. A little bit of work in this area would be very beneficial as you will be able to better represent the message of whatever your presentation is on (often presenting deliverables to the client) and build your confidence at the same time which will help your development massively in the long term.

Can you describe AECOM in 3 words?

Sustainability. Flexibility. Collaboration.