People Spotlight: Meet Jon Short
Our People Spotlight series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we are highlighting a technical director and coastal lead from our Water Resources team in the UK and Ireland region, providing an insight into their inspiration and work.
Jon Short began his career journey as a graduate engineer with Scott Wilson, which later became part of AECOM. Over the course of 16 years, he has advanced through various roles, and today he leads the coastal team within the Water Resources division. His extensive experience and dedication have made him a key figure in coastal management and water resources projects across the region.
What inspired you to join the industry?
I was inspired to join the industry due to my deep-seated passion for the sea and coastal environments. From a young age, I have always enjoyed being close to the sea, which influenced my academic pursuits. I studied geography and oceanography as an undergraduate, and I enjoyed the oceanography components the most. This led me to pursue a master’s degree in Engineering in the Coastal Environment at the University of Southampton.
My academic background and passion for coastal environments motivated me to apply my knowledge in a practical way, leading to a career in consultancy. I was driven by the desire to address significant issues such as climate change and sea level rise and apply my learnings to solve complex problems in what is an ever changing and dynamic environment. Using my skills to help communities and the environment adapt to and manage these challenges is very rewarding.
My academic background and passion for coastal environments motivated me to apply my knowledge in a practical way, leading to a career in consultancy. I was driven by the desire to address significant issues such as climate change and sea level rise and apply my learnings to solve complex problems in what is an ever changing and dynamic environment.”
What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
I have had the opportunity to work on dozens of projects throughout my career, which makes it challenging to select a single favourite. Recent coastal management work on the island of Jersey stands out as particularly significant and fulfilling. From 2018 to 2020, I was involved in developing the Shoreline Management Plan for Jersey in Northwestern Europe. This plan aimed to address and mitigate the risks of coastal flooding and sea level rise for the island, and we are now appraising and designing several projects under a shoreline management programme to mitigate coastal flood risk and improve community resilience in the face of climate change on this special island.
I find this work especially rewarding because it has given me the opportunity to combine my passion for coastal environments with my expertise in addressing critical environmental challenges. The impact of these projects on local communities and their future protection against climate change and sea level rise makes these projects particularly meaningful for me. It is most rewarding helping to raise awareness and educate communities of the risks, and then engaging with them to identify and design solutions, resilience or adaptation measures that deliver wider benefits and leave sustainable legacies in the coastal environment.
I was involved in developing the Shoreline Management Plan for Jersey in Northwestern Europe. This plan aimed to address and mitigate the risks of coastal flooding and sea level rise for the island, and we are now appraising and designing several projects under a shoreline management programme to mitigate coastal flood risk and improve community resilience in the face of climate change on this special island.
I find this work especially rewarding because it has given me the opportunity to combine my passion for coastal environments with my expertise in addressing critical environmental challenges.”
Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
One of the most fulfilling projects I managed from inception to completion is the Coverack Coastal Protection Project in Cornwall. This project addressed the imminent threat of coastal erosion to the only access road to a village, which was at risk of being cut off completely. The loss of this road would have isolated the community, making the project critical for their connectivity and safety.
My team was tasked with assessing, appraising and developing various options to protect the road. Ultimately, we designed a coastal protection programme that included rock armor and a new retaining wall in front of the road. This project involved numerous challenges such as working around a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), balancing community needs and addressing environmental considerations such as the need to minimize encroachment into the intertidal zone and avoid or mitigate the impacts to regionally significant geological interest features.
The project required navigating technical complexities and managing diverse stakeholder interests. I oversaw the entire process, assembling a multidisciplinary team to take the project from the initial concept through design, consenting and construction support, culminating in its completion in early 2024. As a team, we refined designs to meet statutory, stakeholder and environmental requirements, such as the need to not adversely impact the geological SSSI. Through careful alignment selection, increasing the revetment steepness, and providing the geological watching brief during the works, the project was successfully delivered in line with requirements and overcoming the constraints. The design also incorporated some existing rock from previous works into the project to deliver maximum benefits and help keep the costs as lean as possible. We also supported the client in engagement with landowners and residents to reduce objections, minimise disruption and successfully negotiate the temporary use of part of a resident’s garden to allow vehicle access to the village to be maintained during the construction works.
Seeing the project through from start to finish has been incredibly rewarding for me. The successful completion of the Coverack Project means that the community is now better protected from coastal erosion, ensuring their access road remains intact and their connectivity preserved. The project stands as a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, showcasing how thoughtful engineering and project management can make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
The Coverack Coastal Protection Project in Cornwall addressed the imminent threat of coastal erosion to the only access road to a village, which was at risk of being cut off completely. The project required navigating technical complexities and managing diverse stakeholder interests. Seeing the project through from start to finish has been incredibly rewarding for me. The successful completion of the Coverack Project means that the community is now better protected from coastal erosion, ensuring their access road remains intact and their connectivity preserved.”
Share a piece of career advice.
If there’s one piece of career advice that has guided me, it’s this: seize every opportunity. When new chances arise, whether through design, circumstance, or pure chance, embrace them wholeheartedly. I truly believe in the philosophy of “sink or swim.” Throughout my career, I have faced numerous opportunities that allowed me to push and stretch myself beyond my comfort zone. These new challenges, although daunting, allowed me to test and refine my skills. Successfully navigating these opportunities has not only built my confidence but also provided a solid platform for career progression.
Don’t be deterred by opportunities that seem too daunting or beyond your current capabilities. Often, you will be surprised at what you can achieve when you take on challenges that seem out of reach. Embrace these moments as they can lead to significant personal and professional growth.
