Matthew, Senior Project Manager

How long have you worked for Wessex Water?

I joined Wessex Water as an Electrical Technician in 2005.

How did you apply?

I was working in the Cellophane plant in Bridgwater and saw the job advertised in the local paper. I applied and was interviewed, but I didn’t get the initial role I applied for, but the team said they’d keep my details. When the Electrical Technician role came up, I was invited to apply and was successful.

What attracted you to Wessex Water in the first place?

When I applied for the role I knew very little about what a water company did in terms of water and sewerage treatment. I was attracted to the role due to the variety of work and opportunity to progress in the future and experience different areas of the business.

What does your job entail and what do you most enjoy about the role?

My role is Mechanical and Electrical Senior Project Manager at YTL Construction. I lead projects to upgrade life-expired water, wastewater, sludge and biogas assets. I manage a team of Project Managers, Project Engineers, Commissioning Engineers, and placement students.

Over the last four years, I have been working on biogas sites based at Avonmouth water recycling centre (WRC). These projects have consisted of upgrades on digesters, flares, gas bags and general biogas life expired assets. I am also responsible for mechanical and electrical installation on Avonmouth WRC’s £100m project to increase the site's capacity to allow for Bristol’s projected population increase over the next 20 years.

The thing I most enjoy about the role is the varied workload. No two days are the same and I am constantly learning something new.

Tell us about your team and what you like most about working with them

I enjoy working in a professional engineering environment. I work with a great team of engineers who support each other on a day-to-day basis while working on challenging projects. I like supporting my team and helping with their professional development journeys, and I like seeing our placement students return after graduating from university and progressing as Engineers. As a team, we enjoy spending time together and hosting various social events throughout the year.

Why do you think Wessex Water is a great place to work?

I think Wessex Water is a great place to work because they have supported me over the last 20 years with my career development. I have progressed through the company working in eight different roles across supply, waste, pumping stations, sludge and biogas, gaining knowledge and experience of how the company operates and treatment progresses.

Wessex Water has also supported me with undertaking a BEng and MSc in professional engineering, which has enabled me to become a chartered engineer with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

What do you enjoy most when not working?

I have a six-week-old baby boy and a two and a half-year-old daughter, so for the time being I am kept very busy being devoted to family life. I have a keen interest in sailing, motorbikes, getting outdoors and anything engineering-related. We also enjoy exploring the UK in our campervan.