Gillies, BEng Mechanical Engineering with Renewable Energy, 2019 and MSc Sustainable Energy Systems, 2020

Degree: 2019 BEng(H) Mechanical Engineering with Renewable Energy, the University of Edinburgh and 2020 MSc Sustainable Energy Systems, the University of Edinburgh

Current role: Project Development Manager at Fred. Olsen Seawind

Why did you decide to study at the University of Edinburgh? And why engineering?

A good question! I was really into my sport (sailing) and one of the main reasons that I chose Edinburgh was because it has an excellent performance sport programme as well as a well-regarded Engineering School.  

I have always enjoyed making things and being practical. Also, math and physics were my strongest subjects at secondary school but I didn’t want to focus on pure math or pure physics. Engineering offered this mix of interests. The School of Engineering at Edinburgh has a strong renewables division so having the option to study engineering, with the backdrop of research from Flowave and wave energy was something I was passionate about and Edinburgh was at the forefront of that.

And, I liked Edinburgh as a city!

How did you get where you are now?

I was on the individual performance sport programme and I sailed throughout university. I was a part time student in my fourth year to balance studies with sport as I was competing on the British Sailing Teams Olympic Development Programme. I stopped sailing competitively at the end of the BEng(H) and, after graduating, decided to continue my studies, enrolling on the Sustainable Energy Systems MSc at Edinburgh. I enjoy the bigger picture engineering much more.  The MSc gave me this variety and pulled in the politics and business aspects of engineering, as well as touching on technologies. This was also the first time I had been introduced to wind modules, which my MSc project focussed on.  

Wind energy is growing exponentially – once you get into this industry there are so many opportunities! I’ve been able to jump between onshore and offshore wind projects.  

After graduation I applied for an engineering graduate programme with an offshore/onshore wind developer, Red Rock Power. It was the start of the pandemic and all of the graduate engineering schemes I had applied for had started to cancel their hiring so I was very lucky. I enrolled onto the graduate scheme at the start of September 2020. I worked as a graduate engineer for two years, on the offshore wind side, and then moved into a development engineer, then lead engineer role on an onshore wind construction project. This was good fun as I was on-site seeing construction in action.  

I started working for Fred. Olsen Seawind, a Norwegian developer, in 2023. They develop offshore wind projects around Scotland and Europe. At the moment I have two different roles. I am a Project Development Manager with Fred. Olsen Seawind, sitting within the new business development team. I focus on new projects and new global sites that are suitable for our business and joint ventures with other companies, producing preliminary concept designs for the sites. Having an engineering background, I focus on the more technical side of things, looking at site layouts and constraint analysis. It’s great to work on these projects, to have this blank piece of paper, and put what you envisage into planning.  

I'm also seconded into our ScotWind project, Muir Mhòr, a floating offshore wind farm off the East Coast of Scotland. As Deputy Interface Manager, I support the interface team, manging the overlap between technical and non-technical, focussing on the project concept of the consent application.  

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

I've always enjoyed going out and doing something, and not just sitting behind the computer screen. Whether I am carrying out turbine inspections, where I get to stand on the roof of the turbine. Or going offshore on a vessel for 2 weeks working on a site investigation campaign. Or doing boreholes on a mini jack-up vessel. They’re the highlights that have made my career interesting!

I’ve also loved the travel opportunities. Visiting fabrication yards in Europe, getting to see the factories where they build the wind turbine blades and see inside the towers were a highlight for me. They are amazing feats of engineering and design!

My highlights will always be getting out and about.

Can you tell us of any personal or professional achievements?

My biggest achievement is being able to work in a job in a sector where I really enjoy what I do and am passionate about what I do. And cliché as it sounds, it motivates me to work each day.

What did you gain from your time at the University and were there any experiences which particularly helped prepare you for life after graduation?

For me, the big takeaways and learnings from university were the skills I developed through my degree programme. Managing my time was important at university and now, in work, time management and task prioritisation is essential. Juggling my studies and sailing was a baptism of fire, but my personal tutor, Dr Frank Mill, was really helpful getting me through it. The University was also supportive and helped me balance my sailing with my academic studies and overcome the conflicts of deadlines and competitions. Having been able to develop this skill has really helped me after graduation.  

As part of our degree programme, I took part in interdisciplinary projects across Engineering disciplines and learnt a lot of skills which are very transferable. When you are working in bigger teams, across many departments, you realise that not everyone is technical and they may approach things differently. These interdisciplinary projects were beneficial to learn how to work with different types of people with different backgrounds while all trying to produce the best piece of work. You are also working to develop your problem solving and time management skills. For me, engineering makes you address problems in a very logical manner. This is a valuable skill to develop and something that stands out to employers.

I was involved with the University’s sailing club and participated in the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sports) events. These were great to participate in and were excellent team environments to be in, they were also great social events.

The Careers Service was a great resource. Matt Vickers had great advice, and gave me feedback on my CV, which ultimately got me a job. This really can make all the difference to a great job application.

What is your highlight of university?

I enjoyed being at university, living with my flatmates, sailing and having lots of fun along the way!

What advice would you give to future students who are considering studying engineering at Edinburgh?

There are so many different avenues you can take with Engineering. In my current role now, although I am involved with technical workstreams, my day-to-day role isn’t 100% engineering. However, for me, it is still all about the problem solving and managing projects, and you’ll find that it compliments all the transferable skills which you pick up and learn from your degree.  

I loved Edinburgh as a city – it’s a small-town feel but all year round it’s got a nice hustle and bustle. You’ve got the sea, the hills, everything, all on your doorstep.