Moving back where industry thrives

Natalie

A highly regarded young engineer making a name for herself in the West Midlands after the pull of the region drew her back.

 

Sometimes, you have to move away from a place to fully appreciate it.

It’s something Manchester-born Natalie Wride would certainly agree with, having kickstarted her own growing professional reputation at Warwick before later spending time further north.

“I remember it standing out when I was looking at different universities because you could do general engineering as an undergraduate without having to immediately choose a specialism,” Natalie, now a Principal Geotechnical Engineer at Mott MacDonald, said.

“I then went to an open day and still really liked the campus despite some torrential rain, which I thought must have been a good sign!”

It might not have been front of mind for Natalie back then, but picking Warwick for her studies would not only give her a great grounding in her chosen subject.

The decision also set her up to make connections within the industry – connections that would see her return to the region later on and establish herself as a highly regarded young talent at the heart of the UK’s engineering scene.

Leaving for pastures new

Sometimes, however, you need to leave somewhere to truly appreciate what it has to offer.

“I had a great time doing my BEng, living in halls in my first year and then really enjoying Leamington Spa in second and third,” Natalie recalled.

“The lecturers were really enthusiastic, there was a mixture of learning styles across classrooms and labs, and it was clear that the University had good links to some big engineering firms.”

Despite also immersing herself in student life, having joined both the Warwick Boat Club and the Women’s Hockey Club while also serving on the Student Staff Liaison Committee, she nevertheless decided to move to the nearby University of Birmingham to study for a Master’s in Geotechnical Engineering.

“It just so happened that that course allowed me to specialise in the subject I found most interesting during my final year at Warwick,” Natalie said.

“And then, once I’d got my MSc, I actually ended up getting a job much further away, in Newcastle.”

That was at Arup, one of the largest design, engineering, architecture and planning companies in the UK, which hired Natalie as a Graduate Geotechnical Engineer in 2014.

“I got the job and soon did some training courses that focused on, in a nutshell, how soil responds to increasingly heavy loads, which is critical when you’re looking at a growing rail network,” she said.

“I found that really fascinating; so much so that I arranged with Arup to go on a sabbatical a year later to complete a PhD around the topic back at Warwick.”

While returning to her alma mater was not an inevitability, Natalie’s happy experiences there – together with the University’s strong name for research – made it an easy decision.

“It was a little strange, coming back to support some of the same staff in the labs who had previously taught me when I was an undergrad,” Natalie admitted.

“And when I came back, I realised just how much had changed; new buildings, and lots more going on.

“I moved to Birmingham at that point, which is obviously really close to Warwick and is such a fantastic city for any early career engineer, so it was good to be back around all my old stomping grounds, especially the Jewellery Quarter and Stirchley.

“Plus, I got to join the Warwick Women in Engineering and Science society throughout my PhD, which was a lovely opportunity.”

Back where she belongs

At the end of now-Dr Wride’s sabbatical, a role opened up within Arup in its Birmingham office, allowing her to transfer from the firm’s Newcastle site.

“That was brilliant because my priorities were changing a little bit at that time and it allowed me to be a little bit closer to my family in the northwest and my brother, who had just moved to Cardiff,” Natalie explained.

“This area has a really proud engineering history, but it’s actually thriving and lots of companies have been opening brand-new offices as a result – so the West Midlands definitely felt like the place to be.”

Indeed, Natalie has since left Arup, moving on initially to international consultancy Rendel, where she became Team Leader for Rail Geotechnics and Principal Geotechnical Engineer, and more recently to Mott MacDonald, one of the largest employee-owned companies in the world and where she works currently.

She’s earned plenty of recognition, too, having been named a Highly Commended Rising Star at the Ground Engineering Awards in 2021.

“Those jobs were both in Birmingham, although my partner and I have actually just bought a house (with a garden!) in Stratford-upon-Avon,” Natalie said.

“It used to be that rail engineering in particular was quite London-centric, with the likes of Crossrail dominating the industry and meaning that everyone was working in the capital.

“But now, HS2 and other projects are right here in the West Midlands, so employers are keen to set up shop locally and there are a lot of great jobs for recent graduates – ideal for a northerner like me who’s never wanted to live in London!”

Supporting the next generation

While Dr Wride is now focused on the solutions needed to keep railway projects on track across the country, she still has good relationships with her past friends and mentors at Warwick.

And she remains passionate about widening higher education participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, having also previously achieved a Teaching and Learning in Higher Postgraduate Award at the University.

“I was able to do that in parallel with my PhD, which was another thing that attracted me to come back to Warwick,” Natalie recalled.

“I got to do a lot of volunteering and mentoring through WMG and explore not only how we can make education equitable for people from lower-income backgrounds, but also cater to those with different learning needs, personal experiences or living arrangement requirements.”

So having left Warwick temporarily to then return to the West Midlands, what advice can Dr Wride offer to any young or aspiring engineers?

“Look no further,” she said.

“There are lots of good graduate jobs in the area – and also so many beautiful places to live and nice countryside to explore.”