Chinwe Odili

Project manager and offshore structural engineer, Kent

Expertise

Design, Project Management, Structural

Location

United Kingdom

My highlights

Travelling around the world through my career

Becoming professionally qualified with the ICE

Promoting STEM in schools in the UK and India, and even to UK Parliament

A day in my life

No two days are the same. But as a structural integrity engineer and project manager, I manage the integrity of platforms daily.

This could mean reviewing data to find key anomalies and hazards on the platform. The result of which would mean computing risks and making clients aware of the possible consequences.

At times, this could also involve either designing solutions to mitigate these risks or even planning inspections more frequently to monitor them.

Some days may require heavy calculations and simulating real life data in models.

Then once we have assessed these models in software packages, we can further understand how structures are behaving and whether they are overstressed and a risk to people offshore.

As my role is client facing, a large part of my work involves speaking to clients and ensuring that I have strong financial control of the project to build client trust over time.

[Being professionally qualified] demonstrates to society, my employers, clients and really, to myself, that I have enhanced my competencies and that I’m a committed professional.

Which individual project or person inspired you to become a civil engineer?

I was inspired by a book by Henry Petroski called To Engineer is Human, and later was inspired by Dr Josh Macabuag, a disaster risk engineer and humanitarian.

We asked Chinwe…

I would recommend a career in civil engineering because…

It’s all about solving world problems! If you’re interested in tackling problems that surround infrastructure, it’s a great career path.

Complete this phrase: I’m a civil engineer, but I’m also…

A creator. I design, draw and write in my free time.

What’s the biggest/most complex thing you’ve made out of Lego? How long did it take you?

It’s been a while since I have touched Lego, but I do recall building a skyline structure with a helicopter one evening with my brother.

What about being a civil engineer gets you out of bed each morning?

It’s the fact that I know I will solve a new problem or be challenged in some way.

What’s one great thing that you love about civil engineering that you didn’t know until you started working in the industry?

I didn’t know that there were so many fields! I had a weird preconception that every engineer just works onshore on standard house types and buildings wearing a builder's hat onsite all the time.

Now I realise that I can be a civil engineer who consults in an office, deals with multiple contractors and interacts across multiple fields to support those working offshore.

Which civil engineering project (past or present) do you wish you’d worked on?

I wish I managed the integrity of a platform on the Russian coastline called Pacific Berkut.

It’s the world’s tallest platform and it experiences the roughest sea conditions in the world with up to four gas turbines and three generators.

Name one civil engineering myth you’d like to bust.

That civil engineering is a boring and monotonous profession! Sorry – it really isn’t!

What motivated you to become professionally qualified? 

In particular, it was the privilege of trust surrounding the title.

It demonstrates to society, my employers, clients, and really, to myself, that I have enhanced my competencies and that I’m a committed professional.

What does being professionally qualified with the ICE mean for your career?

It means that I become more and more responsible for the delivery of high-value work. It creates more opportunities to take on other dynamic roles and make progress in my career.

What’s the best thing about being professionally qualified with the ICE? 

The ICE has long since been regarded as a highly respected and distinguished institution which has paved the way for so many successful engineers.

With it being held at such a high standard among engineering professionals, getting chartered with them gives a real sense of fulfilment.

How did the ICE and/or your employer support you to become professionally qualified? 

From attending countless workshops to asking my employers to cater my career development to ensure I continually developed.

What do you value most about being an ICE member? 

There are so many perks, including travel rewards, shopping discounts, and the actual ICE library is also fantastic to study in!

How has being a member helped your career? 

It has enabled me to network, attend key workshops in my field and build even more knowledge which has led to my natural progression to project management/leadership.

Any personal causes or hobbies?

I love history (gallery/museum hopping), writing and fine arts.

Chinwe's career path

At GCSE, I took 10 subjects which included maths, physics, chemistry, biology and art.

For my A-levels I took maths, further maths, Latin, chemistry, and physics.

I studied civil engineering at Warwick University and then proceeded to do an online masters while working in project management in the oil and gas (O&G) sector.

On my online course, I met some offshore structural engineers and decided to apply to be one.

I then joined a Dutch firm which pivoted my career to O&G and wind in offshore structures before residing in the London offshore structures team at Kent (formerly known as Atkins O&G Consultancy).