Romilly Bobby
Temporary works design manager, Eiffage Génie Civil UK
Expertise
Construction, DesignLocation
United KingdomMy highlights
ICE President’s Future Leader 2024-25
IStructE Kenneth Severn Awards 2024 winner
Events lead for ICE East of England Early Careers Network
A day in my life
I’m the temporary works design manager for 20km of High Speed 2.
I manage temporary works for over 50 assets, including viaducts, overbridges, cuttings, and highways.
A typical day for me is filled with developing and managing the delivery of temporary works design solutions which are crucial for the safe construction of permanent structures.
Communication and coordination are key parts of my role.
I collaborate with a range of people across various teams, including environmental, commercial, safety, and delivery.
It's this collective effort that helps us deliver work on this project.
The best part? Every day brings about a new challenge.
Some are simple, others are complex, but each one is a learning opportunity.
The fast-paced nature of temporary works keeps me on my toes, makes every day exciting, and constantly expands my engineering skillset.
Every day is different and, coupled with supportive and fun individuals, this makes it genuinely rewarding to head into work as a civil engineer.
Which individual project or person inspired you to become a civil engineer?
The whole of the built environment – from famous landmarks and heritage structures to the bricks that form your home.
I’ve always been in awe of the world around me and how it serves us daily.
Civil engineers are engineers for the people, and being in this industry, I get to help shape the world around for me and for others.
We asked Romilly…
I would recommend a career in civil engineering because…
We are in the age of innovation!
We are leveraging new technologies to advance the materials we use and the construction methods we employ.
We are driving our industry towards greater resilience and sustainability, significantly contributing to the UN SDGs.
This is a great time to be a part of the industry and help make positive change to our built environment.
What about being a civil engineer gets you out of bed each morning?
The reason I hop out of bed each morning? It's the prospect of a new challenge, the synergy of working with an exceptional team, and the camaraderie we share.
Every day is different and, coupled with supportive and fun individuals, this makes it genuinely rewarding to head into work as a civil engineer.
What’s one great thing that you love about civil engineering that you didn’t know until you started working in the industry?
How much goes on the behind the scenes!
When you look around at the built environment, it’s hard to imagine and appreciate the complexity of what went in to deliver that structure.
We work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary teams to take something from concept through to fruition.
There is so much to learn, see and do – no one day is the same.
Which civil engineering project (past or present) do you wish you’d worked on?
As someone with an interest in the temporary works part of construction I would have to say the Eiffel Tower – one of the most treasured ‘temporary’ structures in the world.
It was only meant to be up for 20 years and is now over 100 years old!
Name one civil engineering myth you’d like to bust.
The misconception that only a certain pathway leads to a career in civil engineering.
There are many routes into this industry and the profession greatly benefits from individuals possessing a diverse skill set.
Complete this phrase: I’m a civil engineer, but I’m also…
- An appreciator of art, design and architecture - my wanderlust takes me on adventures to explore galleries and structures around the globe.
- An enthusiast for productivity - I'm always eager to share the latest efficiency-boosting techniques I've discovered.
- An ardent music listener – racking up Spotify minutes on the daily
- A spreadsheet aficionado - I firmly believe there isn't a thing in the world that can't be neatly organised into a spreadsheet.
Anything else? i.e. personal causes, hobbies
My advice: do what makes you happy, find people that support and bring you joy, give back to society, seize opportunities and live a meaningful life!
Romilly's career path
- A-Levels in physics, maths and art
- MEng in Civil and Structural Engineering at the University of Sheffield
- Graduate design engineer at Kier Professional Services working on temporary work designs for projects including HS2 and RAF Lakenheath.
- Design engineer at Conisbee working on a range of heritage, new build residential, timber modular builds, and existing structure inspections.
- Temporary works design manager at Eiffage Génie Civil UK managing temporary work designs for over 50+ assets.
Major projects
- High Speed 2 (EKFB JV)
Working as the temporary works design manager to deliver assured temporary works designs to facilitate safe construction onsite for over 50+ assets across 20km of trace. - Norwich Castle Keep
Working with the lead engineer on the Palace Reborn project was amazing. I helped design solutions for the remodel that intertwined engineering complexities with a cherished heritage structure. Even though my role was small, it felt awesome to make a mark on such an historic build.
