A day in the life of a Project Engineer

We interviewed Terry Northam, Kaymac’s Project Engineer. Terry joined the company just over two years ago after going to university later in life and getting a job with another company. Terry explained that no two days are the same in his role at Kaymac, but that’s why he enjoys it; he said:

I was lucky enough to land a job at Kaymac; a well-known company with a reputation of excellence in the industry. The boys at Kaymac are a great team and always like to play practical jokes and laugh throughout the working day to make it enjoyable, but they do this while remaining professional at the same time and getting the work done right the first time

Terry Northam

Terry’s typical day will include many tasks, on-site or in the office. Terry will see a project from start to finish where he will liaise with clients, ensuring everything is to the client’s specific requirements whilst ensuring safety is at the forefront. While in the office, Terry will use software such as Project and AutoCAD for drawings, check the resource rota for upcoming jobs, run cost estimations, produce risk assessments and method statements and liaise with stakeholders to ensure everything is done correctly and to the required standard; If this is not enough, he also makes a cracking brew!

Terry said his favourite part of his job is carrying out bridge inspections. He enjoys being in the fresh air, on the field where he carries out visual asset inspections, often in difficult-to-access areas, and special techniques such as corrosion measurements.

Some of the difficulties Terry faces during his job are working with several third parties. One project of note was a culvert that ran through two different businesses on private land; this meant that he had to liaise with these businesses to carry out the works, which at some points during the Covid-19 pandemic proved to be complicated due to having to have to do Covid tests every time he entered the property; this added extra pressure on top of delivering the project itself. Nevertheless, Terry and the team still managed to get the job done professionally and promptly to a high standard.

The best part about working at Kaymac is that no day is the same, and the job varies constantly

Terry Northam.

Job variation is one of the aspects that keeps Terry motivated within his job; in his spare time, Terry also keeps things varied; outside of work, he enjoys playing the guitar and pool and coaches a Junior rugby team, Penybanc RFC U13s, Kaymac are proud sponsors of Penybanc RFC.

We asked Terry if he has any funny stories from working at Kaymac, and he said that he has many stories, but some are (unfortunately) not appropriate to share ☹

Sometime last year, I arrived on one of our sites to conduct a principal survey of the bridge above and below the waterline. It was a scorching day, and the bridge’s location was extremely remote, around two miles from the nearest place to park. I was first there, so I decided to walk over to the bridge to check the exact location and access. When I returned to the parking area, the rest of the team arrived and asked how many men were required in the heavy, unbreathable dry suits.  I asked for three, and when we got to the site, there were only about three inches of water under the bridge! I laughed, as did the rest of the team… after they cooled down

Terry Northam