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Andrea Edney

from working in a bicycle shop to Associate Director
I work out how to build things (usually underground structures) safely and efficiently
Industry
Construction and infrastructure
Company
Systra
Job Level
Senior
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Ask me about

  • Why I chose engineering as my career
  • What it's like being a woman in a male dominant environment
  • The best and hardest parts of my job

About me

When I was in high school I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I liked maths and economics. An engineering student came to my school and told us about engineering. I thought civil engineering sounded cool and, without any other ideas on what I wanted to do, I decided to choose that for university, even though I didn’t really know what it was.

I still didn’t really know what I wanted to do until my third year at university when we did a subject called “Engineering Construction”. Seeing the types of projects and the actual building of projects was amazing, and we learned about the building of the Sydney Harbour tunnel. It was so unique and it made me want to work on a tunnel. I was lucky to get a job on the M5 East tunnels in Sydney when I was still a student and I loved it!

About my role

  • Analytical
  • Creative
  • Practical
  • Reliable
  • Studious

Civil engineers usually work on projects, building different types of structures, like roads, buildings, tunnels, bridges and other infrastructure. We often work in teams delivering different parts of the project through its lifecycle. Some teams play an important role in determining if the project is needed, how it will benefit the community and how much it will cost, through to producing a design that considers making sure the structure will be safe and suitable for the purpose it is needed (i.e. it benefits the community and it won’t fall down!). Then other teams of civil engineers organise how to build the designs, including finding the best materials, equipment and skills for work teams, making sure everything is done safely, on time, and that the design (which is the instructions) is followed.

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Education

  • Bachelor Of Engineering
  • Bachelor of Commerce
  • Masters of Engineering Science (Project Management)

Subjects

  • Art
  • Business Studies
  • Chemistry
  • English
  • Physics
  • Science
  • Specialist Mathematics (Maths C)

Awards

  • Trenchless Woman of the Year, 2023
  • 2009 Environmental and Sustainability Innovation Award, Leighton Contractors

Hobbies

  • Boxing
  • Gym
  • Running
  • Seeing family and friends
  • Travel

Pets

  • 3 Dog

15 year old me!!

“You're on the right track. Always do your best!”

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Worked engineering jobs while studying
  2. Moved interstate to work in tunnels
  3. Got married and had a baby
  4. Was made redundant
  5. Work part-time in a role I love

My typical day

My employer

SYSTRA ANZ is a world leading consulting and engineering firm specialising in transportation, security and mobility solutions. We are part of the SYSTRA Group, which has operated globally since 1957. Working on more than 3,500 projects in 80 countries we have helped build over half of the world’s metro systems and high-speed lines and we are utilising that knowledge to also deliver some of the largest and most complex projects. Our challenge is to design and implement the safest, most efficient and most secure solutions for our clients. We want to be the signature team for transport solutions. Our services are unique, we work on all stages of projects: upstream studies and planning, design, construction, integration, test and commissioning, operations and maintenance. We are members of the Diversity Council of Australia, Pride in Diversity and have been endorsed by Work180.