3 Mar 2021
How have insights into a high-security prison and working for the Red Cross in South Sudan helped to shape Taranaki Port Engineer Bridget Harrison CMEngNZ CPEng’s career?
I describe my role to non-engineers as…
The person who does the heavy-lift plans, looks after the wharves, designs the roads and pipes and keeps the harbour clean.
The part of my job that always surprises people is…
That I’m the Port Engineer! Sometimes people call me “Richard” – senior female civil engineers are fairly rare in New Zealand, especially in technical roles. I know of only two female engineers working for New Zealand ports and both of us are at Port Taranaki.
The best thing I’ve introduced at my workplace is…
stormwater treatment for our log yards. In my role, I always challenge whether we can find a simpler solution. I always think of the team who will have to operate and maintain anything we install and try to find a solution that makes their job easier.
At work, I’ve never been afraid to…
Think outside the box to find a solution. One of my favourite solutions was for the New Zealand Red Cross in Sudan. We made a stretcher trolley out of two bicycles, so the nurses didn’t have to carry patients’ over rough ground.
In the past year, I’ve pushed boundaries by…
Applying for the role of Port Engineering Manager. Even though I was unsuccessful, I promoted a message that technical engineers are as valuable as managers and that men and women can be equally capable in the engineering and management fields.
I admire engineers who…
Find simple solutions to complex problems.
At school, teachers always described me as…
A creative thinker and a good communicator.
My luckiest break was…
Almost by accident ending up working here at Port Taranaki – I love my job and the people I work with.
The bravest thing I’ve done to get where I am today was…
spending six months in South Sudan with the New Zealand Red Cross in 2003 as an engineer for two surgical hospitals in a civil war zone. All supplies had to be delivered by plane because of the fighting and landmines in the surrounding region. It was one of the most dangerous and challenging things I’ve done but by far the most rewarding.
Best career advice I’ve received…
Grab every opportunity with both hands.
I’d advise other people interested in my type of role to…
Join the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure, PIANC, then talk to the engineering team at your local port.
Bridget Harrison
3 things I love about my job
- The balance between office and site work – and when your site’s next to a public beach and a marine protected area it’s not a bad place to be! Port Engineering’s incredibly varied
- We cover everything from car parks and building services to mooring systems for 60,000-tonne vessels and crane lifts of cargo ranging from superyachts to wind turbine blades and offshore industrial equipment.
- I’m problem solving every day – mostly unique problems with no standard solution.
2 reasons why I chose to study engineering
- As a Year 8 student I did work experience with a civil engineering contractor working on a high security prison in London. I was fascinated by the prison cells being suspended to stop inmates digging through the floor. At that point, I think I was hooked!
- Even though I wouldn’t say I’m a very practical person, I’ve always loved solving problems and civil engineering is all about solutions.
1 thing I wouldn’t change about my workday
- Looking out of the window as I wait for my computer to fire up in the morning and watching the vessels in the harbour.
