Sinead MacDonell

What do you enjoy about working here?

Being surrounded by people who are equally driven to provide sustainable solutions that bring positive outcomes to our communities is a huge motivator for me. I also love that the workplace culture leads to many insightful chats and opportunities for mentorship and learning.

Tell us about your specialism and why you chose it

I studied Mechanical Engineering and Commerce at university and found myself particularly interested in the complexity of the energy industry.

I am drawn to tackling the challenges we’re facing when it comes to climate change and the role that the energy sector plays in decarbonising our economies. I find the transition journey exciting to be a part of, especially seeing the progress and increased adoption by industry.

Describe what the Mott Mac Life means to you in three words

Sustainability, support, and opportunities

How do you contribute to Mott MacDonald making a difference to people and planet?

As part of the renewables team, I am actively assisting the energy transition by equipping clients with the solutions and knowledge to be a part of the decarbonisation journey.

What are your career highlights and achievements?

A recent highlight and achievement was completing the Renewable Energy Academy. It has been very rewarding to see how the skills translates into my project work.

I have enjoyed working on projects across the energy industry including wind, solar, BESS, and Hydrogen at various stages in project lifecycles. One rewarding project was looking at the future hydrogen developments on the National Electricity Market (NEM) in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, to support the reporting on grid transmission planning in the region. This is an important consideration for planning transmission infrastructure. Being on this project provided opportunities to learn about the electricity grid requirements for hydrogen at system-level, and broadened my perspective of how the projects we work on integrate with the surrounding infrastructure and the energy ecosystem.

Are you involved in any additional initiatives at Mott MacDonald, aside from your day-to-day role?

I’m an active member of the Melbourne’s branch of the Local Environmental Practice Plan (LEPP), akin to a sustainability committee. It’s rewarding to work along-side like-minded individuals to promote sustainability through lunch and learns, newsletter articles and by hosting events including tree planting, Clean Up Australia Day, bike tune ups, and ride-to-work days.

I’ve recently joined the Melbourne branch of the Inclusive Network for Women (INFW) committee. I’m very excited to support the INFW and to support women in STEM, as I’ve experienced firsthand how rewarding and empowering the events have been for me and my growth as an early career professional.