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Secondment Spotlight – Josh Garbutt

Pipeline works in the ground at Avove Utilities

Meet Joshua Garbutt, a Project Lead and Civil Engineer who is helping address some of the UK’s most pressing environmental challenges. With a secondment at Avove Utilities, and a recent promotion to Area Manager in our Water & Environment North team, Josh combines his technical expertise with leadership, mentoring and innovation to make a lasting impact.

At Avove Utilities, Josh leads on a range of wastewater infrastructure projects aimed at reducing damage from storm spillages, as well as bespoke engineering problems created within the Northumbrian water supply area. This work helps to directly address sewage pollution and makes UK waters safer for bathing and marine life. As a Project Lead, he balances technical design, safety, cost management and stakeholder coordination – sometimes for multiple projects at the same time.

Managing complex projects has honed Josh’s skills in time management and team coordination. His work plays a crucial role in building future-ready infrastructure and maintaining the legacy assets already in use. He has also helped to refine team operations and processes by developing a strategic spreadsheet tool that enhances client engagement and recruitment planning.

Josh Garbutt in front of London Bridge

Excited by the integration of AI for improved efficiency in admin and design tasks, Josh believes this can directly address the resource challenges within the industry by freeing up engineers’ time to focus on what really matters. He also noted that improved CAD tools and exciting updates to the software will help to streamline engineering design processes. The industry must adopt more sustainable, modern methods, and he continually challenges outdated practices in engineering standards, while encouraging others to do the same.

A highlight for Josh is mentoring and collaborating with graduate engineers. As a valued member of our management team, Josh resonates with our passion for employee development and the autonomy we give people to steer their own careers. Josh fosters collaboration by asking questions, encouraging open dialogue, and maintaining strong ties with colleagues across disciplines. While Josh admits to a busy schedule, he appreciates the empathetic and supportive team culture, which includes flexibility and regular check-ins.  

“Seniority doesn’t mean competency. You should always challenge the status quo because you might know something others don’t”, Josh says about his leadership philosophy and empowering junior colleagues. He encourages open communication and curiosity with the graduates he works with, noting “Your question has been asked 1,000 times already!”

As Josh looks to the future, he’s eager to complete his APM training, deepen his role in business development and build a strong team – working with people is his passion. His proactive mindset and dedication make him a valuable asset to Waterman Aspen, Avove Utilities, and the wider Water & Environment sectors.

View our Men’s Mental Health episode of The Engineer Exchange
where Josh joins us in the studio

Interested in boosting your career in Civil Engineering or Project Management? View our latest opportunities here

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