Women in power - Orla

Head of engineering - design and delivery, transport & installation and technology

I’m Orla, from Donegal in Ireland where I started my engineering career with a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mechanical Engineering. It was real hands-on engineering and really practical, and it was my first taste of being the only female on the course. I was fortunate enough that the school that I went to was quite forward thinking, as in all the students did what they called metalwork at that time. We were able to use the lathe, drilling machine, do some kinds of very basic welding. I just loved it. I loved learning about how things were made.  I loved getting some of the skills to do it gave me an appreciation of when I look at things, and you think, how is that made? How is that put together? I suppose that's where it started for me, and then the first step was doing an HND.

After my HND, I went to Queens University in Belfast to study for a degree in aeronautical engineering. I then stayed to do my PhD in biomedical engineering, using the same basic engineering skillset, just diversifying. Once I stopped formal studying, I moved to the UK working with Airbus, using both degree skills on big, complex international projects. I was there for three years before joining a small renewables company in Edinburgh called Aquamarine Power. I got a lot of responsibility very quickly there – it was very hands-on, and I loved the excitement and passion for net zero, it really resonated with me.

SSE was an investor in that company, and they had opportunities for engineers, so I moved to SSE as a senior mechanical engineer in onshore renewables. I've been very fortunate since I came to SSE. There was an opportunity within the next few months in that role to go for the engineer manager role, and I went for that, and I got it. So within quite a short period of time, I was managing that mechanical engineering team. That was my first taste of management, and I really liked it. I suppose it was the first time I got a taste of working through people, hopefully developing them. I liked that it was an engineering manager role within a technical area. Then my manager approached me about a Head of Engineering vacancy and encouraged me to go for it, and I have been in this role for four years now.

I’ve been on maternity leave twice at SSE. Seeing many people go on maternity leave at SSE come back and get right back into it gave me the confidence to do it too. Both times, I received nothing but congratulations and support. When I was ready to come back, the process and training were really useful and kept my skills up to date.

I see many women coming through at senior level now and I find it hugely encouraging and inspirational, and I feel privileged to be here. It’s an interesting career working with likeminded people, and it resonates with my values – It’s something I’m proud to tell my kids that I’m doing.

"I see many women coming through at senior level now and I find it hugely encouraging and inspirational, and I feel privileged to be here. It’s an interesting career working with likeminded people, and it resonates with my values – it’s something I’m proud to tell my kids that I’m doing."

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