Flying over Auckland suburbs and seeing the roads he designed and helped build come to life is a feeling Woods Design Principal (LEAD Alliance), Sam Law, will never forget.

But the mahi doesn’t stop there for the Woods’ professional engineer. We recently sat down with Sam to find out how he ended up on this path, what he likes most about working at Woods, and the skills he’s learned along the way.

Tell us about your previous experience…

When I came to Woods, I was a graduate. My other classmates had all wanted to pursue the other facets of engineering such as structural and geotechnical engineering. Civil engineering seemed like a somewhat lesser known or less interesting facet of engineering.

Once I came to Woods and started working in the civil engineering discipline, I quickly realised how many other skills it helps you develop - life skills, soft skills, and project management skills.

Six years on, I’m still with the company and now working out of the Woods’ LEAD Alliance office where I’m a Design Principal. My role is focused on providing new infrastructure, subdivisions, roading, and drainage for brownfield redevelopment on a few neighbourhoods around Auckland.

What are some of the skills you have developed during your time here?

I learned so many things I didn’t expect.  At university, I’d mostly studied structural engineering, so I came to Woods pretty green in terms of civil engineering. Since then, I’ve learned how to design everything from subdivisions to roads and infrastructure, as well as project management skills and soft skills such as liaising with councils, sub-consultants, and clients.

It’s funny looking back to where I was six years ago and seeing how much I’ve matured in that time at Woods. I’m excited to see where I can go in the next six years.

What do you like most about your job?

I like the range of projects we get to work on at Woods. I’ve previously worked on developing greenfield sites such as farms down into small lots with new roading, and now working on brownfield redevelopments which is looking at existing neighbourhoods to solve issues like flooding and adding more housing.

In a challenging role such as this, what keeps you motivated?

I personally get a lot of satisfaction from results and seeing a job completed. My happiest moment working for Woods was getting to fly over Auckland on a domestic flight and see some of the roads I designed and helped build for new subdivisions that are now finished. That made me very happy.

As a project lead, I’m also motivated by helping my team to stay productive as well.

In every project we take on, we’re always going to run into hurdles. But in my project management experience, I’ve found that taking a step back to evaluate the situation and identify the issues, is the best way to create a successful path forward.

How would you describe work life to a friend?

It’s tough, but it’s very rewarding. At Woods, we have a really great work culture, which is not only about allowing the time for employees to develop their skills across the board, but also the culture of people as well. Everyone has always been friendly and approachable, which is great for building that rapport you need as a team.

Finally, what is one thing you wish you knew about the company beforehand?

I wish I'd known how many career opportunities working at Woods would open up, and the interesting places it would take me!

Sam Law - Design Principal LEAD Alliance