Jonathan Hooper
senior digital construction manager, Sir Robert McAlpine
Expertise
Project Management, Digital, DesignLocation
United KingdomMy highlights
Supporting the construction of the first nuclear reactor raft and foundations in the UK for over a generation
Surveying Manchester City football stadium and creating a 3D model from the survey
Training people and upskilling them in the use of software
A day in my life
Ensuring 3D models and building information modelling (BIM) documentation is aligned to the project outcomes.
Looking at new and modern ways of working all the time.
And some new software research if I get the chance!
As an engineering technician you’re at the forefront of technology and improving people’s daily lives.
Which individual project or person inspired you to become an engineering technician?
I was inspired long ago as a young child by my grandfather, who was the chief mechanical engineer in a food agricultural plant in rural Ireland.
He was very technical and thought me so.
I knew I would always be more of a technician than a traditional type of engineer as I wanted to get hands on with equipment and develop technical workflows.
We asked Jonathan…
I would recommend a career as an engineering technician because…
Everything is new and exciting!
As an engineering technician you’re at the forefront of technology and improving people’s daily lives.
You make improvements for the people who are actually constructing, and for the people in society who will eventually use the facilities you work on now.
There’s also fantastic potential to travel the world.
What motivated you to become a professionally qualified Engineering Technician with the ICE?
I’d been working for a number of years in a non-civil engineering role.
However, I was suitably qualified and working in construction and engineering for a long time before I became professionally registered.
This qualification established the capabilities I learned in practice over the years, and it promoted my career objectives.
Personally, it gave me a great sense of achievement to also be a part of something bigger.
Complete this phrase: I’m an engineering technician, but I’m also …
A dad, a fixer upper of things and a deep thinker, mostly all at once.
What does EngTech MICE status mean for your career?
It gives people the confidence that they know you are competent in your specific field.
Which civil engineering project (past or present) do you wish you’d worked on?
The Channel Tunnel as it’s the physical embodiment of connecting people together and enriching lives.
What’s one great thing that you love about EngTech MICE that you didn’t know until you got the qualification?
Access to the wonderful members area in One Great George Street in London.
Often when I’m in town I’ll spend some time in the beautiful members’ library area or visit one of the exhibitions they have open to the public too.
Name one engineering technician myth you’d like to bust.
Some people think we’re just ‘caddies’. An engineering technician is much more than just a technical draughtsperson, we develop and integrate all types of engineering solutions and assist so many people at all levels in organisations.
What advice would you give someone considering becoming EngTech MICE / EngTech FICE?
If you’re already thinking about this, you know you already have the skills to stand out and become professionally qualified.
Be confident in your approach to the application, it’s very much about what you did personally as part of a wider team. Shout out about your contribution to your projects!
Anything else?
I have recently become a STEM ambassador and I off-road cycle for fun and relaxation.
Jonathan's career path
I completed a BA Hons, but it was in a software related field, rather than engineering.
After seven years in the computer games industry, I knew my calling was in construction engineering, so I re-trained on the job with a BIM/digital construction consultancy on many varied residential and commercial projects.
I then started with a T1 contractor as a digital engineer.
You can see my pathway was far from the norm but just as relevant as doing an engineering related degree.
Major projects
Hinkley Point C (HPC) nuclear power station
Hinkley point C is the first nuclear power plant in the UK to be constructed in over a generation.
I've worked onsite here and have played my small part in its development, assisting with building information modelling (BIM) deliverables, so the site engineers and workforce have the best possible information to go to work and build it.
I've worked on the concrete raft of the reactor base and the primary and secondary steelwork for the turbine hall, which will house the largest turbines in the world.
Sizewell C nuclear power station
HPC’s sister project, aiming to provide 7% of the UK’s electricity carbon free for at least 60 years.
My role is to define modern ways of working in construction and how we can get the best possible 3D model deliverables on the project.
