Jessica Smith, consultant in mobility projects

Jessica Smith
Consultant in mobility projects
AUSTRALIA

What is your job?

I am a Consultant in SYSTRA Scott Lister’s Advisory Department, based in Sydney, Australia. I work on a broad range of projects, with public and private clients, from early stage planning through to deployment, across the Australia and New Zealand region.

I work across multiple transport modes from traditional public transport to new mobilities and technologies and typically provide Project Management and Technical Advisory support. 

What do you do at SYSTRA?

I joined SYSTRA in Australia in November 2016, having relocated from the UK earlier that year. I have had a lot of opportunity to progress with SYSTRA since that time. I began in an administrative and project support function and have been able to grow with the business into more challenging roles.

Since 2018, I have been involved in SYSTRA’s New Mobility Services Program, which is sponsored by the Group Innovation and Digital Department. This program brings together subject matter experts and regional leads from across the SYSTRA Group to develop our strategy and offering for Mobility as a Service, On-Demand services and Shared Mobility solutions. As part of this program we have developed several communications including a series of informative videos on Mobility as a Service and a white paper.

What are the 3 important qualities or skills in your job?

Coming from a non-engineering background, I have and utilise a broad skill set that can help me adapt to a range of projects and project roles.

Working with multiple sources of information and data requires analytical skills and good attention to detail to ensure recommendations and outcomes are accurate and reliable. Presenting findings in a tangible and digestible way is also key to help translate outcomes to a range of stakeholders.    

Research and technical writing tend to be applied to most projects. Inputs are drawn from varying sources including data sets, international best practise, interviews and surveys etc. Conducting this research often constitutes the basis of advisory projects, from which for analysis can be undertaken. Consolidating all information into a digestible format to be delivered to the client is also key. This typically is in a written report format, but may also include presentations, training materials etc.  

Organisation and communication are also essential. A typical week would involve managing multiple projects and responsibilities. Therefore, it is important to manage your time well to meet project schedules and deadlines. Equally, communications with project teams and key stakeholders is central to ensure all projects progress in line with client expectations.

Why SYSTRA?

I joined SYSTRA in Australia in November 2016, having relocated from the UK earlier that year. I have had a lot of opportunity to progress with SYSTRA since that time. I began in an administrative and project support function and have been able to grow with the business into more challenging roles.

The local team is tightknit, and I have been lucky to have great opportunities for mentorship and learning from my peers and management. Working with resources across the Group also gives me exposure to and an opportunity to collaborate with subject matter experts.