Thomas graduated with a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Cambridge in 2011 having studied a broad range of engineering disciplines for the initial 2 years, Thomas specialised in Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering during the final years. His final year research project was titled “An investigation into the November 2009 Cumbrian floods and possible improvements to mitigation and management”. Thomas also worked on placements in design offices and on site throughout his degree.
Upon graduating, Thomas joined the London Underground Civil Engineering Graduate Scheme in September 2011. For over three years, he worked in a range of positions gaining experience in railway engineering and broader civil engineering, with a particular focus on tunnel and earth structure construction and maintenance. On completion of the graduate scheme, he moved into project engineering, managing the specification, design, construction, assurance and acceptance of multidisciplinary projects including the Vauxhall Station Upgrade and civil engineering elements of the Four Lines Modernisation Programme. Thomas also managed commercial elements, such as reviewing tenders, appointing and managing contractors and assessing and agreeing compensation events.
After 5 years, Thomas successfully sat his Professional Chartered review with the Institution of Civil Engineers to become a Chartered Engineer. He left London Underground to work in a small structural design office, focussing principally on domestic work in London, gaining significant knowledge of the performance and common failure modes of traditional UK housing stock.
In 2017 Thomas joined Médecins Sans Frontières to manage the construction of a maternity hospital in coastal Kenya. This role included managing the budget, programme, design, quality and approvals, as well as significant site supervision. After the successful completion of the construction in 2018, Thomas moved to work in the MSF Operational Centre Geneva headquarters as a construction advisor, providing advice for for active projects and developing a management framework to improve the performance of humanitarian construction projects. Thomas gained experience in varied international norms and standards and in the working of international organisations.
On returning to the United Kingdom in 2020, Thomas joined Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group to work in the Consultancy and Engineering Services team. This work included the design and management of ballastless railway rack systems, as well as the planning and management of their construction. Thomas was involved in managing multi-disciplinary design teams, letting and managing subcontract design work, and managing contractual relationships with clients. The work also included a significant number of projects investigating existing failed ballastless track systems to identify the cause of failure and design remedial or replacement works. Thomas was appointed as the Contractor’s Responsible Engineer for design and construction on a number of projects as a slab track expert. Thomas specialised in the early stages of projects, delivering feasibility and concept design including constructability assessments and budget estimates.
Thomas joined the Built Environment Group in 2023.
