Jaz Rabadia

"Working in energy and sustainability requires an appreciation of engineering, people and the planet. A lot of my job involves campaigning for companies to do more to save energy, communicating with people what small actions they can take to help to reduce energy usage and training others to make more sustainable choices. "

"In my job I help organisations to reduce the energy they use to light, heat, cool and power their buildings. This helps to reduce their carbon footprint and also saves them money. I love working with all different types of people and seeing the difference I am making to energy usage and bills. We all have a responsibility to only use what we need, especially when it comes to the worlds natural resources. If we help to sustain the earth, only then does it stand a chance to sustain us. "

"Like most students, I had no idea of what I wanted to do when I ‘grew up’. I was always creative, inquisitive and logical in my approach. My favourite subjects at school were maths, design and science.When deciding what to choose as a degree, I researched engineering and discovered how important it is in bettering the lives of people all around the world. I knew then that by studying engineering, I could also help to make a difference.It seemed to be the perfect fit as I knew a degree in engineering would impress future employers and that there was a real shortage of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills in the UK. I figured that by studying engineering I could keep my career options open.Whilst studying mechanical engineering at City, University of London, I worked part time as a checkout assistant in my local Sainsbury’s store. In the second year of my degree, I chose additional modules in energy management and renewable energy and it was then that I saw how engineering could be applied to make a difference for the world’s future energy demands.For my final year dissertation, I decided to create my own project: The energy utilisation and management at Sainsbury’s. It seemed perfect, applying my engineering principles to a real-life challenge; energy management in the workplace – and above all I could do my dissertation during paid working hours!Once complete, I presented my findings to Sainsbury’s Head of Energy who saw just how passionate I was – he even included a summary of my project in Sainsbury’s Corporate Responsibility Report. I maintained contact with him and soon after graduating, I received a call from him – offering me a job!It really was that simple and I’ve never looked back since. I never imagined that my part time job as a Sainsbury’s checkout assistant would result in a role as Group Energy Manager for the company! Since then I have been Energy Manager for big brands such as Debenhams and Starbucks."

"I love to take photos, make hand made cards and generally do any arts and crafts. It's the engineer in me that always wants to create :)I now encourage my son to do the same. I love seeing what he creates with Lego."

"As Director of Energy & Sustainability at WeWork (an co-working office space company), I manage a team who are responsible for reducing the electricity used across our hundreds of buildings in Europe and helping to reduce the environmental impact of our operations.This includes buying energy from the wholesale markets, negotiating competitive contracts with suppliers, implementing energy efficiency engineering projects across the buildings, influencing the sustainable design of new buildings and implementing recycling projects to reduce the amount of waste the business produces.The reason I love my job is that there is no typical day. I could be at a computer screen, out visiting and auditing buildings, or traveling to deliver training to other teams.I love that my role takes me all over Europe and allows me to meet new people. There is a great sense of partnership working at WeWork and I really enjoy discussing energy saving and recycling opportunities throughout the organisation."

"BEng Mechanical Engineering (City University, London)MSc Energy, Environmental Technology & Economic (City University, London)Chartered Energy Manager MEI (Energy Institute)"