Stephanie Massin

"My profile is Coach, Explorer and Quality Controller and I think it fits me pretty well.I am curious and always want to understand and learn more about a wide range of topics. I like solving complex problems and I am good at listening to other people's ideas but also like to research and work alone.Keeping people safe is at the heart of what I do: my job is to understand what happens in a nuclear power plant during an accident and make sure people's health and the environment is not harmed if this were to happen in real life. I don't believe we can keep people safe without being fair, honest and trustworthy, so this is very important to me and to my job. I also believe that people do a better job when they're comfortable, so I always try to keep a friendly face."

"AtkinsRéalis is an engineering consultancy, which means that we work for many clients in several sectors. I am part of the Nuclear Safety & Licensing team and my main role has been Fault Studies engineer for the Hinkley Point C project, this is a nuclear power plant currently being built in Somerset.My role is to assess the plant behaviour in a wide range of accident conditions. This is usually done by calculations using complex computer codes however I do not run the calculations myself, my role is to make sure the results are acceptable and the plant is safe to operate. If there is an issue with the results, then a solution has to be developed and this usually involves many discussions with other technical experts. Sometimes, the best solution is to change the design of the plant, so my work can have a real impact on what is being built. When it operates, Hinkley Point C will provide electricity for 6 million homes for several decades and we want it to do it safely, without harming peoples' health or the environment.What I enjoy most in my job is the vast range of issues that I have to deal with on a daily basis. There is always something interesting to solve and I learn something new every day. There is a good mix of detailed technical work that I can do on my own but also many discussions with colleagues of other disciplines. In 2024, the salaries on the AtkinsRéalis graduate scheme are around £30,000."

"My favourite subjects in school were mathematics, physics and languages. I chose engineering because I believed it would allow me seemed to combine my interest in science with my language skills as many engineering projects are international. I grew up in a tiny village in a remote area and did not know any engineer when I was younger, let alone a female engineer! This did not hold me back and many friends now have successful careers in science and engineering, including my little sister! I have always been interested in the energy sector so after I graduated, I joined an engineering consultancy in the south of France. I was based in Cadarache, which is the largest technological research and development centre for energy in Europe and home to the ITER project which an international nuclear fusion project. My main activity was scientific computing, and I was involved in the development of computer codes for the simulation of various issues from accidents in nuclear power plants, to fires in industrial premises or even the dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere and in rivers. I contributed to international research projects, and my work was referenced in two published papers.After several years on site, I needed a change. I wanted an international experience and this is when I joined AtkinsRéalis in the UK. It was definitely a challenge at the beginning as I had to adapt to a new culture and to working in English as it is not my native language but it was also satisfying and gratifying! I have worked for several clients in the nuclear industry since joining AtkinsRéalis but my main experience has been supporting the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Somerset. "

"I like to relax at home or go for walks in the local area. Being close to wildlife and nature is essential to me so I'm lucky that despite living in a major city, I live somewhere with many green spaces on my doorstep. I find that if you spend enough time looking around, there's always something cool to see.Otherwise, I like watching documentaries at home or going to the cinema or visiting a museum. I went a bit crazy during lockdown and created in small indoor jungle in my flat so caring for my plants takes a good chunk of my spare time. I've also recently started to learn about ceramics, so now I have a good collection of wonky pots and mugs.I like to travel and try to go abroad several times a year. I have a particular fondness for the Mediterranean having previously lived for 10 years in Provence. "

"I usually start my day with a cup of tea in front of my computer. I read and responds to my emails, check my calendar for meetings and plan my day. I usually set aside at least a couple of quiet hours for deep technical work that require concentration, such as writing or reviewing technical reports. I often deal with complex issues at short notice, so sometimes my plan changes throughout the day!I mostly work from home and go to the office once a week to meet with my team. In practice though, many of the people I regularly interact with are based elsewhere in the UK or abroad, so most meetings are remote. Occasionally, I travel to their office to meet them in person.My working arrangements are quite flexible and on the days when I work from home, I like to break the day by going for a lunchtime walk or gym class. "

"I grew up and studied in France. Like many French students, at the end of secondary school, I sat for the General Baccalaureate, and I chose the Science stream which means my main subjects were mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and geology. Then I completed 2 years of intensive preparatory classes in mathematics and physics before I could be admitted to a French engineering school.I studied engineering for 3 years at Centrale Marseille engineering school, and I specialised in mechanical engineering and scientific computing. As part of my degree, I also had to complete several industrial and academic placements. My first placement was in a small mechanical design office in France, the second one was in the department of applied mathematics of University of Western Ontario in Canada, and the last one was in the department of thermal hydraulics of the French Atomic Energy Commission, which is a major research organisation for energy.At the end of my last placement, I graduated with an engineer's degree, which is the equivalent of a master's degree in the UK. "