Northrop

Northrop’s Melbourne office is embarking on a period of significant growth, with plans to double the size of its team by 2025 – a year that will mark the 10th anniversary of the business arriving in Victoria.
 

Currently, Northrop is recruiting specifically for civil engineers at all levels, but is keen to build more broadly across disciplines, too. 
 

“We’re expanding in line with our growth strategy, and it’s an exciting time to be part of Northrop,” says Katie Malvaso, Associate and Melbourne Structural Manager. 

 

“We’ve recruited some great people over the past eighteen months to support our existing team and expand our service offering. And now we’re ramping up our recruitment even further to really bolster the team in line with market demand.”

 

The team is currently working on a variety of interesting projects in commercial, education, health, industrial prisons and student accommodation sectors throughout metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

 

Attracting the right people to Northrop   
 

Northrop has a progressive and inclusive culture, of which it is very protective of, and as such getting the right person – as well as the right skills – is of paramount importance. 
 

“The technical capability can be helped along the way and we can expand on it,” says Katie. “But the cultural fit has to be right from the start!” 
 

Another part of the Northrop ethos is that people aren’t pigeon holed into roles, and this approach allows for natural progression and opportunities that may otherwise be passed by. 
 

“We want to develop well-rounded people who have been exposed to a variety of different projects, because this helps people grow technically and professionally,” explains Katie, who’s also part of the Women In Northrop group, which acts as a sounding board and advisers to the Northrop Leadership Team and Board. 
 

“There’s a huge opportunity to grow into job manager roles, client facing roles as well as fulfilling the technical side of engineering. We don’t want people who are tucked away 24/7 concentrating on the numbers – our people are engaged in the project and interacting with clients from day one. They’re part of the whole journey.”

 

The flexibility reality 
 

Katie has been part of Northrop since 2019 and joined the business because of the agility and flexibility on offer, as well as the organisation’s growth plans and over forty-five year old track record. 
 

“Some companies talk about flexibility, but it often doesn’t exist in reality,” she says. 
 

“If you’ve got the will and the motivation, Northrop will find a way to make it work.” 
 

“A lot of companies suffer from presenteeism, but work doesn’t always have to be in the office – if I need to go and pick the kids up from school I do. I’ll make the time up at home afterwards.”  Our people are empowered to take ownership of their projects and to manage their day to day.
 

And while the work side of things is obviously critically important, Northrop has a strong social aspect to it, too – with a calendar of social events throughout the year; in-person when the global pandemic permits.

 

A positive impact
 

A commitment to sustainability is also a crucial thing for everyone at Northrop.
 

Our clients are increasingly calling for outcomes that improve the health and vitality of our community and natural environment. This translates into great opportunities for our people to apply new thinking such as carbon neutral and climate resilient engineering designs.
 

“We want to bring people on board who understand climate action and want to get involved in achieving sustainable solutions in all our projects,” says Katie.   
 

“As a company that is a signatory to Engineers Declare A Climate and Biodiversity Emergency we are committed to making a difference and driving change.”

 

If you’re interested in joining Northrop’s Melbourne team, contact us on (03) 9600 2645.