James Sutherland
James is a leader who thrives on collaboration, problem-solving, and making a meaningful impact, both in structural engineering and beyond. He brings over 20 years experience to his role as Melbourne Office Leader, passionate about working in his local community and building an exceptional workplace for our team.
With a knack for innovative, practical solutions and a deep commitment to client relationships, James ensures that projects are technically sound and create real, lasting impact. He loves working with developers, architects, PMs and builders to unlock value through clever engineering solutions.
His leadership has been instrumental in major projects such as the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation, where Northrop leads the structural and civil design for the $1.7 billion Public Realm redevelopment, and Trinity College Project 100, which won the 2021 AIA VIC Architecture Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing.
A busy father, James loves kicking the footy or playing cricket with his teenage boys and always has a project on the go, whether it’s a major home renovation or just tinkering away. For James, it’s no longer just about engineering, it’s about people. He finds joy in developing others, positively impacting individuals and communities, and creating benefits that extend far beyond the project itself.