Kathleen is our Proposals and Funding Manager who also has great experience from starting her career as an Engineer! She is a busy and vital member of our team, and is this week’s “Meet the Team” interview.

Tell us about your role at the PNDC.

I am the proposals and funding manager at the PNDC, but also for our wider Institute for Energy & Environment at the University of Strathclyde. My role within the PNDC team is to work with our industry partners & other innovation organisations to identify and develop strategic funding opportunities aligned to our core programme focus areas. With tight deadlines, and my role spanning the wider University also, things can get pretty busy – so you will usually find me running from meeting to meeting with a coffee in hand!

How long have you been working here?

I joined the PNDC in January 2018, so I would still call myself a newbie, but not sure how long I can get away with that for!

What was your background before joining the PNDC?

I started my career gaining my BSc Hns degree in Maths and Physics at Strathclyde, and then went on to study an MSc in High Power RF Engineering. Leaving University, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but Rolls Royce let me join them in Derby as a fresh faced research engineer looking at new ways to develop techniques for inspecting the UK’s fleet of nuclear submarines. I then went on to play with bigger nuclear reactors for a while working with Doosan Babcock to develop inspection techniques for civil reactors, before joining part of their newly created Green Power Solutions team as a bid manager. Being in a new sector within an existing business let me gain tonnes of experience within the renewables sector, and led to engagement with Strathclyde where I could see the vast amount of opportunities for supporting the UK’s decarbonisation transition.

What do you enjoy most about working at the PNDC?

Firstly, I really enjoy working with a team and in an environment that has the potential to be a significant enabler for the UK (and the worlds!) energy transition. In my joint role with campus, I like the variety in my role for the work we do over a number of sectors including marine, aerospace and energy to name a few. As a bid manager, I of course really enjoy the feeling of securing big awards with the team, knowing how much work they have put into the project development phase! And obviously I love the people at PNDC, a fantastic and diverse bunch of personalities and skill sets….and they always seem to have cake whenever I am there….

What can we find you doing in your spare time?

At the weekends you can usually find me climbing a hill nearby, or eating and drinking with my partner, friends or family. Most evenings, I am at Strathclyde Sport for some gym classes after work (although I have to drag myself there!) And otherwise, usually planning my next trip abroad!