Thriving careers, regional living
Many of our people are achieving their professional aspirations while enjoying the lifestyle in regional communities.
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Our close-knit teams of experienced local staff are proud to better the communities they live and work within.
We provide expert local knowledge that informs the design, delivery and functioning of property and infrastructure projects in some of Victoria’s fastest-growing locations.
These offices are supported by the broader Spiire network of more than 350 people who work together across our integrated disciplines from 10 office locations in Victoria, NSW, QLD, SA and the ACT.
Unlocking opportunities in Albury
Beginning his Spiire journey as a Professional civil engineer in our Melbourne office in 2017, Business Manager for our Albury/ Wodonga office, Brett Mugridge, was looking to make the move to northern Victoria to be closer to his wife’s family.
“My wife and I were both looking for roles up here, and when the opportunity arose to lead the Civil team in Albury in 2018 we jumped at it,” says Brett.
“Having grown up in Melbourne, it was a pretty exciting prospect and a bit of a step up professionally. The broad exposure across projects in the ACT, NSW and Victoria, and the different design standards, required me to learn new skills and apply a range of different tools to solve problems.
“I would not be half the engineer I am today if I hadn’t made the move. There is a wealth of tenure and knowledge across disciplines in this office and it’s been fantastic to be able to benefit from this. It has certainly unlocked a lot of professional and client opportunities for me.”
From a liveability perspective, Brett enjoys the work/ life balance the easy commute enables him and his young family.
“I can drop the kids off at childcare at 8.25am and be in the office for a meeting by 8.30am. That’s a convenience that’s pretty hard to beat!” he says.
In his role as Business Manager, Brett looks forward to expanding their footprint in the local land development market and continuing to foster young talent.
“It’s really about enabling growth in anyone that wants it. We want to make sure everyone is aware of the opportunities that are out here and facilitating the goals and ambitions of our people,” Brett says.
Taking the next step in Ballarat
For Business Manager Kerry Wilkinson, moving to the Ballarat region was a chance to take the next step in his leadership journey.
Having joined our Water Engineering team in Melbourne in 2014, Kerry had previously seized opportunities to become a line manager and subsequently lead our Water Utilities team.
“There’s always a sense of progression. Because Spiire is growing in itself, you’re part of the growth opportunities,” he says.
Now living in Buninyong with his family, he sees the region as providing a great environment for his children and for furthering his career. It echoes the rural upbringing that sparked his interest in water engineering.
“Growing up on a farm, water was such a big part of daily life. I was fascinated by the creeks and rivers, building little dams, irrigating crops, fishing and jet-boating in rivers and understanding how it all worked and where the water went,” Kerry says.
Kerry believes the ready sharing of knowledge and expertise, accessibility of senior leadership and ongoing opportunities in geographic locations large and small make Spiire an attractive organisation for employees.
Surveying and Spatial Technician Caley Pearce made both a career and life change when he moved to the Ballarat region. The former mechanical design engineer was studying Surveying at RMIT University in Melbourne when he decided to look regionally to gain hands-on experience.
“Spiire fit with everything I was looking for as a place to develop my career, with the training and support I need,” Caley says.
Now living 20 minutes outside Ballarat on a five-acre property, Caley has returned to his rural roots to bring up his young family. Having completed his Certificate 4, he has joined the Ballarat team full time and is enjoying getting out on site at local projects such as Pinnace Estate and Conroy’s Green. He is learning from our wider regional network of Surveyors and has completed a UAV pilot course to join our team of licensed CASA Remote Pilots.
Best of both worlds in Bendigo
General Manager, VIC & SA Cameron Clarke has also seen firsthand how a career in Spiire’s regional network offers the scope to achieve both personal and professional goals.
After joining our Melbourne office in 2007, he took the opportunity to move home to Bendigo and head up the establishment of Spiire’s Bendigo office in 2010, where he progressed to Principal.
“Starting my career in Melbourne, I never thought I would get the opportunity to move back home to Bendigo and progress my career to the extent I have,” Cameron says.
“You get the best of both worlds: the genuine career opportunities and the regional lifestyle. There are so many opportunities at Spiire. If you grab them with both hands you will always be recognised for your contributions.”
Living the Geelong lifestyle
For General Manager of Spiire’s professional Practice Areas Alexandra Brown, returning to our Geelong office – where she first worked as a student – was a chance to advance both her lifestyle and career goals.
“My husband and I knew we wanted to move to land. At the same time, I was ready to build up a dedicated local Water Engineering team,” she says.
“I’m drawn to a smaller team environment, where you all learn organically from each other because you are so close to the different disciplines.”
Now living on a cattle farm and raising her young daughter, Alexandra enjoys the balance of seclusion and connection her lifestyle provides.
“I love that it feels like I live a million miles from anywhere, but I’m really not far from being in a professional office environment,” she says.
Town planner Roger Munn forged a varied and rewarding career in New Zealand, London and Melbourne, before settling in Geelong to take advantage of the lifestyle on offer for a young family.
“The shorter commute time means I can drop the kids off in the morning and it’s only a 10-minute drive to work,” Roger says.
The region’s natural attractions are well-suited to his family’s active lifestyle, whether it’s weekends spent mountain biking in the You Yangs and Anglesea or fostering his children’s love of hiking, riding and bodyboarding.
“From a planning perspective, it’s a really interesting and diverse region. We have a CBD, a port, a variety of smaller townships, coastal and environmental issues, agricultural land, areas of high environmental and landscape value, as well as the built form and suburban issues you have in larger cities,” he says.
Strong community in Shepparton
Angela Durston-Ryan
For civil engineer Angela Durston-Ryan, moving to Shepparton from our Melbourne office 18 months ago marked the second regional move in her Spiire career.
“I previously lived and worked in Albury for six months. I’ve had the chance to meet so many people, get out of the Melbourne bubble, and become a more well-rounded engineer,” she says. “You learn more about clients and their drivers, about different terrain, and get to work on interesting and diverse projects.”
Having completed our Inspiiring Leaders Program, Angela enjoys guiding the development of younger engineers in the business, while managing significant projects from her home base in Shepparton.
Beyond the professional benefits, she says the strong sense of community, access to outdoor activities including rivers, snow and camping, and local food and wine scene create an attractive lifestyle.
Jane Macey
Town planner Jane Macey also advocates for the Goulburn Valley’s appealing way of life and is Deputy Chair of the Committee for Greater Shepparton.
From her home on a dairy farm in Yarraoweyah, she enjoys the close connection to nature and exploring the food and wine trail, while satisfying her professional aspirations as a senior member of our Shepparton team.
“When I work from home, I get to look out my window and see the birds, cows and our horse. We have such lovely open spaces in the regions and it’s a great place for kids to grow up,” she says.
“We have a great network at Spiire that also extends to the broader industry in Shepparton. People are really inviting. I naively thought ‘there goes my career’ when I moved up here, but it is limitless. I’ve been able to connect with local leaders across all industries who have the same passion to make the region a better place.”
