“There is support through mentors, development managers and many opportunities for career progression with DE&S.”

I work in the Submarine Chief Engineer’s team as an Engineering Policy Manager, working with submarine industry to develop a coherent and up-to-date portfolio of maritime engineering standards. 

Vimbai worked in the private sector before moving into the Civil Service.

I worked as an Engineering Specialist in previous posts and currently, I work on a variety of projects, including Pan-Industry Engineering LFE, Maritime future capability and representing MOD on Pan-Industry Electrical and Standards working groups.

I chose DE&S because I wanted to make a contribution to the public sector and DE&S offers a wide range of engineering projects and career prospects. This includes, sponsored masters degrees, internal and external professional courses. I have gained Chartered Engineer status with the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), as a result of the development opportunities and the experience which I gained whilst working in DE&S.

There is a vast range of work to develop professional and technical skills within the engineering function. I’ve had opportunities to represent the function at Engineering conferences, professional forums, lectures and courses sponsored by DE&S both internally and externally right up to Masters Degree level.

I work in a multi-discipline team and we all work together to support the delivery of maritime platforms. I also work closely with wider industry and therefore, I have a good network of engineers to engage with.

I am a member of the IET women’s network forum and MOD Women in Nuclear (WiN) to share knowledge, network and encourage other females and a younger generation into Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers. I see being involved in external forums as being a key part of making DE&S a great place to work.

Being a diverse engineer has enabled me to overcome challenges of being different in a work environment whilst also strengthening my confidence to deliver capability and prove my ability as a female and ethnic minority engineer.

My ultimate goal is to inspire other females to become Engineers and be a good role model for future generations of engineers.