Atkins Global is a premier engineering professional services and project management company. It specializes in sustainable solutions that connect people and data to design, deliver and operate complex technologies. The firm customizes end-to-end solutions to improve everything from design and engineering to operations and maintenance.
If you’re an aspiring consultant who’s interested in the engineering industry specifically, you’ll want to continue reading. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to determine if Atkins Global is the right place to begin your consulting career.
Firm Key Stats
Firm Website: Atkins Global
Firm Headquarters: London, England and Montréal, QC
Firm Number of Employees: ~50,000 (post-merger, 2023)
Firm Number of Locations: 308
Popular Atkins Global Locations: Atkins Global North America; Atkins Global USA; Atkins Global Atlanta, GA; Atkins Global Austin, TX; Atkins Global Dallas, TX; Atkins Global Denver, CO; Atkins Global Houston, TX; Atkins Global Las Vegas, NV; Atkins Global Miami, FL; Atkins Global Orlando, FL; Atkins Global Birmingham, AL; Atkins Global India; Atkins Global Bangalore; Atkins Global Bristol; Atkins Global Dubai; Atkins Global UK; Atkins Global Singapore
Firm Chief Executive: Chris Birdsong (Asia Pacific), Philip Hoare (UK & Europe), George Nash (North America), Grant Porter (interim, Middle East & Africa)
Firm Revenue: $7 billion+
Atkins Global History
The Atkins Global history has involved many expansions and acquisitions. In 1991, Lavalin, a Canadian civil engineering and construction firm formed in Montréal in 1936, merged with its long-time competitor, Surveyer, Nenniger & Chenevert Consulting Engineers (SNC) to create SNC-Lavalin. This is now one of the largest engineering firms in the world. In 2017, SNC Lavalin acquired its UK rival WS Atkins, a design, engineering, and project management firm. Six years later, SNC-Lavalin rebranded to AtkinsRéalis.
Atkins Global Careers
Atkins Global careers should be especially attractive for any aspiring consultant who’s interested in working on more than one aspect of the consulting or project management process. The firm prides itself in handling projects from beginning to end. If you want opportunities to work all around the globe on diverse projects, Atkins Global has them. And even if the engineering industry isn’t your focus, the emphasis on engineering thinking will help you get ahead when launching a consulting career.
In this section, we gather all the info you’ll need to determine if an Atkins Global career is right for you.
Atkins Global Apprenticeships
Atkins Global apprenticeships are offered in any one of 50 countries. Atkins Global internships in the United States are meant to give college students in STEM opportunities to learn about the day-to-day life of a professional engineering consultant. Potential positions include Civil Engineering Intern, Bridge CAD Technician Intern, Project Controls Intern, and Construction Management Intern.
Indian citizens in graduate school or doing post-grad work who want meaningful industry exposure can also take advantage of the Atkins Global apprenticeships in India. Work can be in any engineering discipline, as well as corporate functions, HR, recruitment, mobility, finance, compliance, and IT. Internships in India run for at least six weeks, either full-time or part-time.
Atkins Global internships are published on the Careers page starting in December and ending in February.
Past interns have been very pleased with Atkins Global internships, though some note that it can be hard to balance the workload.
Practice Areas
The primary Atkins Global practice areas include:
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- Management Consultancy
- Digital Transformation
- Cyber Resilience
- Safety & Systems Assurance
- Impact Assessment & Community Engagement
- Site assessment & Remediation
- Climate Change
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Pavement Design & Management
- Surveying & 3D Scanning
- Engineering & Design
- Building Surveying
- Consulting & Advisory Services
- Program Management
- Project Management
- Sustainability
- Project Delivery
- Operations & Maintenance
- Public Private Partnerships (P3 Projects)
- Capital
- Decommissioning
- Nuclear Waste Management
Atkins Global Locations
The offices offering these services are located all around the world:
Atkins Global North America (or Atkins Global USA)
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- Atkins Global Atlanta, GA
- Atkins Global Austin, TX
- Atkins Global Dallas, TX
- Atkins Global Denver, CO
- Atkins Global Houston, TX
- Atkins Global Las Vegas, NV
- Atkins Global Miami, FL
- Atkins Global Orlando, FL
- Atkins Global Birmingham, AL
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Beyond North America, Atkins Global locations include:
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- Atkins Global India
- Atkins Global Bangalore
- Atkins Global Bristol
- Atkins Global Dubai
- Atkins Global UK
- Atkins Global Singapore
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Industries
The primary Atkins Global industries include:
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- Buildings & Places
- Transportation
- Water
- Nuclear
- Power & Renewables
- Industrial
- Minerals & Metals
- Defense
Career Path
The Atkins Global career path includes the following positions:
Assistant Consultant: conducting research and analysis, along with completing assignments as directed by Consultants and Senior Consultants
Consultant: working closely with clients to identify improvements and drive financial results. Consultants perform rigorous research analysis, strategize, and coach clients.
Senior Consultant: being the face of the consulting team, approving work completed by Assistant Consultants and Consultants or directing improvements, connecting regularly with clients
Project Director: managing teams of Consultants and Associates and being responsible for the overall success of a project
Atkins prides itself on being a launchpad for consulting or engineering careers, which means that its workforce may tend to be younger than at most firms. As it is an international firm, positions will vary based on location. Some employees have reported that there are no clear pathways to advancement, which may be true in some areas of the firm, but certainly not all.
Exit Opportunities
If you’re thinking about the ways working at Atkins Global will benefit you throughout your career, you’ll want to consider the Atkins Global exit opportunities. Departing employees should be qualified to move into consulting roles at other firms that specialize in engineering, or even into internal roles at engineering companies. Many of the services Atkins Global offers should transfer well to other industries, such as engineering thinking and complex project management.
Notable Alumni
There is not currently any publicly available information about notable Atkins Global alumni.
Target Schools
Atkins Global target schools are probably top MBA & graduate schools, but there isn’t a ton of information available about specific schools they recruit from, and degrees vary greatly between the countries in which Atkins Global operates.
Diversity Programs
Atkins Global prides itself on the diversity of its workforce, members of which speak more than 70 languages and represent 130 different nationalities. Having pledged to adhere to the UN Global Compact, Atkins Global embodies three principles in day-to-day operations: increasing diversity and inclusion; creating social value and community benefits; and protecting human rights. Its global Equality, Diversity & Inclusion program has set up quantitative targets for accountability purposes, including increasing the female representation in all positions.
Atkins Global Culture
The Atkins Global culture is positively received by employees, who seem to like people that appreciate the work-life balance. However, others describe a high turnover rate, perhaps due to the company’s desire to be a “launchpad,” implying that management will stay in place while engineers and consultants come and go. The contract-style work has made some employees feel disconnected from the rest of a very large company, and the Atkins Global salary is in the low range.
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Atkins Global Interview
Of course, if you’re looking to land an Atkins Global career, you’ll need to start by passing the Atkins Global interview.
Atkins Global Interview Questions
Atkins Global interview questions are common for consulting interviews:
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- “Can you tell me about a time you had to work in an environment with people who had a different working style?”
- “Why did you apply to Atkins Global?”
- “If there is a problem with a project you’re completing for a client, how would you communicate that to the client?”
- “What do you think we at Atkins Global do on a day-to-day basis?”
There are many potential Atkins Global interview questions because of the number and variety of positions for which the firm hires. All Atkins Global interview questions are designed to ensure that you are a good fit with the company.
Firm Interview Process
The Atkins Global firm interview process typically happens within a day or two, but this can vary wildly depending on the position for which you are applying. Though interviewees consider the interview to be somewhat difficult, they largely find it to be a positive experience with friendly managers. Interviewers typically ask about a candidate’s educational background, consulting experience, technical experience, as well as how the candidate would handle different scenarios upon hiring. Atkins Global interviewers will also likely ask about current trends related to the department for which you are applying.
There is not any information suggesting that applicants are subjected to a case interview, but there are project-related hypotheticals you should be prepared to speak to.
Atkins Global Salary
The Atkins Global salary is:
- Project Assistant: between $40,000 and $60,000
- Project Manager: between $80,000 and $130,000
- Senior Project Manager: between $100,000 and $160,000
- Assistant Consultant: between $75,000 and $120,000
- Consultant: between $70,000 and $115,000
- Senior Consultant: between $100,000 and $140,000
- Project Director: between $110,000 and $180,000
- Business Analyst: between $70,000 and $100,000
These are pretty small numbers in the world of consulting; they fall significantly below the salaries at the Big 3 consulting firms, for example, where the average consultant salary is $110,000-112,000. If you want to explore more salary information for hundreds of firms, check out our current Consulting Salaries Report.
Conclusion
Atkins Global is one of the premier engineering consulting firms in the world, with a focus on end-to-end project management. Beginning Atkins Global careers means working within a vast network of experts to create solutions for clients across the globe.
For aspiring consultants who are interested in the engineering industry, and engineering thinking more generally, Atkins Global would be an excellent first step into a consulting career.