Natalie Dunne
Current Employer/Organisation Name
WSP
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
After leaving Exeter, I moved back to London and began my career as a Graduate Structural Engineer, working on Offshore Wind and Oil & Gas projects. During this time, I published my master’s paper, titled “Performance Evaluation of a Solar Photovoltaic-Thermal (PV/T) Air Collector System” in the Energy Conversion and Management Journal (October 2023).
I then undertook a year-long secondment as Offshore Wind Opportunities and Proposals Lead, where I managed the full bidding process and acted as the primary contact for major clients and subcontractors. In January 2025, I returned to the Structures team but decided to transition back to mechanical engineering, given market challenges and my personal interests.
In May 2025, I joined WSP as a Graduate Mechanical Engineer in the Energy Solutions team, focusing on district heating and cooling projects within the Property and Buildings business unit. This role has given me exposure to large-scale projects and site work across different stages of the project lifecycle.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
I’ve always been passionate about sustainable energy and wanted a career where I could contribute to shaping a cleaner future. At university, I focused my studies on this area, choosing modules and projects that aligned with renewable energy and efficiency. My first dissertation involved designing a machine-learning-based smart energy management system for the engineering building, forecasting energy consumption and identifying unnecessary usage. My second dissertation assessed the performance of a PVT air collector system using ANSYS Fluent, improving efficiency for heating and electricity generation from renewable sources.
What I enjoy most is knowing that the work I do has a real impact and I love going on site visits and seeing designs come to life.
Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?
I was the Communications Secretary for the Exeter Engineering Society and the Year 3 and 4 Representative for the Women in Engineering Society. I was also a member of the Tennis Society and played intramural netball for the Engineering Society.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
I enjoyed the variety in modules and there was a good mix of theoretical and practical work. I also liked that you could personalise your module choices to your interests. Biggest highlight was working on my first dissertation during COVID and being able to continue the work I had done as a summer placement at university for a real project and client. The dissertation was then award Institute Best Project Award from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Say yes to every opportunity that comes your way!
What are your plans for the future?
My goal is to achieve Chartered Engineer status with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, continue contributing to large-scale projects, and eventually transition into project management to lead complex, multidisciplinary teams.
