CommercialBattersea, London, UK
Learning on the job: Operative to Site Engineer
Meet Arif, who began his journey at Keltbray 12 years ago as a site operative and has built his career through hands‑on experience, determination and the support of his team.
- Long-Tenured
- Engineer
- At Keltbray since 2014
The beginning at Keltbray
I joined Keltbray in June 2014 as a general operative on a demolition site in Hanover Square, right by Oxford Circus. Seeing how things were done on-site every day sparked my interest in engineering.
Working alongside experienced people helped me understand the technical part of construction. Step by step, I took on more responsibility and I’m now a Site Engineer at HS2 Curzon Street.
Building technical confidence
One of the early challenges was understanding technical drawings. I got through that by asking questions and working closely with the team who guided me through the details.
Keltbray has played a huge part in my progression, putting me on a civil engineering apprenticeship, supporting me throughout my studies and making sure I had what I needed. I’ve also been fortunate to work with colleagues and managers who’ve mentored me and pushed me in the right direction.
Taking ownership as an engineer
The engineer’s role carries a lot of responsibility, if one thing slips, a lot can go wrong. For me, the engineer is key to getting things done on-site.
HS2 Euston is a project I’m especially proud of. It was my first full setting‑out job and exposed me to everything — groundworks, live services, steelwork, holding‑down bolts, brickwork. We even finished by constructing a small garden, which was a great way to round off the project.
Looking ahead
My advice to anyone wanting to grow in their role is simple: find what interests you and push yourself from there. There are a lot of experienced, smart people in Keltbray, and you’ll learn how things are done in real life. Learning never really ends, so technical progression has no limits.