Sara Scott has grown professionally with Higgins. She first joined the team as a part-time traffic management engineer through her final year of her Bachelor of Engineering. That led to a full-time role on the City Edge project, holding several key engineering roles before progressing to her current role as contracts manager of the East Waikato NOC (network outcomes contract). She started this role as she returned from maternity leave, and now leads a team of 40, plus subcontractors. Much of the focus in Sara’s role has been returning the state highway network to a resilient place after Cyclone Gabrielle, balanced with renewals delivery across the region.

Driven by a love for the construction industry and always hungry to progress, Sara says there has been strong support from Higgins as she has stepped up to new roles.  This year, she’s participating in Fletcher Construction’s Women to Leadership mentoring programme and hopes to inspire others to strike the right balance between commitment to career and family.

“I recognise I can inspire and support women within the industry and I think it’s our responsibility as the next generation of women to improve the industry for those following us. Our challenges are different than they were 20 years ago and will continue to change with time,” she says.

“This means supporting my team to take ownership of their time to support a healthy home - work balance. I model this to give people permission to fully commit to their job, while also carving out time for family.”

Committed to continuous professional growth, Sara has also completed her first year of an MBE earning her a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management Studies.

She also participates in Fletcher Construction’s mentor programme involving regular catch-ups to support and guide new graduates to navigate their careers.