Women make up just 16.5% of the UK engineering workforce. The conversation about increasing representation for women in the industry tends to focus on the pipeline, getting more girls interested in STEM at school, running insight days, diversifying graduate schemes — and all of this matters. But the harder question is this: what happens once women are in the door? Do they feel supported to stay, to progress, and to lead?

Below, we hear how 11 Flexa-verified employers are creating opportunities for women in engineering to thrive.

Mott MacDonald

Mott MacDonald, a global engineering consultancy, is committed to supporting women at every stage of their careers. Their dedicated Women in Leadership programme provides mentorship, sponsorship and tailored development opportunities for those progressing into senior roles — helping to build a strong pipeline of female leaders across the business.

They also run a returners programme in partnership with STEM Returners, supporting individuals coming back after a career break and ensuring valuable experience is not lost to the industry. Together, these initiatives reflect a wider commitment to creating an inclusive and flexible workplace where women can thrive.

In 2025, two of their employees – nuclear safety engineer Natasha Khan, and principal commercial manager Julia Barr – were named in the Women’s Engineering Society’s prestigious Top 50 Women in Engineering list, highlighting both technical and non-technical excellence within the organisation.

“I’m honoured to be in the top 50 alongside so many brilliant women. As a Muslim female South Asian engineer, I’m well aware of the importance of visibility in increasing diversity in our industry. I hope my inclusion in the list shows others what can be achieved.” — Natasha, Nuclear Safety Engineer

“As a non-engineer – my degree was in law – it's fantastic that the judges have recognised the critical role of business support functions in engineering excellence and project delivery. I will use this recognition to reinforce the message to the military community and employers that, with flexibility and understanding, great things can be achieved alongside challenging family commitments.” — Julia, Principal Commercial Manager

Mariam Thomas, a project manager in the energy sector who returned to the workforce after a five-year career break to raise her children, shares her perspective:

“Nuclear has historically been a male-dominated industry and, while change is happening, progress can still feel slow. For that change to be meaningful, we need more women in leadership, delivery and technical roles. Women bring different perspectives to safety, risk, innovation and collaboration – all of which are essential in this sector.

Supporting women isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s critical to the future of the industry. That’s why I’ve made it a priority to share my journey openly – particularly my return to work after a career break – to show others what’s possible.

As Deputy Lead for Women in Project Management at the Association for Project Management, I’m proud to help create inclusive spaces where women can thrive. I mentor others, speak candidly about balancing motherhood and career, and advocate for flexible working and inclusive policies. For me, this work is about more than representation – it’s about driving lasting change in a sector that needs diverse voices to grow and evolve.” — Mariam, Project Manager, Energy

By combining structured programmes, visible role models and real career flexibility, Mott MacDonald is helping to shape a more inclusive future for engineering.

Airbus

Airbus openly acknowledges what most aerospace employers don't: their industry is historically male-dominated, and changing that requires intentional, sustained effort. Gender balance sits at the heart of their strategy, from how they recruit to how they develop leaders.

Their Women's Interactive Network (WIN) connects women across the business globally, and the MyWay programme is designed specifically for women mid-career, with over 400 women currently mentored through it. They've also signed the UK Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter and committed to pay equity transparency. By the end of 2025, women made up 21% of the overall workforce, 32% of new recruits were office-based hires, and 14% manufacturing profiles.

This all ties into Airbus’ Women in Motion campaign, which was launched last year and spotlights how the company is working to inspire women at every stage of their career in aerospace. One of those stories belongs to Sophie Berets. Now Head of Ground Test Operations within the Final Assembly Line in Hamburg, Sophie co-leads a team of 260 people responsible for testing aircraft during assembly. She joined the Airbus graduate programme in 2010, moved through improvement projects on the shop floor, and took on an international strategic role as Executive Assistant to the Head of A320 Final Assembly Lines. She then progressed into leadership — taking over the management of a cabin installation team as a young French woman in a 100% German production environment. 

Virgin Media O2

Virgin Media O2 recognises that creating an inclusive workplace takes more than attracting diverse talent. It requires meaningful action to support people through their careers. 

This is underpinned by its diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, ‘All In’, which aims to increase the representation of women across the business, and to foster a culture where all employees can thrive.

Virgin Media O2 has six Employee Resource Groups, including a dedicated Women’s Network, coupled with initiatives to build greater allyship and understanding. Together, this is helping to create psychological safety and an environment where everyone can belong.

The company also partners with STEM Returners and Career Returners to remove barriers and create new opportunities across its workplaces, contributing to its recognition as one of The Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality for the second consecutive year.

Two employees at Virgin Media O2 share their experiences as women in engineering within the business:

"In a traditionally male-dominated industry, progression isn’t just about opening doors; it’s about ensuring women are supported, visible, and empowered once they step through them. Throughout my career in telecoms and infrastructure, I’ve seen first-hand how diverse leadership drives stronger decision making, safer operations, and more sustainable performance. Creating inclusive environments isn’t optional, it’s fundamental to building high-performing, future ready organisations.” — Emma, Regional Operations Manager, Virgin Media O2 Field Engineering team

“I have autism and ADHD. Having reasonable adjustments for a flexible shift  pattern really helps me manage my energy and stay consistent. Working shorter days across five days gives me more structure and balance and means I don’t get burnt out or overwhelmed.” — Alice, Field Engineer

SAP

The SAP Business Women's Network (BWN) is more than an Employee Network Group. It's a global, technology-powered community of more than 20,000 voluntary members across 105 chapters that helps members connect, grow, and lead. For 19 years, BWN has created opportunities through mentorship, leadership development, executive engagement, allyship, and industry partnerships, while leveraging SAP's own technology and data-driven insights to scale its impact and proactively support members around the world. From empowering future leaders and advancing women in technology and engineering to showcasing inclusion at events like SAP Sapphire, BWN demonstrates how technology, community, and purpose can come together to create meaningful opportunities and drive lasting change.

“I didn’t follow a traditional route into tech. I started in the tourism industry, where early exposure to IT systems sparked a curiosity about how technology supports complex processes behind the scenes. I joined SAP as a data and analytics consultant focused on SAP Analytics Cloud, working with customers across Germany and seeing firsthand how real business needs shape technology adoption. I then became a Platform Product Manager in 2025.

I’ve learned that impact isn’t defined only by the products we deliver but also by the communities we help build. After a year, I was asked to lead SAP Business Women’s Network in Berlin which became one of the most meaningful aspects of my life at SAP. Since then, many women have told me they stay at SAP because of this network! Looking ahead, I’m working towards a leadership role in Product and Engineering and want to continue helping bring more women to these fields.” — Carolin

“I came into tech from an unconventional background and didn’t initially see myself as “technical.” That shifted over time, not just through experience, but through people who gave me the space to step into unfamiliar territory and encouraged me to push beyond my comfort zone.

Today, I’m a Senior Product Manager, blending strategic product thinking with hands-on innovation, I lead an AI and automation platform that helps drive adoption for thousands of customers.

What I value most about SAP is the opportunity it gives me to grow beyond any job description. There’s a culture of curiosity here, and communities like BWN that have shaped a core belief for me: confidence isn’t inherent, it’s built. It grows over time in the presence of people who both challenge you and are there every step of the way.” — Daniela

MBDA

MBDA has done something that quietly challenges how engineering recruitment works. Since 2023, they've partnered with Code First Girls to create a funded pathway into software engineering specifically for women who are career switchers or new to tech.

Rather than waiting for women to come through traditional routes, they revamped their interview process to focus on transferable skills and potential. Nearly 20 women have now joined across their Stevenage, Bristol and Bolton sites through the programme. Their GEN-EQ (Gender Equality) network champions progression and representation internally, and they also have a Women in Engineering Community entry point, for women with technical industry experience who cannot find the right opportunity from their current vacancies.

Chloe came to MBDA through the Code First Girls programme after a career switch from teaching, where work-life balance was non-existent. “I couldn’t really see myself being in teaching for much longer. I opened up about leaving to a colleague of mine who was also leaving the education sector. He mentioned to me about this scheme Code First Girls, and MBDA was the employer that was interesting to me. The fact that MBDA gives me that flexibility completely changed my life. I think that if you go into software engineering, you’re setting yourself up for a career where you are always going to learn, because technology is an industry that’s always going to be changing.”

Boomi

Boomi’s Director of Software Engineering, API Management, shares how the company has supported her growth:

"Boomi has given me the opportunity to bring the full breadth of my career — as an engineer and as a leader — and actually put it to use. I'm not just managing work; I'm shaping how teams grow, how we solve hard problems, and how we deliver impact. I get to lead high-performing teams of talented engineers who genuinely care about what they build, within a leadership culture that actively invests in my growth." — Raji, Director of Software Engineering, API Management

Merlin

From designing and maintaining world-class rollercoasters to ensuring their attractions run safely and efficiently every day, engineering plays a vital role in creating unforgettable experiences for millions of guests across the Merlin portfolio. Through the stories of the talented women across their attractions who are breaking barriers, driving innovation and helping to shape the future of engineering, they celebrate not only their achievements, but also the diverse perspectives, skills and experiences that make their teams stronger. 

Ahead of International Women in Engineering Day 2026, they created their first female engineering focus group. Here, their teams meet for open and honest discussions around how Merlin are paving the way for female engineers, but also how they can promote and drive change to continue the conversation beyond International Women in Engineering Day. 

In LEGOLAND© California, Merlin is proud to have an all-female Project Team, leading the way in innovation. Below, some of the team share what a career in engineering means to them.

“I have had the privilege of working in engineering for almost 10 years. I’ve enjoyed learning from the technicians in the field who have given me an opportunity to understand the unique and critical roles that they have. I am not an engineer by trade or education, so their willingness to teach me has allowed me to learn more about their roles, to make better decisions to support them, and learn more about this industry. I'm incredibly proud to work with these technicians, leaders, and mentors who have given their time to help me grow in a career that I truly enjoy but, at one time, I did not know existed.” — Jamie, Head of Ride Safety and Compliance at LEGOLAND© California

“Representation is extremely important in engineering. Representation means that we have more people and more ideas when it comes to design, troubleshooting, every aspect in engineering, and that's why it's extremely important to celebrate all types of people. As a young woman who just recently graduated from engineering school, I feel like I was able to bring new concepts and ideas to ride maintenance. I am extremely proud to say I am part of Technical Services as a young Hispanic woman and I can't wait to see what LEGOLAND© California has to offer next.” — Thaily, Technical Writer at LEGOLAND© California

Anglian Water Services

Anglian Water knows that diverse teams lead to better ideas and stronger solutions – and that includes increasing representation and opportunity for women in engineering. Through their employee‑led community WICA (Women Inspiring, Connecting and Advocating) and partnerships such as the Women’s Utilities Network, they create space for women to connect, share experiences and build their careers with confidence.

Women across the business are already shaping the future of water, bringing different perspectives that help the company challenge assumptions and meet the needs of their customers and communities. While progress is being made, they recognise there is more to do. That is why they continue to invest in early careers, inclusive leadership and supportive ways of working, so that more women not only choose engineering, but stay, grow and lead within it.

Drainage Engineer, Eve, shares her thoughts on the importance of gender diversity within engineering:

“For me, Women in Engineering Day is about recognising women who challenge expectations and lead by example. It is a chance to show young women and girls that there are many different routes into engineering and that they can achieve what they set out to do. My experience shows that you do not always need a formal engineering qualification. Learning on the job and building transferable skills can open the door to technical careers. 

Diverse teams bring different perspectives, which helps us challenge assumptions and find better solutions. This makes teams more adaptable and better able to meet the needs of our customers and the organisation. It is positive to see more women entering engineering roles. However, there are still barriers, particularly around balancing career progression with family life. There is more to do to create an environment where everyone feels supported to progress.” — Eve, Developer Services Drainage Compliance Engineer

HEINEKEN UK

HEINEKEN UK is the nation's leading beer, cider and pub company. In a traditionally male-dominated industry, building a more gender-balanced business is a significant long-term commitment they've made. They're honest about that, and they realise that good intentions don't move the dial on their own. What does move it, they’ve found, is making inclusion visible at every level.  

In Supply Chain, the LEAD Rise Talent Programme takes a deliberately architectural approach, treating gender balance not as an aspiration but as a priority to be actively addressed, focused on removing barriers to women’s progression.

Meanwhile, Brewery Directors Simon Wright and Sandhya Mathur have both taken the stage at Women in Manufacturing events, a signal that allyship here is owned and demonstrated by the people at the top.

Driven by a range of initiatives across the business, strong results are emerging internally. HEINEKEN UK's inclusion climate score in its Supply Chain function rose six percentage points year-on-year in 2025, with increases recorded across every location. 

Liliana joined HEINEKEN UK as Engineering Manager after building a career across industries from jet engine manufacturing to spirits and beer. She relocated from Mexico, bringing with her a perspective on what genuinely inclusive cultures feel like from the inside: 

"My experience has been that HEINEKEN UK offers an inclusive and supportive culture, full of possibilities where you can truly be yourself. I've found people to be open to different perspectives and backgrounds, which creates an environment where talent and ideas can thrive." 

That culture, she argues, shows up in the details. One example stuck with her before she'd even joined:  

"It's the small things that make a big difference. Something as simple as adding a note to the job description saying, 'you don't need to meet every single requirement listed to apply’, can make a massive difference in encouraging women to put themselves forward. It encouraged me." 

Her message to women considering engineering is direct: "Engineering and leadership are not only compatible – together they can be an incredibly rewarding combination. Be confident in your perspective, keep learning, and never underestimate the impact you can have on those around you."

United Utilities

United Utilities (UU) is the UK’s largest listed water company, proudly serving the diverse communities of the North West with essential water and wastewater services. While the utilities sector and engineering in particular have traditionally been seen as male-dominated, they’re committed to challenging that perception and redefining what engineering looks like by building an inclusive, supportive environment where female talent can succeed and lead.

By championing diverse perspectives and breaking down barriers, they’re building a workforce that better reflects the communities they serve and inspiring the next generation of women in engineering.

Across the business, women hold a wide range of influential roles, and they’re proud to see women shaping their organisation at the highest levels, from CEO and Capital Delivery, Engineering and Commercial Director, to Head of Strategic Engineering and Chief Engineer.

Below, two employees share their experiences of working at UU. 

"As Head of Commissioning, my role is to transition capital projects into safe and reliable operational assets that protect our environment and deliver essential services to the customers and communities we serve. I provide leadership to a team of highly skilled Commissioning Engineers and Technical Specialists across water and wastewater programmes, solving problems at pace, working closely with operational teams and supply chain partners to ensure safe and efficient delivery.

It’s a demanding environment, but also one where I’ve been trusted to develop and implement a strategy for a new in-house commissioning function; build teams, challenge traditional ways of working, and help shape the future of commissioning within our business and the wider water industry.

There is real support here, not just through development opportunities, mentoring and coaching but also through a culture where capability, resilience, and ideas are merit-based and recognised regardless of gender. What stands out at UU is that women are encouraged and supported to step forward, have a voice, and lead with confidence.” — Vicki, Head of Commissioning

“I lead teams focused on innovation, standardisation and decarbonisation across large-scale infrastructure delivery. I started my career at UU as a process technician and have worked my way through the organisation, supported by strong opportunities for development, mentoring and formal training along the way. 

My role today is about turning ambitious ideas into practical, scalable solutions that reduce cost, cut carbon and improve how we deliver for customers. As a woman in engineering, I’ve found United Utilities to be a place where you’re given the opportunity to grow, progress and genuinely influence outcomes. The water sector is an exciting place to build a career – bringing diverse perspectives to solve complex environmental challenges that matter for our region.” — Lisa, Head of Innovation and Outperformance, Strategic Engineering Function

Admiral

At Admiral, supporting women in engineering isn’t just about attracting talent - it’s about creating an environment where women can build long-term careers and lead.

Jess Lewis, Principal Engineer, is a standout example of this in practice. Starting her career as a software engineer at Admiral over 20 years ago, Jess has progressed into a senior leadership role, shaping technical direction and contributing to complex programmes, while also supporting others as part of Admiral’s Women in Tech working group. Her impact was recognised externally when she was named Engineer of the Year at the 2025 Women in Tech Excellence Awards.

Jess’ progression has been supported by meaningful development opportunities. As she explains; “One of the most valuable development opportunities for me has been completing a postgraduate certification in Sustainable Leadership through Admiral… it’s helped me refine how I communicate, influence, and connect technical decisions to business outcomes.” She also highlights the importance of exposure to senior leadership, adding that presenting to stakeholders, including the CEO, has been “incredibly valuable in shaping how I lead and make decisions.” 

Reflecting on her experience as a woman in engineering, Jess says; “I’ve always felt welcome and included, and had the space to contribute and be heard - even in environments where I might be the only woman in the room… It’s not just about representation, it’s about making sure people have the support, visibility and opportunities to progress, and feel confident doing that.”

Jess’ journey highlights how, with the right support, women in engineering can not only succeed, but lead.

Be part of the change in engineering

Across these 11 companies, spanning multiple industries, the common thread isn't a single initiative or a headline number. It's the recognition that getting women into engineering is only part of the work. The rest is whether the environment lets them build careers they actually want to stay in.

If you're an employer looking to attract more women into the engineering function in your business, retain the talent you already have, and be found by the people actively looking for workplaces like yours, we can help. We work with employers to understand how to attract aligned talent and connect you with the people who are looking for exactly what you offer.

Join these leading employers already on Flexa, and show the women searching for a career in engineering that your workplace is one worth choosing.