James Sutherland

I specialise in nearshore hydrodynamics and sediment transport, and how they relate to problems of coastal management, including sediment transport, scour around structures, coastal erosion, beach management and wave forces on maritime structures. 

I had the opportunity to work here for 5 weeks during a post-doctoral research job at Aberdeen University and wanted to work with the people here as the projects all seemed so interesting. I started here in 1998, and I was immediately impressed by the size of the organisation and range of the work we do here. Since then I’ve received regular training including two years working on a part time Diploma in Management Studies at Oxford Brookes, supported by the company.

I am a business development sector lead for Coastal Management and Development with my colleague Maria di Leo,  and a Technical Director in the Coasts and Oceans group. A typical day would involve discussing proposals and ongoing jobs with my colleagues, liaison with clients all over the world and project work.

Trying to provide useful solutions to the problems people have, which are often quite difficult and uncertain.

I am working with colleagues who have really been pushing the boundaries of what we can do with coastal area numerical models in projects at Bacton, Poole & Christchurch Bays, and Texas.  In previous years, some of the physical modelling we have done on pipelines and with wind turbine foundations have delivered a huge amount to our clients. Moreover, a research project we did on the impact of climate change on coastal defences led to us being awarded the Halcrow Prize by the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2004. 

A project reviewing evidence of historical coastal change around England and Wales, and a large study of extreme water levels in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf.

The advances in computing power and instrumentation mean that we will be able to collect more and more data and run larger and larger numerical models.  We will be able to study problems in more detail or run a range of simulations rather than a single one to get an estimate of the range of possible outcomes.

Lots of clever people, collaborative, and supportive. You’re always learning something new, because no two jobs are the same.

Yes - pay attention in maths and physics!  There are a lot of really important developments happening so keep working at it.  There is always something to be amazed at.

I am a scout leader and play the bagpipes for Oxford Caledonian Pipes and Drums.