Read the story of

Ruth - Offshore Wind Engineer

Read the story of

Ruth - Offshore Wind Engineer

You might picture a structural engineer working on bridges or skyscrapers. For Ruth, an internship opened her eyes to offshore wind. Starting in the Tendering & Engineering department, she worked on the design and checks of offshore wind foundations and secondary components. “I really enjoyed being able to impact designs of offshore wind structures,” she says. Recently, Ruth made the switch to a project engineer role, getting closer to operations and the full scope of offshore wind projects.

At Van Oord, I began as a structural engineer in the Tendering & Engineering department team. My work focused on the design and checks of offshore wind foundations (monopiles) and secondary components (such as internal platforms, external platforms and boat landings). One of my responsibilities was checking whether monopiles could handle the stresses of transport. These massive steel tubes are designed to stand vertically in the seabed, but during transport they lie horizontally on a vessel. Knowing that my work can directly support the safe installation of offshore wind farms made the job very rewarding.

Engineering as a puzzle

For me, engineering is like solving a puzzle. You combine lessons learned from past projects with fresh ideas to create something that works in practice. At Van Oord, that puzzle is never abstract, it’s directly linked to installation at sea. The unique part is that the colleagues who install your design offshore sometimes sit just a few desks away. You can have direct conversations, get their feedback, and optimise your work to make it easier and safer to build and install. That short line between design and execution is what makes working here so rewarding.

Engineering as a puzzle

Growing at Van Oord

After nearly two years, I wanted to broaden my perspective and move closer to operations. I shared this ambition with my manager, and instead of resistance, I found encouragement. I switched to a project team as a project engineer, preparing for offshore installation. It’s a new challenge: more coordination, a wider scope, and seeing how everything fits together. I know this experience will make me a stronger engineer, whether I return to design later or continue in project roles. What I also value is the culture at Van Oord. Yes, there’s a structure, but it doesn’t feel hierarchical. People are approachable, willing to share their knowledge, and supportive if you want to explore different career paths. It’s the kind of environment where you grow not just technically, but also personally.

Looking ahead

What makes me proud is the teamwork. Even though you work on your own scope, a calculation, a design check or a report. In the end, it all comes together as one project delivered by one team. That sense of cooperation is something special. If you’re curious about offshore wind and want to see your designs come to life at sea, this is the place to be. You won’t just work behind a screen, you’ll work in an environment where every calculation connects to real-world impact, and where your growth is part of the journey.