Lizzie Davis-Fowell: Probabilistic Safety Assessments Safety Case Engineer

Lizzie has blue hair and smiles at the camera wearing a black and white striped shirt

Lizzie Davis-Fowell

BSc MPhys, 2017

Based in:

Gloucester

First job:

I sold pork pies at a market.

Advice for current students:

Don't be afraid to move sideways and look at the market. If your sector isn't growing, move sector.

Ambitions for the future:

Chartership, becoming a company-wide expert, and growing my own team.

Probabilistic Safety Assessments Safety Case Engineer, EDF Energy

Describe your current role and what attracted you to it.

I undertake statistical simulations around nuclear power plant reliability to advise plant operations and risk understanding. I also organise emergency engineering support in the event of Beyond Design Basis accidents and am a member of the emergency response team for EDF.

What’s your favourite part of the role?

I mix with a large variety of stakeholders, influence power plant operations and am a key asset in our emergency arrangements.

What are the key skills you learnt at Warwick that have helped you with your career to date?

Grit, determination, and the ability to operate on little sleep?

Did you have a specific career path in mind when you chose to study at Warwick?

Nope! I loved physics so came to study that and found nuclear engineering along the way.

What top tips do you have for Warwick graduates who would like to work in your sector?

Ask questions. Knowledge is an asset so gather it. Make connections, try things, be enthusiastic, and remember: not all answers are written are easily found, so sometimes you need to work things out yourself.

What does a typical day look like for you?

8am-5pm in the office, a good balance of meetings, document review, analysis, and training junior members of staff.

What has been your greatest career challenge to date and how did your experience and skills help overcome it?

Presenting my research on the international stage in front of an expert panel. My Physics degree had plenty of research modules where I was expected to present my work and present to an exam panel on it. That is basically the real world so, even though it feels awkward and scary, it really does prepare you for conferences, parliamentary briefings, and company-wide presentations (all of which I’ve done since graduating).

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were applying for jobs?

Try and get some work experience in sectors you want to apply for.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given in relation to your career?

You learn more from mistakes than success but remember the words of Chumbawumba - "I get knocked down, but I get up again, they're never gonna keep me down".