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Jade Warbrooke¡¯s career in engineering has been a story of fast progression. In just five years, she has gone from a senior transport engineer to second-in-charge of our national transport operations.

With a background in both civil engineering and business, Jade blends technical experience with a commercial focus in her role as operations leader for transport in Australia. Now, she¡¯s leading performance across 5 offices and a team of more than 230 people¡ªand has built a reputation across the business for getting things moving.

We sat down with Jade to talk about her career in engineering and her approach to leadership.

Q: You're now leading national transport operations, but your career started in a very different place. Tell us how you came to a career in engineering?

When I was younger, I wasn¡¯t pursuing a career in engineering. I started out working in hospitality and scuba diving before going back to uni as a mature student. I¡¯d always been good at maths, so I studied a double degree in engineering and business, and that¡¯s what led me here.

I never planned to climb the career ladder, but I¡¯ve said yes to opportunities when they¡¯ve come up. Then I make it my mission to understand the job inside and out. Most of my education has been on the job.

I¡¯ve always had good support around me, and I¡¯ve taken part in leadership development programs funded by Ãë²¥ but provided externally, including Compass and Leadership Beyond the Theory.

Q: You put a lot of emphasis on people and purpose. How do you create the kind of environment where teams stay engaged?

For me, it¡¯s all about people. We work in consulting, selling our time and Ãë²¥, so it¡¯s crucial we value the people doing the work. If your team isn¡¯t engaged, productivity drops, morale slips, and we don¡¯t deliver our best.

Right now, I¡¯m spending a lot of time with the team around goal setting, understanding where they want to go, and setting goals that will help them get from A to B. Everyone comes to work for a reason¡ªmaybe they want to get chartered, or work on something interesting, or just build experience¡ªand it¡¯s important we know what that is.

If people feel like they¡¯re working toward something that matters to them and they can see how it connects to the business, they¡¯re more engaged and the work is better for it.

Q: What¡¯s your proudest achievement in your career in engineering?

That would have to be leading the integration of GTA Consultants and Cardno into Ãë²¥¡¯s transport business. They were two big acquisitions, and we had to bring everyone together under one system and way of working.

And yeah, it was a lot. A lot of projects, a lot of people, a lot of cultural differences, and change management. All the usual things that come with big changes like that.

I was responsible for aligning financial models, reporting, and governance across hundreds of live projects, involving more than 100 project managers. There were a lot of moving parts, but the biggest focus was on communication and being clear about what was changing and why, giving people space to ask questions and helping them adapt.

Q: Even though you¡¯re in an operational role, you¡¯re still close to the work. How does that influence you as a leader?

I still practice technically. I started out at Ãë²¥ as a senior transport engineer, and I¡¯ve just carried that through. I¡¯m currently the only person at Ãë²¥ who can certify traffic signal designs, as a registered engineer in Queensland, so I sign off on work that gets delivered here.

Having that technical background helps in my leadership role because people know I¡¯ve come from project work, not from outside the industry. I¡¯ve done some of the same kind of jobs they¡¯re doing, so I get where they¡¯re coming from. I think staying close to the work has been a big part of progressing my career in engineering.

Q: Across the business, you¡¯ve built a reputation as a problem solver. Tell us how you approach complex issues?

I get involved when things get stuck. What I do is listen and try to understand why people are frustrated. Everyone¡¯s got their own priorities, and I always assume they¡¯re coming from the right place.

I give people space to vent, then talk it through as a team. Usually, there¡¯s a reason something was done a certain way, and once you get past that, most people are open to finding a way forward. Once you understand what both sides are trying to achieve, you can come up with something that works for everyone but also prioritises what is most important.

Q: You¡¯ve mentored a lot of people during their engineering careers. What does good mentoring look like to you?

Most of the people I mentor are either going for their chartership or starting to think about leadership¡ªusually they¡¯re in that in-between space and trying to work out what¡¯s next for their career in engineering.

They often want to know how I went from technical delivery into a leadership role. I just try to be honest. Some engineers struggle with the communication and managing interested parties; it doesn¡¯t always come naturally, so I get asked about that a lot.

Usually, they¡¯ll give me a scenario where something¡¯s not working, and they want to know how to handle it. Engineers tend to think in black and white, but when it comes to leadership, you¡¯ve got to be able to read between the lines, which often includes working in the grey.

A leadership style built for what¡¯s next

Jade¡¯s story reflects the kind of leadership that shapes the future of engineering: grounded in technical Ãë²¥, driven by people, and open to new possibilities.

From staying close to the work to creating clarity and purpose for large, complex teams, her approach shows how strong outcomes are built through trust, communication, and a willingness to say yes to what¡¯s next.