Paving his way at the Port – meet our Graduate Civil Engineer, Hayden Gorrie
Meet Hayden Gorrie, a driven individual who embarked on his career journey at the Port of Brisbane back in 2022 as an Engineering Intern while pursuing his Civil Engineering Degree at Griffith University.
Over two dynamic years, Hayden has established himself as a valuable member of our Infrastructure team, learning essential skills and demonstrating a keen understanding of project complexities.
Hayden has hit the ground running, diving into more critical work and engaging with various members of the business as he looks to continue his learning as a Graduate Civil Engineer.
Launching into action
For Hayden, the work also needed to have a meaningful impact – he is passionate about sustainability and wanted to contribute to something bigger.
“The exciting thing about working at the Port of Brisbane is seeing the efforts we’re going to, to make the company more sustainable. Being able to use my engineering skillset to contribute to a more sustainable and efficient port is very rewarding.
“As an intern and now as a Graduate, I’ve loved the exposure I’ve received across different areas of the business and more importantly, the different areas I work in directly.
“There are so many different facets of engineering and asset management to work on – whether it be water infrastructure, roads, land reclamation. It’s brought a lot of diversity to the role and has allowed me to work across a vast array of jobs I probably wouldn’t get in a typical graduate role.”
“Being client side, I learnt very early on that you get a very good perspective of all the aspects of engineering – you see work happen on site and how it benefits the capabilities of the Port in the long term. It’s a cool feeling to know the work I’m doing will have lasting impacts.”
“I’m currently working on a project to upgrade wharf bollards on Fisherman Islands, which has been beneficial for my growth. The internal and external stakeholder engagement has exposed me to different aspects of the business and people, and given me a greater understanding of the different roles and day-to-day tasks required. It's also involved engaging consultants to use innovative technology to determine the capacity requirements to support long-term efficiency.
Opportunities to grow and learn from an experienced team
For Hayden, it’s the people around him, the positive environment, diversity of work and flexibility he’s received that made staying with the Port an easy decision.
“The Infrastructure team has always been willing to share their expertise, exposing me to new challenges. Ultimately as an intern, that reinforced my career aspirations in civil engineering, so I’m really excited to continue my career journey as a full-time member of the team,” said Hayden.
“And my manager has been an amazing influence and mentor to learn from as well, he’s really taken me under his wing and is always looking for opportunities to make sure I’m getting the right exposure and experience to learn and progress.”
For PBPL Managers, it’s always rewarding to see one of the team achieve their personal and professional ambitions, and that’s exactly how Manager Asset Services, Michael Martin, felt when Hayden accepted the role with PBPL after graduating.
“Hayden challenged himself by doing his Honours Thesis while working part time here at the Port,” said Michael
“Hayden’s thesis was completed in partnership with PBPL and focused on port assets – working to identify potential economic, environmental, safety, and social benefits from replacing non-structural marine timber with alternative plastic materials. While Hayden’s research ultimately arrived at mixed conclusions, it aligned with our view to ensuring sustainability underpins our approach to managing infrastructure assets and adds a new dimension to our thinking.
“For PBPL, we saw the benefit in supporting his academic growth. Not only could we see that he was driven to achieve his personal goals, pursuing further study would deepen his knowledge and expertise that he’d also bring into our business. It’s a win-win,” said Michael.
“We now have a full-time employee who we know is a great fit for our culture, who understands our systems, and who is immediately productive.
“Moving forward for Hayden, we can start to show him even more aspects of the business, such as land and property development, and give him an even greater flavour for the opportunities here at the Port, so he can think about where he wants to take his career.
“I’m personally looking forward to continue working with Hayden as he grows and develops in this next phase of his career, helping us make a real difference to our business and the port community,” said Michael.
A company that aligns with personal values
“For me, the flexibility is amazing at the Port and it’s obvious it’s really valued. Personally, I love to get into the office early so I can get home to my animals in the afternoon and as long as I get my work done and communicate with the team, it’s a win-win for everyone,” Hayden emphasised.
“Often as a graduate you’re told you need to work the extra hours to prove yourself and while we’re not strangers to hard work at the Port, it’s clear the company values its people. I want to have the energy to enjoy my life as well outside of work and I have certainly found a great balance here.”
As Hayden continues to make a difference as a valued member of our Infrastructure team, we’re excited to follow his journey!
Read more of our people’s stories here.