Mott MacDonald’s nuclear experts among Top 50 Women in Engineering

Mott MacDonald’s Julia Barr and Natasha Khan have been recognised in the Top 50 Women in Engineering 2025. 

The prestigious annual list, organised by the Women’s Engineering Society, celebrates women who are working to improve lives through engineering. Julia and Natasha impressed the judges with their innovative approaches, technical expertise and unwavering commitment to supporting women in STEM.

Julia and Natasha are among a growing number of women working in the traditionally male-dominated nuclear sector. Their inclusion reflects their exemplary work across complex multidisciplinary projects and for inspiring the next generation of women in engineering. 

Natasha was recognised for her role as a nuclear safety engineer, playing a significant role in the delivery of a nuclear safety risk management strategy on a major project. She was praised for demonstrating strong leadership, initiative and a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, including managing and upskilling less-experienced members of the team. 

Passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and increasing representation across the sector, she is also co-programme manager of Mott MacDonald’s Women in Nuclear Network and co vice-chair of the Europe & UK Advancing Race and Culture Network, making significant contributions to Mott MacDonald’s culture of inclusivity, and the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce. 

Natasha said: “I’m honoured to be in the top 50 alongside so many brilliant women. As a Muslim female South Asian engineer, I’m well aware of the importance of visibility in increasing diversity in our industry. I hope my inclusion in the list shows others what can be achieved.” 

Julia earned her place in the top 50 for her diligent work on compliance and commercial management processes for a significant nuclear project. Her commitment to elevating women’s voices in nuclear and defence, promoting flexible working and encouraging women to consider engineering as a career was also acknowledged by the judges.  

As the families lead on Mott MacDonald’s Armed Forces Steering Group, Julia mentors ex-military personnel and their families, encouraging them to consider careers in engineering, as well as supporting them back into the workplace. As a military spouse herself, Julia understands the untapped talent and skill in this community, as well as the challenges they face, and is committed to supporting them through her outreach activities.  

Julia said: “I was really quite surprised to be included and it's a huge honour to be recognised in this way. As a non-engineer - my degree was in law - it's fantastic that the judges have recognised the criticality of business support roles in engineering excellence and project delivery. I will use this recognition to drive home the message to the military community and to employers that, with a bit of flexibility and understanding, great things can be achieved around challenging family commitments.” 

Clare Rhodes-James, Mott MacDonald’s development director, energy, added: “We are committed to championing inclusion, diversity and equality within engineering at Mott MacDonald and it’s great to see recognition of our female colleagues’ achievements in the top 50. Julia and Natasha are representative of our female engineering talent who exemplify the spirit of collaboration on projects.”  

The Women’s Engineering Society is a UK-based charity and professional network that promotes gender diversity in engineering. It supports women engineers through mentoring, networking and professional development opportunities. It also advocates for policies that encourage more women to enter and thrive in engineering careers, aiming to create a more inclusive and equitable industry. 

Explore the Women’s Engineering Society’s Top 50 Women in Engineering 2025 list to learn more about this year’s honorees and view the full list of awardees.