At Vitruvius, we believe great careers don’t just start, they’re nurtured. Jackson Turner’s story is a great example of what can happen when you back people early, give them real opportunities, and support them to grow.
Jackson grew up in Christchurch and studied a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with Honours at the University of Canterbury. Growing up, he had a range of career aspirations, from wanting to be a “garbiologist” (rubbish truck driver) to becoming a builder, before encouragement from his family and teachers, along with a scholarship, led him into engineering, an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.
While his first year at university wasn’t quite what he expected, and he even considered dropping out, encouragement from his aunty convinced him to stick with it, a decision that paid off.
During his third year, Jackson began applying for internships to complete his required 400 hours of consultancy experience. He had multiple offers on the table and initially saw his interview with Vitruvius as “just practice.”
That quickly changed after meeting with the team. In his own words, “the way they spoke about culture, experience, and growth stood out straight away. It wasn’t just about the work, but about who you’d be working with and how much you could learn.”
There was a real energy in the interview, and that impression ultimately tipped the balance. Vitruvius had already caught Jackson’s attention for its work in Kaikōura, particularly in rail. With family ties to the region and a grandad who spent most of his life working for KiwiRail, it felt like more than just a job opportunity, it was something he could take real pride in.
From day one, Jackson was hands-on, involved in a range of work across stormwater, transport, construction monitoring, and surveying. One standout experience was working on a flood assessment at Waihi Beach, investigating why flooding was occurring and identifying practical solutions. That experience didn’t just build technical skills, it shaped his direction, leading him to explore water-focused engineering further in his final year of study.
Along the way, Jackson had consistent guidance and support from the team, working closely with Managers and Directors from day one. Ryan Henderson, another intern turned graduate, played a key role in helping him build skills, grow confidence, and take ownership early. It’s this balance of support and responsibility we aim to create for every new intern.
From early on, Jackson wasn’t treated like “the intern”, he was part of the team. That sense of belonging reflects one of our core values, Committed to connection, where strong relationships and genuine support are part of everyday life at Vitruvius.
What completed the picture was more than just technical experience, it was the people and the culture. For Jackson, the company-wide Christmas function in Taupō, where the team spent time away together white water rafting and unwinding, was a real highlight. It reinforced what he was already experiencing day to day, this wasn’t just another engineering company.
Returning as a graduate in 2025 was an easy decision. Jackson describes it simply, “I loved the experience,” “I loved the people,” “I loved the beach here.” But the biggest factor was the culture and the opportunity to grow quickly. That combination is something we work hard to maintain, meaningful work in an environment where people genuinely enjoy what they do, or, as we put it, Enjoy the adventure.
Transitioning into a full-time role brought greater responsibility and the opportunity to take ownership of increasingly complex and diverse projects. One of Jackson’s most significant projects was the Taupō Wastewater Land Treatment Assessment, where he stepped outside his usual transport and stormwater work to undertake self-directed learning on newly introduced wastewater land treatment standards. He applied this knowledge to develop updated assessment methodologies for the project and later presented his findings at the New Zealand Land Treatment Collective Conference, where his work was well received by industry professionals.
Since then, Jackson has continued to build experience across transport, three waters, and rail infrastructure projects. He has led the design and modelling of projects within Tauranga City Council’s Arterial Routes Improvements programme, developing solutions to improve safety, active transport connections, and network performance on some of Tauranga’s key transport corridors. He has also acted as the designer and modeller for Gisborne District Council’s Gladstone Road Stormwater Diversion project, helping deliver a solution aimed at reducing flood risk for businesses and the surrounding community.
Beyond traditional design work, Jackson has developed specialist experience in infrastructure safety assessments, contributing to rail and transport safety projects including Level Crossing Safety Impact Assessments and Safe System Assessments. These opportunities have provided exposure to a wide range of technical disciplines, stakeholders, and project delivery challenges, accelerating his development as an engineer and strengthening his ability to contribute meaningful outcomes for clients and communities across New Zealand.
Looking ahead, Jackson is focused on continuing to build his experience and capability across civil engineering. He’s keen to keep developing technically, grow his on-site experience, and build a reputation as someone people want on their projects. It’s exactly the kind of mindset we support, curious, proactive, and always looking to improve.
Thinking about applying?
Jackson’s advice to students is simple, put your hand up for everything, ask questions, learn from mistakes, and stay proactive, don’t wait for work to come to you. Get involved across all stages of a project and make the most of every opportunity to learn.
Your journey could start here. Jackson’s story isn’t a one off, it’s what we aim to create for every intern who joins us. At Vitruvius, internships are about real responsibility, real projects, and real growth. And for those who step up, it can lead to something bigger, because where you start is just the beginning; it’s where you go that matters.
