Darcy Modina, Assistant Development Manager, Urbex (QLD)

At BMD, our business is our people, and we genuinely believe it is our family orientated culture that sets us apart and makes our business a great place to work. 

The inclusion of women in the construction and engineering industry is a key priority for our business. We’re committed to driving positive change by creating an inclusive environment that embraces equity and diversity and provides our people with the best opportunities to thrive. 

This International Women in Engineering Day provides a timely opportunity to celebrate BMD’s women in engineering and learn more about their career journey as we head towards our collective goal to bring more women into construction.

As an engineer at BMD, my role is…

As an Assistant Development Manager, I assist with the project delivery of residential land development projects. This includes the strategic planning at the initial land acquisition, engagement with our consulting teams to develop our designs and gain our required development and operational works approvals, managing contractors, program and budget throughout the construction process and handover to our Urbex Realty team.   

What was your journey to becoming an engineer? 

I enjoyed maths in school, which is what initially sparked my interest in engineering. I also liked how there are so many opportunities and different career paths that an engineer can follow. 

I studied a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Griffith University. I also hold a Cert III in Business from Leadership Management Australia, a Graduate Certificate in Business from AIM Business School and hold my Engineers Australia Chartership qualification. 

It took me four years to finish my studies, but I was working at BMD Urban as an Undergraduate for the final two years of my course. I stayed with BMD for seven years before moving over to the Group’s property development arm, Urbex earlier this year. 

In your experience, how does BMD support women in technical roles like engineering? 

The great thing about BMD is it has a vertically integrated structure which includes BMD Constructions, BMD Urban, Empower, Urbex and JMac. There are so many different engineering opportunities available, including technical design related positions, onsite engineering roles or project management positions. I’m grateful for the opportunities BMD has given me to grow my engineering career internally within the business and transition from construction into property development.

Do you have any advice for other women who are considering becoming an engineer? 

I always recommend studying engineering because I think it opens the door to so many different career paths and opportunities. As an engineer I’ve been able to be a part of some really cool projects and it’s so rewarding to take a step back and see what we’ve been able to construct.