How a sports fan scored his dream job in engineering, working at major sports events

August 2025

Sports fan Josh Carroll found his dream job in engineering working at Stantec, transport planning for the Australian Open, Formula 1, and MotoGP.

Transport planning might not be the first career that comes to mind when you think about working at the Formula 1, Australian Open, or the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. But for transport engineer Josh Carroll, being involved in these events is all part of working at Stantec.

A fan of all things sport, Josh loves living in Melbourne, often hailed as the sports capital of the world for its fan culture and packed events calendar. He’s still waiting to see his beloved St Kilda win the Australian Football League premiership, but since joining Stantec as a graduate in 2021, he’s already achieved a sporting dream: ticking some of the world’s biggest sporting events off his bucket list.

It’s the kind of opportunity he didn’t expect when he embarked on a job in engineering, but it’s become the absolute highlight.

“I've attended the Formula 1, MotoGP, the Australian Open, the Melbourne Cup Racing Carnival,” says Josh. “Being on staff for those events as a sports fan is fantastic.”

How a job in engineering transported Josh from the country to centre court

Josh grew up in Horsham, a regional town in Victoria about 300 kilometres west of Melbourne. Long drives to and from the city as a kid sparked an early interest in transport infrastructure.

“It was a four-hour drive to Melbourne,” he says. “Along the way there’d be a lot of roadwork upgrades, and I always found it cool to look at and see what changes had taken place.”

Originally drawn to a career in engineering thanks to his fascination with sports stadium design, Josh’s future career changed course after a university workshop on transport planning. “It was all about the way people moved and interacted with streets and buildings, and from there it became a passion.”

It’s a passion that turned into a profession, and one that has led Josh to a career in engineering working behind the scenes at some of Australia’s biggest sporting events.

Big crowds and even bigger stakes

Managing how people get to and from major sports events—which can draw as many as half a million fans annually—is a complex task. Planning starts at least six months before a single ball is hit or a race is run.

“Our job is to facilitate the transport management plans,” Josh explains. “We look at how the precincts change to facilitate the event. We liaise with local councils, the road authorities, tram providers, and even consider micro-mobility options like e-scooters.”

The biggest challenge? Not arrivals, but departures, says Josh.

“Our busiest period is race day,” he says. Picture school pick-up, and then multiply it a thousand-fold. The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix held on Phillip Island is one of the trickiest events to manage, says Josh. “We have about 40,000 people leaving an island at the same time—all via the same road.”

Safety is everything, says Josh. “A good operation is where there are no accidents, and everyone gets home safely. We don’t want too many delays, and we do our best to facilitate people’s exits as quickly as we possibly can.”

Josh’s favourite part of his job in engineering? Being on the ground during the events.

“If any issues pop up—whether it be people getting there by tram, train, bike, or walking—we’ll workshop that on the day and help make sure that people are able to arrive and leave the event safely.”

Team-mates on and off the field

Beyond major event planning, working at Stantec has also given Josh the chance to stay active and connect with his colleagues through sport.

He plays for the Melbourne office’s futsal soccer team, joining 50 employees from across business units. The team plays weekly against other companies in a city-wide corporate league.

“We’ve actually done pretty well the last couple of seasons—we’ve won two in a row,” says Josh. “There is some intercompany rivalry which does get a little competitive—but it’s all a bit of fun.”

Futsal offers more than fitness (and bragging rights); it’s also an opportunity to build valuable connections with his colleagues he might not otherwise meet in the office. “It’s a great way to have a bit of fun with some other people at work and get to know people outside a work environment.”

Proof a job in engineering could take you anywhere

Sometimes, the best way to get in the game is by managing how everyone else gets there.

Whether it’s working at the Australian Open or Formula 1, Josh’s career at Stantec shows there’s more to a job in engineering than sitting at a desk working up technical drawings.

For Josh, being on-site on event day is all part of a day’s work—and what made a career in engineering the right call.

Learn more about Stantec’s transport planning work here.