Meet one of Mott MacDonald Bentley's brilliant people: Steve Small, principal electrical engineer

Meet one of our brilliant people: Steve Small, a principal electrical engineer based in the Midlands.

Steve speaks about his work on our Severn Trent framework, and how he supports our other client frameworks and global delivery service (GDS) colleagues based in India.

Tell us about your role and where you are based.

I've worked at Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) for over 13 years now. Currently, I am based in the Midlands, working on MMB's Severn Trent framework, while supporting other frameworks and GDS colleagues as a principal electrical engineer. In my role, I provide guidance, support and share my expertise to teams of electrical engineers on a number of clean water and wastewater schemes.

How do you deliver excellence in your role?

The nature of my role means I cover multiple projects at once. However, I deliver excellence through my work as the practice lead for the Electrical Engineering and Controls (EICA) practice.

One standout example of how I deliver excellence in this role is the work I was involved in to reduce interference with borehole drives. The team trialled, analysed and documented a process to alleviate interference during borehole installation, resulting in a more efficient process and the creation of a series of standard guidelines.

Describe life at Mott MacDonald Bentley in three words.

Collaborative, inclusive and teamwork.

What opportunities have you had to grow your specialism or develop your career here?

The opportunities I've had through the EICA practice is one way I've been able to grow my specialism at MMB. The practice has given me a platform to both learn from experts across all MMB frameworks and develop my skills as a mentor.

What hidden talent do you have?

For those that know me this is no secret, but my 'hidden' talent is cricket.

I currently play for the England Seniors team, making my debut vs Scotland in June and have one eye on representing England in the Cricket World Cup, taking place in Canada in 2026.

Do you have a mantra you live by or that motivates you? If so, what is it?

"Those that can, do; those that can’t, talk about it".

Someone said that to me once, and it stuck. I now use it with my kids, because in life, plenty of people will tell you what to do - but the best way is to lead by example.

Looking for an opportunity to lead, innovate and make an impact on critical projects in the water sector and beyond? Join Steve and our team of experienced engineers - search and apply: Explore our careers | Mott MacDonald