A talented young engineer takes flight

In engineering, strong expertise and lengthy experience can go a long way in instilling confidence in clients and colleagues. Every so often, however, a young professional just entering the field can generate that same confidence in her customers and peers, even at a young age.

This is Roseline T. Lévesque, in a nutshell. This talented geotechnical engineer, with her strong technical abilities and meticulous approach, has drawn rave reviews.

Recognized academic excellence

Roseline holds an undergraduate geological engineering degree and a Masters in Mineral Engineering, both from Montreal’s École Polytechnique. Her academic excellence was recognized throughout her studies, notably with a Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Women's Association scholarship in 2017.

A member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, Roseline joined Englobe in July 2019. Since then, she has actively participated in various projects, from field work to data processing as well as the design and drafting of value-added reports and technical notes. However, it was her work leading the geotechnical design on a mining rehabilitation project in the Saguenay last year that truly made Roseline stand out from the crowd.

Taking a leadership role

The sprawling project involved ensuring the overall stability of the tailings site and its existing structures, and designing the additional works required for site remediation.

“I had left school less than a year earlier. Then I was told I be acting as the geotechnical representative in the interdisciplinary meetings. I was among men who had been in the field for decades. It was impressive to be surrounded by colleagues with multiple years of experience when I only had one!” Roseline notes. “Noureddine [Ghlamallah, VP Geosciences for Quebec at Englobe] trusted me to step up and lead this project. I had the right personality to assert myself.”

To lead effectively, Roseline understood she needed an in-depth understanding of the project. “When I met with the client, I was always prepared. I had my presentation and was ready, I had all my talking points. I was well-informed and knowledgeable.” She credits Noureddine for being available and supportive, and for sharing his experience.

The client was receptive to Roseline’s no-nonsense, rigorous approach. “This was a major project for an important client. No one wanted to upset or challenge them. But sometimes you have to be honest and say no, we’re not doing that,” she mentions. In fact, she made such an impact on the client that they specifically requested she work on a risk assessment exercise later in the project.

Roseline was also asked to present before the Independent Technical Review Board, a committee of international experts that conducted a full assessment of the project’s geotechnical components. “At other companies that are much more hierarchical than Englobe, I would not have had the opportunity to present to this group of experts. Noureddine offered it to me because I had mastered every detail of this project. This was a great achievement for me, especially as a young engineer.”

Roseline was also tasked with leading the drafting of the final project geotechnical report, which was over 900 pages long.

A humble talent

Roseline is grateful for the opportunity to work on a major project at this stage of her career. “I was involved in some great technical projects with people who truly cared about my growth - two things an engineer might not experience for many years. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and to have the ability to seize these opportunities.”

It's not just clients and colleagues who recognize Roseline's excellence. She was recently named as a finalist in the “Next Generation” category at the 2022 Grands prix du génie-conseil québécois, which recognizes outstanding achievements in consulting engineering across the province.

Given her talent, humility and expertise, we expect to hear Roseline’s name mentioned often in the coming years!