Yatin Munnsad CEng MIFireE

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your career to date.

My name is Yatin Munnsad. I am a technical director and head of fire engineering at MAF Associates.

Describe your role or position within your current workplace and describe what a typical working day looks like.

I am a technical director within the leadership team at MAF Associates. In my capacity as head of fire engineering in the company I take responsibility in leading a team of fire engineers in their technical and career development, progressing our capability within the sector we work in, providing management decision in the commercial aspects of the business, exploring opportunities through our business development strategy, managing our delivery model and overall maintaining technical excellence.

Are there any particular challenges or unusual aspects to your role?

Like most leadership roles, challenges will be present. My current challenge is keeping track of the change in the landscape for fire engineering given the drastic but gradual change in technology and the way we perceive buildings in this new era, from smart buildings to technologically advanced and complex building environments.

What do you find most enjoyable about your job?

Working closely with a supportive team is always rewarding. Closing projects successfully and having achieved client aspirations is a milestone.

Is there a great professional achievement or high-profile accomplishment that you would like to tell us about in a previous role or your current one?

My proudest moment was to deliver a major multidisciplinary metro system project with a sizeable team of engineers and support staff. The project explored new areas of technology and landscape in an environment that was difficult to navigate. To see the final product built and stand was a great achievement for me and the team.

What inspired you to become an engineer or pointed you towards an engineering career?

I have always been good with numbers and exploring that further to something more creative and ingenious brought me to the footsteps of engineering.

What contributed to your decision to become a Chartered IFE member?

I wanted to take my leadership skills to another level and use my knowledge with greater strength whilst maintaining even ground. Chartership opened doors to me that I would not have been able to open if I remained at the design level. I wanted to explore fire engineering in greater depth, and becoming Chartered allowed me to access opportunities across different sectors from infrastructure to energy.

How have you benefitted from being a Chartered member with the IFE (career, personally)?

Becoming a Chartered Engineer through the IFE helped me become recognised within the market and the business strategy of a company. It gave me technical strengths to achieve the position I am now in and allowed me to engage in major and prestigious projects that I would otherwise not have been able to be part of.

Would you recommend joining the IFE to others? If so, why?

Yes, I strongly recommend young fire engineers to develop their career to become chartered. It has rewarded me immensely.

Is there any advice you would pass on to someone considering professional registration / IFE membership?

Plan ahead and start early. Support will always be provided by the IFE as well as your managers. Do not stray from the path once established and keep a focused mind.