Earlier this year, the Chronicle & Echo revealed that online retail giant Amazon had announced plans to open a new fulfilment centre near Northampton creating more than 2,000 jobs. The centre, which Amazon says would be up and running in 2026, is planned at the SEGRO Logistics Park near junction 15 of the M1. In a new series of articles starting this week, we take a look at the people, and their stories, behind the project.

Building the future in Northampton with Jennifer Johnston, Amazon Global Engineering

When Jennifer Johnston walked into a technical college to study building studies, she was outnumbered 500 to 1 – she was only the second woman to ever take the course. Today, she's managing the construction of Amazon's latest fulfilment centre near Northampton, overseeing a project that will progress from first column to fully operational facility in just 59 weeks.

“I was hardened by that experience, and it was a superb start to my career in construction,” admits Jennifer, a senior construction manager at Amazon Global Engineering Services. “The course included woodwork, brickwork, metalwork, plumbing, structural and civil engineering. What I wanted was to be a technical designer, because I just loved drafting.”

Originally from Northern Ireland, Jennifer's journey has taken her from those early days in college to designing buildings across continents – and back home again.

Architecture to adventure

After technical college, Jennifer studied architecture at Manchester Metropolitan University, then returned to Northern Ireland where she spent 10 years as an architect designing large commercial buildings, primarily for pharmaceutical companies.

But in 2005, adventure called. Jennifer emigrated to Sydney, Australia with her husband and three young children, where she worked for an architectural firm on major commercial projects including out-of-town shopping centres. Her highlight was working as an architect on a major joint venture between Lowe's and Woolworths that rolled out 55 stores across Australia.

The family's return to Northern Ireland in 2014 brought unique challenges. “We came back with three teenagers who were used to surfing, not wearing hard shoes and definitely not wearing ties and blazers to school,” she laughs.

Determined to maintain her Australian consultancy work, Jennifer adapted to an extreme schedule that would test anyone's limits: “I would start at 9pm and finish at 4am four nights a week. I did that for almost two years. I was burning the candle at both ends but we were a rapid response team, and I was managing the biggest client the firm had so needed to ensure continuity of service.”

A new perspective

Eventually, Jennifer made a career shift that would prove transformative. She left remote consultancy work to join Lagan Construction, working on Ulster University – a landmark project and one of Northern Ireland's biggest projects at the time. Later, at Farrans Construction, she tackled everything from the award-winning Strand Campus at King's College London to the regeneration of Bangor Marina in Northern Ireland.

This move from design consultancy to working directly with contractors opened her eyes to a different side of the industry. “I honestly think consultants don't give contractors the respect they're due,” she admits. “The complexity of process within a contractor's camp when it comes to making changes, managing redesign, subcontractors, making sure projects are delivered on time – it's extremely complex. It was a real eye-opener.”

The Amazon appeal

After years working in consultancies, Jennifer sought a client-side role to expand her experience. When she spotted a construction manager role at Amazon in 2022, something about it caught her attention.

“I wasn't looking for a job at Amazon,” she says, “but I applied for the role because it caught my eye. It felt like it was written by an architect, and I could see my experience could fit the role.”

She got stuck in immediately. Her first Amazon project was particularly complex – a fulfilment centre 'co-location' where she had to fit out half of a building while the other half remained operational. “All of the electrical and mechanical systems had to be fed from the operational building. It was very complex in terms of client management,” she explains.

For Jennifer, the opportunity for personal growth at Amazon has been particularly appealing. “If you have energy and can put yourself out there, you'll grow personally in so many ways at Amazon,” she says. “To work at the Amazon pace with colleagues located worldwide, often with conflicting requirements has been a real learning curve, but a good one.”

Breakneck building speed

Now Jennifer is leading construction at Amazon's new fulfilment centre in Northampton, managing the project “from cradle to grave”, as it is known in the industry. After taking over from the pre-construction team, she's been working backwards from the launch date, building her consultancy team and managing an intricate web of stakeholders, contractors, plan changes and deadlines.

The numbers tell the story of the project's ambitious scope. Jennifer has juggled over 110 changes to the project since inception, while also managing to find £1.9 million in cost savings with the help of her colleague Ivan Patekar. The timeline? Just 59 weeks from the first column going up to opening a fully operational fulfilment centre.

“The first column went up in January of this year, and by May, we were completely watertight, and by July fitting out plasterboards,” she says with pride. “When a week goes by that I’m not on site, I'm blown away – it's barely recognisable.”

Each month, Jennifer reports on progress to Amazon senior leadership, approves payments, signs off on changes, and assesses risks with her team. The consultancy team reviews designs to ensure they meet Amazon's requirements. Under Jennifer's leadership, the STN6 team – as the Northampton facility is known internally – runs smoothly despite the complexity.

A culture of innovation

What sets Amazon apart from other places she’s worked, according to Jennifer, is the collaborative approach and willingness to embrace new challenges.

“It's a different team on every project, so it's very interesting, because you've got to prove yourself all over again,” she explains. “To work with Amazon, you need to embrace change. You need to love a challenge. My mantra is 'we work together to make it happen'.”

Jennifer particularly appreciates her team's willingness to experiment with new techniques. “It's a whole Pandora's box when it comes to your professional life. That's one thing I really enjoy about Amazon – the fact that we move at such speed, and the innovation and opportunity to introduce new initiatives like hydrogen power or XCarb steel to our projects.” XCarb steel is made from high levels of recycled steel using 100% renewable electricity, representing a more sustainable approach to steel production.

The opportunity to learn from colleagues she describes as “the best of the best” is another highlight. After 30 years in construction, she's found a new level of hands-on involvement that reignites her original passion for the industry.

“I've been in construction for 30 years and I've never been onsite as much as I am now,” she says. “With Amazon, we're all over the details, and I love it – this is why we all got into construction in the first place. Between site inspections, resolving issues, and watching a building of this magnitude and scale being erected at this speed. It's incredible. I've never seen anything like it.”

The Northampton build presents unique challenges that showcase just how different Amazon's approach can be. “The scale of this new fulfilment centre is impressive, but the Amazon Robotic floors are the most critical and unique part of the building process because if we can't get the floors right, the robots will not operate properly.”

“I've seen plenty of floors in my time, but nothing like this,” she adds. "That's been an education for me. I love problem-solving.”

As the STN6 facility approaches its 2026 launch, Jennifer remains focused on delivering excellence. “Honestly, right now I can't see past the end of this project because I want to give it 100 percent. I'm happy in this client-side role and would love to have more opportunities to develop effective high impact teams in future.”

Looking ahead, her enthusiasm for the unexpected remains undimmed: “I'm always excited about what's around the corner, and I like surprises, which I think bodes well when you work at Amazon!”

From that technical college where she was outnumbered 500 to one, Jennifer Johnston has built a career that spans continents and breaks barriers. Now, as Amazon's robots prepare to race across floors, she's helped perfect, her journey continues to evolve – one innovative project at a time.