“I am a manager, a leader and an expert – all at once.”

Right now I am working on a big project to improve a transmission sensor. The objective is to enhance gear changing in an automatic gearbox. My job is to keep an overview of the project. In addition, I am the technical leader of my team, which involves planning and allocating individual work packages to the different team members. In my position I communicate a lot with everyone on the team and represent them in management meetings. In everything we do, time to market is very important. Because I am also responsible for the rollout of the products, I need to make sure that the customer’s demands are met. Being a Project Leader can be challenging at times. But in the end, when everything is finished and completed, we take time to enjoy and celebrate the success.

I plan and schedule my day – but there are often changes and I need to be flexible and make short-term adaptations. Ideally, my day looks like this: a short team meeting in the morning, many individual meetings throughout the day, and in the early afternoon a review and update of my project plan. Afterwards there is time for calls or more meetings.

I love meeting customers as well as colleagues from different locations and divisions. We get together, talk on the phone and write emails – I’m always learning. I also love the aspect of organizing and managing projects and keeping an overview, which is something that I’m rather good at. Because every project is new, it’s like reading a book: you never know what’s on the next page. I have to fully immerse myself in the project. This can sometimes be a challenge. No day is like the other, so there is never a chance for boredom. My job gives me the feeling of being a pioneer in my field.

Being able to understand and handle different personalities is key to my job. Plus, it’s important to maintain structure in a project – for example ensuring that everything is documented correctly. As a Project Manager, one of my tasks is to manage my team and to steer their creative energy. And I need to be able to work under time pressure and to never lose sight of the next steps. Also, you have to be able to handle conflicts. For me, I view conflicts as a challenge to find the best possible solution. And it is absolutely necessary to be able to say “no” at times.