What's your job about?
Arcadis Philippines Inc. is the country’s leading provider of construction consultancy services for natural and built assets. We are a firm recognized for creating value for our clients and improving the quality of life, creating solutions based on a blend of services.
I am a Senior Project Manager/ Senior Team Leader under the Project and Programme Management Department of Arcadis Philippines Inc. I manage a group of excellent young people on delivering corporate fit-out projects for one of the key Financial Clients of Arcadis.
During a typical workweek, one of my biggest tasks is making sure that my team are progressing as planned on delivering the project. I like to meet first thing on Mondays to discuss our priorities for the week, then meet again in the middle of the week to check progress, and once at the end of the week to discuss goal setting for the next week.
I regularly meet with the key Client stakeholders, from the regional leads, local business leads and even the COO, where I present the project status, key achievements, lookaheads and manage the risks that might affect the project delivery.
I think the 18-year-old me will not understand fully the roles and responsibilities that I carry on this position. Taking accountability for the team and the project success is something that I take pride in.
What's your background?
I grew up in the town of Calumpit in Bulacan where I completed my studies until secondary school. I was then accepted in the University of Santo Tomas where I completed my degree in Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.
I was not the brightest student in the class, and I even had failing grades then. Not of my proudest moment, but I think this experience is valuable in shaping me and my knowledge before entering the corporate world.
I graduated in April 2013 and has passed the Civil Engineering Licensure in November of the same year. Vacation was just second on the priority then hence I started looking for a job immediately.
In January 2014 I was hired by Arcadis Philippines (Langdon & Seah back then) as a Trainee Quantity Surveyor. I started on the grassroots programme of the company and has worked in the Bills of Quantity Department for 2 years.
In 2016, I was requested by the Operations Manager then to join his team and support him in delivering QS Post Construction services. This was the turning point of my career in Arcadis. I was able to work and learn under one of the best leaders for more than 3 years.
A great opportunity opened in 2019 where I was requested to transfer to the Project and Programme Management Department and lead the account for a key financial client.
Since then, I have been managing this account and was able to grow and expand the team. 😊
Could someone with a different background do your job?
No. I think it is key to have the right background and experience to fulfil the roles and responsibilities of this job.
While technical skills and a full understanding of the end-to-end requirements of project management is a must, it is still as important as having the right soft skills and street smarts.
This position clearly requires great people management. I am dealing with internal clients, external clients, my team, third party consultants etc. Managing different people with different perspectives is something that this position involves.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The coolest thing about this job is the extensive opportunity to continuously learn. The exposure to regional counterparts, local business leads and a great group of third parties has allowed me to see the different perspectives from each.
This enabled me to take this locally to my team and maximize my impact and continue to add value to the company.
What are the limitations of your job?
Time demands – Working for only 40 hours a week is a challenge for delivering several projects for different Clients. There are times when I need to stretch my working hours just to deliver the expected output from me and my team.
Physical demands – Working in the Construction Industry requires Physical presence on site. There are works that require site supervision at night and on weekends that need to be covered.
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