The international task force

We work for any Implenia project team that would like us to support them. We receive inquiries from civil engineering and foundation engineering (ICS) in Germany and Switzerland, but also from tunnel construction in France, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. So it's very international and also extremely diverse in terms of the type of projects: whether it's the Förbifart Stockholm Johannelund (Sweden), the Niederfinow ship lift, the SMS-2a project in Moss (Norway), the replacement construction of the Rader high bridge or the expansion of the second main line in Munich: Our people make a significant contribution to the success of a project.

What does your involvement in a specific project look like?

We support the project teams on site for some projects with our planning coordinators, who are seconded there during the project and integrated into the local team. They are usually on site during construction and then coordinate the planning tasks there. However, if the work allows, they can also work from home or in another office. For many projects, we carry out the structural design ourselves in our Technical Design Office; in some cases, it comes from external planners, including from other specialist areas such as electrical engineering, drainage, earthing, .... Our planning coordinators coordinate the tasks involved and ensure that everything fits together.

Ideally, we are looking for people with a degree in civil engineering, ideally in structural engineering with a focus on statics, solid construction, steel construction or geotechnics for tasks in structural analysis or planning coordination. If someone has all of this, it is of course excellent, but at least one or two of these areas would be desirable. At the same time, we are looking for people with training as draughtspeople or civil engineers with a Bachelor's degree who want to work in the field of construction.

What kind of experience can young people expect when they join you after their studies?

For young people straight out of university, we offer direct entry as a structural engineer or in the field of construction. New recruits are supported by our colleagues with many years of professional experience. We have also launched a special trainee program: After university, the trainees initially work with us in the Technical Design Office for six months to gain an insight into structural design and understand who does what and where the challenges lie. This is followed by assignments at various stations, for example on the construction site in construction management or planning coordination, in BIM, in a quotation team, in costing or in work preparation. This gives the young people a sound insight into the practical side of things after their theoretical training. We deliberately don't prescribe all the stations, but always agree with the operational units where they can usefully deploy someone for a period of three months, and then we decide with the trainees where it fits best.

Where are trainees deployed?

At the moment, we have a trainee on the A7 Altona sealing project in Hamburg and on the Mülheim Bridge overhaul project in Cologne. After completing the trainee program, the trainees decide whether they want to continue working at TDO in the field of structural design or in other areas. Examples include Nadine Bendt, who is now working as a site manager on the Rader Hochbrücke project after completing her trainee program, and Peter Allgeier, who is working as a planning coordinator on the Marienhof project in Munich.

What former trainees are doing today

We are a good team, can offer really exciting projects in Germany and abroad and have a very attractive trainee program: when we advertise a position for young professionals, we always receive very good applications from young engineers who want to start directly with us in structural engineering or structural design.

So you're not worried about recruiting?

Yes, we are looking for experienced colleagues in particular! My ideal situation would be for all young colleagues to have experienced engineers at their side as mentors, who would then supervise and train the young people. Finding these experienced people is not easy.

What can interested people expect from you? Why are these great jobs?

We have a very good working atmosphere and a great team. We work well together. We have great, complex projects that are fun. And even if certain projects cause us worry and stress, we enjoy all the exciting tasks. It never gets boring because every project is different. That's probably why many of us have been with the company for so long. The member of our team with the longest tenure has been with the company for almost 50 years – he retired almost a year ago and still works for us as a temp.

You've been doing your job for quite a while now and are still enthusiastic about it. What's so great about your work?

Identifying with the buildings you're involved in! I spent almost four years as planning coordinator on the Norra Länken project in Stockholm - the structure becomes something special, you identify with it and are very proud of it. I was also involved in the Skansenløpettunnel road tunnel in Trondheim, Förbifart Johannelund in Stockholm and the 4th tube of the Elbe Tunnel in Hamburg, where I worked as a structural engineer in my early days ... That was the largest mechanically excavated tunnel at the time. When I drive south from Schleswig-Holstein, I still drive to the far right through the fourth Elbe tunnel tube. After all, this is "my" tunnel.