Meet Esther, Team Lead and Project Director

An a-typical background

"When people think of working within the field of hydraulic engineering at Royal HaskoningDHV, they often quickly assume that everyone needs to have a background in Civil Engineering or Hydraulic Engineering. However, this is not always the case. I myself, for example, have an MSc in Complex Systems Engineering, and Management. After completing this study, I also did not immediately start working in an engineering consultancy; instead, I worked in healthcare for a year to give back to society. And after that, I spent another three years as a mathematics teacher. After these detours into healthcare and education, I joined Royal HaskoningDHV as a Policy Advisor."

The development journey of Esther

"As a Policy Advisor, I worked extensively with water boards, provinces, contractors, and Rijkswaterstaat on various projects. In the years that followed, I continued to develop my expertise in the direction of stakeholder engagement. After some time combining the roles of Policy Advisor and Stakeholder Engagement Expert, my focus shifted towards the role of Stakeholder Engagement Expert.In this role, I contributed to numerous projects in water safety, including for example the dike reinforcements of Gorinchem-Waardenburg, and the Lekdijk, and regional flood defences in the Lauwersmeer area."

"I held this role full-time until about five years ago when I first took on the position of Team Leader. Initially, I combined the two roles, but two years ago, I (temporarily) relinquished the stakeholder engagement aspect and transitioned to a full-time role as Team Leader and Project Director. Now, my primary focus is on facilitating my team to perform their work as well as possible."

Developing your interests

We give our people the freedom to shape their careers and focus development on the areas they care about most. "We are a true network organisation where it is really helpful to get to know a lot of colleagues and expand your network. If you want to develop in a particular direction, you need to be proactive and seize opportunities as they come along. But if you do that, there's a lot possible. When I wanted to focus on dike reinforcements at one point, I expressed my interest and raised my hand when these projects came along. Once you're involved in the projects, you naturally transition from one project to another. This way, you can steer your development path, and that's something really nice about our organisation."

Diverse national and international projects

"Despite having worked at Royal HaskoningDHV for quite some time now, it's never a dull period. Not only because my role has continuously evolved over the years but also due to the diversity of projects and clients. One moment, you're working with a contractor; the next, you're working for a water board. This diversity makes each project unique. And what's exciting about our team is that the national and international aspects are closely intertwined. While I primarily work in the Dutch market, my direct colleagues involved in international projects are nearby. This makes working internationally really accessible as well."

The other advantages

"Most of the time, I work at our office in Amersfoort. An office that I really love. It is a beautiful, bright, open office space with lots of greenery and plenty of seating areas where you can casually have a coffee with a colleague. But what's also nice is the flexibility that Royal HaskoningDHV offers. I have two children, and thanks to the flexibility in my working hours, I can truly adapt to their needs. For example, when they just started school, I adjusted my working hours to be at home when they returned from school. All in all, Royal HaskoningDHV is an open organisation with endless possibilities!"