Read the story of

Roos - Superintendent

Read the story of

Roos - Superintendent

"I preferred to go outside." That thought completely changed Roos's career path. After her master's degree in Hydraulic Engineering (Civil Engineering) in Delft and a graduation period at Van Oord Engineering, she opted not for a role behind a desk, but for the dynamics of execution. Two years ago, she started as a Superintendent and hasn't regretted it for a moment. "At Van Oord, you get the space to use your talents and develop them further. You are encouraged to look beyond your job description."

As a Superintendent, Roos is right in the middle of a project's dynamics. She describes her role as the central point of contact. "Everyone comes to you if there is a problem or if they need something. You make the day-to-day schedules, arrange subcontractors, keep an eye on the finances, and are very involved with surveys. That is often the benchmark for how far along we are in the project." Her workdays start early with a kick-off meeting to discuss the plans for that day. After that, it involves a lot of calling, consulting on board, or checking schedules and surveys behind the computer. "It is really diverse, and on every project, you are dealing with slightly different things."

Large vessels and unexpected twists

Roos is in the international pool and works on various dredging projects all over the world. One of her favorite parts of the job? "When we work with a large hopper. How you optimize that, I think that's really cool. Such a vessel is very expensive, so every minute counts. Before the hopper arrives, you actually have to have everything prepared; that is the hardest part of the job. Once the vessel arrives and we go full throttle, we really make major strides." Working in execution requires a lot of flexibility. "There is a lot of excitement. Sometimes things completely fall apart, and then you solve it again. You cannot predict everything, so you have to be assertive, be able to let things go, and make the best of it."

Large vessels and unexpected twists

Unique projects and cultures

One of the projects Roos is most proud of is the construction of an island in Dubai, which was a large reclamation job (dredging and spraying sand). Not only because of the work itself, but also because of the cultural challenge. "I arrived at a piece of desert where our jetty was, and suddenly found myself consulting with workers from Pakistan and India. At first, I really thought: what am I doing here? But eventually, you build a bond and truly become friends with people you would never have met otherwise. I find that incredibly special."

Strong team spirit in rotations

Working in execution often means long rotations, working 12 hours a day, 6 or 7 days a week. "You are either really at work, or you are really off. That works very well for me." The team spirit is also strong: "Even if you are staying in a hotel in the Netherlands, you have dinner together in the evenings and really build a bond, just like abroad."

Women in Operations

Although the dredging world and execution are heavily male-dominated, Roos experiences her role as a woman very positively. "I feel that many men actually like it when a woman participates. It is a good development." To strengthen the connection with other women, she is happy with the internal network Women in Operations at Van Oord, specifically established for women in operations and offshore. "It is a small club, but it is very nice to exchange experiences, because we often experience specific things on international projects."