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Wouter Nauwelaers

Junior Project Manager
Hoboken, Belgium
Precious Metals Refining
Working for Umicore since 2014
"Alternating between working in the office, visiting the site and working with people is great!"

Can you describe your role at Umicore?

I supervise large and small structural engineering projects, fully independently or as support for other project teams. Together with an internal project team, we look for a suitable solution to questions from internal customers. Once these solutions have been approved, the same team develops the project from start to finish.

What do you enjoy about your job?

At Umicore we seldom build things from a book or for a second time. That means that with each project, you are facing a new challenge and always have to look creatively for solutions.

What do you enjoy about working for Umicore?

The atmosphere among colleagues is always positive. Plus there is a lot of variety in the work and the freedom to develop your own ideas. Alternating between working in the office, visiting the site and working with people is great, too.

Why did you want to join Umicore?

As a construction engineer, there is a good chance that you will work for a contractor who has various projects running all over the country, resulting in a lot of long trips. But by coming to work at Umicore, I knew that I would have a fixed spot within cycling distance.

What do you look forward to when you leave for work in the morning?

I look forward to being able to check out the progress of the work and help colleagues with their work or their problems. And I look forward to the cycle ride to get there!

What has been your highlight so far in your role at Umicore?

For me, it is always a highlight to deliver a bunch of completed projects to the internal customer at the end of a shutdown. They are carried out in a very short period of time, but it always involves a lot of preparation beforehand.

Advice for new joiners?

When you first start, Umicore can be an overwhelming place with all the different buildings, services and people. But don’t be afraid to dive in at the deep end! There is no path laid out in a straight line, but you can always find a way.