My name is Thian Alberts and I work as a Lead Engineer Structural at Bilfinger. I have now been working within the organization for fourteen years. My background is in civil engineering. After completing my bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, I continued the same studies at TU Delft, where I graduated in 1999.

After graduating, I started working at a small structural engineering firm focused on residential and commercial construction. There, I was quickly given a lot of responsibility. I worked as a structural engineer, managed drafters, and regularly participated in construction meetings and client consultations. Later, I moved to larger engineering firms, where project management became an increasingly important part of my role. In 2011, I joined Bilfinger through a secondment agency. They had just secured a major project and needed additional staff. In the end, it turned out to be a step I have never regretted.

From residential and commercial construction to industrial construction

Work in residential and commercial construction is interesting, but many projects end up looking alike. What immediately appealed to me about Bilfinger was the diversity within the industrial sector. One project might be in oil and gas, while the next is in the food industry, chemicals, or the energy transition. No two projects are the same, which keeps the work varied and challenging.

At the moment, for example, we are heavily involved in battery storage and hydrogen-related projects. These developments surrounding the energy transition make the work especially interesting. Our discipline Architectural, Structural and Building Services always plays a role in these kinds of projects. After all, there will always be a need for a foundation, building, or structure to be designed.

I also really enjoy the combination of structural engineering and architectural engineering. My background is in structural engineering, but as a Lead Engineer, I often oversee the architectural aspects of projects as well. Over the past few years, I have become increasingly proficient in this area. That combination of engineering, coordination, and design makes my role very versatile.

Technical challenges and collaboration

One of the biggest challenges within our projects is that we often require information from other disciplines at a relatively early stage. We have to deliver designs that contractors can actually build from, while other disciplines may not yet have all the necessary data available. That means you still need to create a solid design with limited information.

With experience, you become better at anticipating what needs to be taken into account. Sometimes you deliberately include additional margins in a design to minimize adjustments later on. Those kinds of considerations are exactly what make the work technically interesting.

In addition, collaboration is very important to me. A successful project ultimately depends on a strong team and a realistic planning. I strongly believe that people perform best when they are given the space to contribute their own expertise. I am not someone who wants to prescribe everything down to the smallest detail. Of course, you make adjustments where necessary, but I think it is important that modelers and structural engineers can also make their own decisions. That empowers people and ultimately leads to a better result.

Projects I am proud of

There are several projects that I look back on with pride. A good example is a project in which we designed various buildings, structures, and the site layout for a facility where nitrogen is mixed with imported natural gas. Whenever I drive past the site now, I still think to myself: we really did a great job on that.

I am currently working on technically challenging projects as well. In one of these projects, for example, we investigated how to design a structure that can withstand a potential hydrogen explosion inside a building. Those kinds of challenges are not very common in the Netherlands. We worked closely with specialists to delve deeply into the matter and arrive at a sound solution. It is exactly that combination of innovation and technical depth that makes these projects so interesting.

What I ultimately love most is when something that was once just on paper actually gets built. That is when you literally leave a mark on the landscape. I still get that feeling whenever I drive past projects I worked on years ago.

A close-knit team and continuous development

The atmosphere within our team at the Hengelo office is good. Many of our colleagues have been working here for a long time, so we know what to expect from one another. We work hard, but we also have a lot of fun. In addition, we regularly organize activities, such as a barbecue in the summer and a Christmas party to wrap up the year. That creates a strong sense of connection within the team.

Bilfinger also offers plenty of opportunities for personal and professional development. I have completed several courses and also followed a personal coaching program. This has been very beneficial to me, both professionally and personally.

Looking ahead, I do not necessarily feel the need to grow into a different position. The role I have now suits me well. I get the most energy from exciting projects, technical challenges, and mentoring younger colleagues. It is rewarding to pass on the knowledge I have built up over the years to a new generation of engineers.

Working at Bilfinger

If you are considering a career as an engineer at Bilfinger, expect plenty of variety. No two projects are the same, and you will work for a wide range of clients and across various industries. It is precisely this variety that makes the work so enjoyable.

In addition, within our projects you are genuinely given the space to deliver quality and thoroughly explore technical challenges. That is a major difference compared to traditional residential and commercial construction, where budgets and timelines are often much tighter.

For me, that is exactly what makes working at Bilfinger so rewarding: the combination of engineering, collaboration, and projects that ultimately become visible in the real world.