After graduating from the constructing engineer study programme in 2022, Jens Poulsen chose to apply for a job in north-west Greenland with KJ Greenland A/S. Jens did this to develop his skill sets in the area of construction management. Jens was tasked with participating in the construction of a new international airport in northern Greenland as an assistant construction manager and quality manager. The new airport project comprises a terminal building, service building, AFIS tower, hangar and emergency generator building, totalling 10,000 square metres of floor space and housing a wide range of different functions and structural requirements.

“As a new employee of KJ Greenland A/S, I initially managed the quality assurance procedures while learning to fit in very well with my new surroundings. Shortly afterwards, I became aware of the core business of KJ Greenland A/S. I was given responsibility and shown a high degree of confidence in my expertise.”

Jens was charged with responsibility for planning, executing and, thus, managing the construction projects for the air controller tower, the emergency generator building and the roofing contract for the terminal building.

“I was highly motivated by this. As a newly qualified constructing engineer at KJ Greenland, I was given a lot of responsibility and from the outset was shown profound trust and received a lot of support from the rest of the management team. While working for KJ Greenland, I have always been surrounded by skilled and capable colleagues who gladly share their knowledge and support me. This was particularly true while I was acquiring knowledge and learning procedures in the area of construction management and in managing construction projects in the Arctic climate.”

As time passed and concurrent with his personal development, Jens has been given more and more responsibility for the airport construction project and was given the opportunity to participate in the project coordination process with subcontractors.

“Despite my long working hours, no two days are ever the same, and everyday life is changing and varied. Building something in the Arctic climate is a stimulating, challenging process in which natural and weather conditions are crucial factors, which keeps you, as a KJ manager, on your toes when planning processes and logistics.

“During my employment, I’ve become good at looking ahead and addressing the challenges involving the tools and equipment available on the construction site and, in addition to my sharp, but qualitative professional learning curve that I’ve been through, my time in Greenland has featured profound experiences of nature and people.”