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Meet SV Committee Member - Julia Baumann
Meet Julia Baumann, one of our newest committee members this year. Julia has been a fantastic addition to the Stormwater Vic committee, and we are pleased to provide everyone a chance to learn more about Julia and her interesting professional journey!
What was your career path that led you to working as an Engineer in the stormwater space?
My career path has been a bit unusual. (laughs) I graduated with a degree in civil engineering, including hydrology and hydraulics from university. But, I concentrated on the business aspects of engineering. Right after university, I worked in commodities (buying and selling natural gas and scheduling the gas allocation on pipelines) for a couple of years. I came back to engineering because I really felt that working in civil engineering, especially the stormwater/hydrology and hydraulics aspect had the potential to make the work a bit of a better place. That sounds corny, but I had been working in a very profit-focused industry, and it didn’t align with my values. I worked in the USA for a consultancy for a few years, and then I migrated to Australia in 2008. In Australia, I worked for two years at Yarra Valley Water. While I was keen to get back to consulting, I’m grateful for my time working with a water authority. Understanding how the authorities work, and having the experience of working with people who were honestly dedicated to looking after their customers has helped me interact better with authorities now that I sit on the other side of the fence. I joined DCE in 2010 as a junior engineer, and I’ve specialised in stormwater through my career progressions to senior engineer, a team leader, and now senior engineering manager.
What is your favourite aspect of working at DCE? And how about the most challenging?
My favourite part of working at DCE, a mid-tier consultancy, is the variety of projects I get to work on. There’s always something new to figure out. I enjoy a puzzle, and the many aspects of stormwater with which I have had the privilege of being involved have kept me constantly learning. The variety of problems to solve keep me enjoying my work! The most challenging aspect of being at DCE, and probably of being in consulting in general, is the importance of finding the right solution. Your clients are depending on you, projects are depending on you, and the answer you present has to work for the client, the environment, authorities, and the community. No pressure, right?! (laughs)
What is the most important career learning you think the stormwater industry would value hearing?
Something I’ve learned as my career has progressed is that there are multiple ‘right’ ways to do things. Having people with diversity of thought and experience be part of your project team can really assist in seeing alternative methods and then going on to develop innovative solutions. To actively promote more stormwater engineers from diverse backgrounds, I’ve joined the board of a charity program called STEMPals. The program matches up a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) professional with a year 5/6 student in a structured pen pal program. We all know that you can’t be what you can’t see—so how about talking a few hours (only 3 letters per year), and having a student see a career in STEM as something accessible? You can sign up for STEMPals here: https://stempals.org.au/ Hurry! Registrations for the 2024 program close Friday 9 Feburary.
How do you see your role evolving?
I’m a Senior Engineering Manager at DCE. As I’ve progressed my career, I’ve taken on more of a management and leadership role. The evolution from being the technical expert and doing all the work on time to leading a team so that others are able to do the work on time has been a real challenge. I am enjoying figuring out how to evolve to successfully take on leadership roles—I find them incredibly rewarding!
What is your favourite stormwater feature / recreational spot you like to visit?
I live beside the Yarra River, and my little stretch of the Yarra (Dights Falls to the Swan Street Bridge) is part of my backyard. I walk my dog beside the river early in the morning when the water is still and glassy. I picnic in parks beside the river that (thanks to the greenery along the river) stay cool even on hot days. I enjoy the urban wildlife from parrots to blue tongue lizards to tiger snakes that I can see from my balcony all thanks to the habitat that the river provides. Spending time close to the Yarra makes me very cognizant of my role in improving stormwater management.
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