From Graduate to Project Lead
When Katrine finished her master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Design and Engineering
from DTU, she didn’t have to look far for her next step. Having already worked as a
student assistant at Pharmalogic, she was hired straight into the role of Associate Project
Manager; a transition that gave her continuity with a team she already knew and gave
Pharmalogic a colleague who could hit the ground running.
Her new role came with substantial responsibility, as Katrine was put in charge of the
relocation of a production filter – a technically demanding task.
Learning by doing it together
Throughout the project, Katrine has worked closely with Tanja as her mentor. For Katrine,
that relationship has been less about oversight and more about exchange:
“Being able to spar with Tanja has motivated me and given me access to constructive
feedback. Beyond the feedback and sparring, the mentorship with Tanja has, in some
ways, paved the way for how I want to operate as a project manager going forward. She
has taught me tools one can use to become a skilled one”.
The mentorship is a dynamic that says something about how Pharmalogic approaches
development on both ends of the experience spectrum, as newly graduated employees
are trusted with genuine responsibility early on, while senior colleagues get to put their
expertise to use.
Eyes on the future
Katrine describes the recent part of her journey as a steep learning curve that’s left her
with an appetite for larger and more advanced projects going forward. Her next step is a
formal project manager certification, where she’ll get hands-on with the discipline’s core
frameworks – from CQV processes to the kind of bottlenecks that surface – and connect
them with the practical ballast she’s already built.
It’s a journey that’s only just getting started!
