Dominik Ulrich has been working for HIAG as a project developer for 3 years. In his role, he is currently focusing on the Papieri site in Biberist. On the approximately 270,000 m2 site, in addition to the largely commercial use, places are being created where work, services and culture find space alongside housing and leisure uses.

Describe your job at HIAG: What are you responsible for? What are your tasks?
In my area I am responsible for the development and implementation of various projects on our sites. On the one hand, these are new buildings, but on the other hand, they are also transitional uses within the framework of the transformation processes of the sites. The range of tasks is broad and differs from site to site and from project to project. The starting point is usually the development of a strategy that defines for whom, what and how building is to take place on the site in question. The higher the level of consideration (individual property, building site or site), the more complex the strategy-finding process and the more parties are involved. In the case of individual projects, this is often followed by the search for users in close cooperation with our marketing team. At the same time, we set up the planning organisation; in concrete terms, I put together the right organisation and conclude the contracts with the selected partners. This is followed by the actual planning and then the realisation, in which our construction management is also heavily involved. To put it simply, my task in these phases is to ensure that the end product meets the strategic requirements. Throughout the process, I am in frequent contact with the project stakeholders, first and foremost the external planners and experts, the tenants and the authorities. My daily tasks also include, for example, conducting profitability analyses, project controlling, providing feedback on plans and reports, and defining and monitoring milestones.

What do you particularly like about your work at HIAG?
I like the interdisciplinary cooperation with colleagues, which ultimately results in a product that brings great benefits for decades. HIAG's unique portfolio and the exciting sites and projects contribute to an interesting working day, which also gives me great pleasure. Due to the diversity, there are countless opportunities to learn new things and pursue creative approaches. The projects require a considered approach, which is a welcome challenge for me and gives me the chance to develop and grow in my profession.

What are the biggest challenges in your day-to-day work?
One of the biggest challenges is dealing with different stakeholders who often have different and sometimes conflicting interests. Another important aspect is dealing with long-term processes that need to be kept on track. This requires a high degree of organisation, planning and analytical skills. In addition, there are a lot of complex interdependencies between the projects and the external environment that can be dealt with but cannot be controlled. But that's exactly why I appreciate the variety in my job: every day is different and offers a multitude of different tasks.