At Systems Engineering, employees are our number one resource. Our success depends on our dedicated and skilled staff who share our values and contribute to our vision. SE Spotlight gives a brief but revealing look at one of our valuable members.
Name: John Zastrow
Department: Project Management
Title: Project Manager
How long have you been at SE? 1 year
John Zastrow
Project Manager
SE: It’s been a year since you’ve joined SE Project Management. What is your role within the team?
John: I am a Project Manager. My job is to guide the successful execution of client-facing and internal projects. To do this, I work with our engineers to plan projects, orchestrate staffing needs, coordinate activities between SE and clients, reallocate resources to adapt to changes, and regularly monitor the health of the project. I enjoy being a Project Manager, particularly communicating with clients. I work closely with them to understand their current and future needs, therefore setting the stage for successful initiatives down the road.
SE: What does a typical day in Project Management look like for you?
John: I’m usually maintaining concurrent projects. My days are spent communicating with engineers about the technology we are implementing, monitoring the technical progress of various projects and conducting meetings with clients to understand their needs (which typically evolve over the life of a project). As Project Manager, I work with a number of groups and teams inside and out of SE to ensure things are moving ahead well.
Over the past year, I’ve enjoyed being part of such an excellent team, SE’s collaborative environment, the support of my colleagues, professionalism of our PMO, and getting to know our clients.
SE: Tell us more about yourself outside of work.
John: I grew up in a small town in western New York. After a few stops, we decided to settle down in Maine and haven’t looked back! Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and our three young children. During nights and weekends, you’ll find us outdoors, enjoying locally grown foods and beach hopping during summers (come on, summer!). I am a big fan of the Foodie environment Maine provides. Our move to Maine has allowed me to begin to reignite my passions for making pottery, skiing, hiking and, hopefully soon, participating in triathlons again.