"I am at the forefront of technological advancement in our industry"
Jens Hoffmann has been developing FRILO software in our Dresden office for more than a decade. His hobbyhorse is the FRILO BIM-Connector® and our masonry programs. In the interview, he reveals which three passions he can combine as a software developer at FRILO, why he prefers the office to the home office and how important joint success in the team is to him.
Hello Jens! Why did you decide to work at FRILO?
Three hearts beat in my chest: that of an engineer, that of a researcher and that of a developer. FRILO gives me the opportunity to live out all of these interests in my day-to-day work. Instead of always working on the same routine tasks in the engineering office, I develop tools that relieve the structural engineer of exactly these routine activities. As a technically minded person, I am at the forefront of technological progress in our industry.
You’ve been working at FRILO since 2010. What does your workday look like? What do you do as a software developer at FRILO?
In Dresden, I have a typical office job with a lot of independence – after all, my main activity is programming. My tasks are wide-ranging. On the one hand, they include application development (interface, output, interfaces, etc.), currently mainly for the Reinforced Concrete Column B5+ and the FRILO BIM-Connector FBC. On the other hand, I am responsible for various calculation components, such as load combinatorics, deformation calculation in state II and verification in masonry construction. In between, there is always coordination with colleagues in the office or at other locations.
Due to my membership in various technical and standardization committees, a short business trip is also on the agenda from time to time. We also maintain a relaxed office routine with joint breakfast meetings and table tennis breaks. That’s also one of the reasons why I prefer to work in the office rather than in the home office.
What was your most extraordinary experience at FRILO?
That was at the last developer team meeting. We went to the climbing park and dared to try the black route. The feeling of happiness at the end of the route, having achieved something beyond one’s limits, was overwhelming. Of course, the best part was that I wasn’t alone, but that we mastered the route as a team: shared joy is double joy!
What do you like about working in the FRILO team?
My work contains only a few routine elements. There are no textbook solutions for most of the tasks that need to be solved. Your own creativity is very much in demand. It is a continuous learning and research process with a lot of personal responsibility. For me, this is the patent recipe for personal moments of happiness. In the process, I’m given a lot of trust and quite a lot of freedom to make decisions.
What do you do when you’re not working?
Sure, I also have a life outside of work (laughs). With everything that a full-fledged family life has to offer. I like to be out in the fresh air. On foot, by bike or in a canoe. But I also love to lie in my wing chair. With a book in my hand or my eyes fixed on the TV.
