Changing the World: How James Chae Accepted the Challenge

“Challenge accepted” is a call to action. It’s a commitment to growth, innovation and excellence. It’s about pushing boundaries, embracing new ideas and not shying away from obstacles.​

Our people accept the challenge every single day – and we’re showcasing a few of their stories. Today, we connected with Director of Operations for the Americas in the Northwest, James Chae, who is based in Bellevue, Washington, U.S.:

The challenge: The solutions we’re tackling are more complex than ever before. To rise to this complexity, we’re constantly having to expand our talent pool and enhance the skills of our people.

Tell us more about this challenge.

The infrastructure solutions we’re delivering are evolving rapidly – and we’re continually ensuring we have the people, the skillsets and the expertise to create them. Reports in the United States indicate that one-third of these types of positions remain unfilled each year. Part of this is because we’re competing with engineering roles in high-tech fields, so there’s also a need to attract people to rewarding opportunities in the infrastructure field.

What’s the hardest part of this?

There isn’t a single solution. At a macro-level, it requires more high school students, including women and girls, to be excited about pursuing careers in engineering. Additionally, universities can play a vital role in educating more engineers. And finally, encouraging our government to facilitate work visas for global talent also can help bridge this gap. While these solutions take time, they set the stage for a brighter future.

How do you approach this?

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but with collaboration and creativity, we can leverage a variety of strategies. First, we focus on retaining our existing talent by providing exciting and challenging roles that foster career growth. Then, attracting top talent is essential, and we’re well-positioned to do this because of the complex, innovative projects we deliver as well as our best-in-class mentorship from our global teammates. Plus, our inclusive culture drives innovation and excellence, making it an attractive place to work. Lastly, we have such a talented global workforce outside of the U.S., we continue to look beyond our borders to find the right people for each role, regardless of where they call their home country.

How do you define success?

This is defined by our clients and communities and their ability to achieve greater efficiency, innovation and sustainable infrastructure solutions. To deliver, we must embrace the rapidly changing landscape of digital solutions. We’re definitely equipping our talented global workforce, and I believe we lead the charge for our clients – and ultimately, our planet!