At Amentum, we celebrate our people, our cultures, and we recognize the value of diversity and inclusion. In March, we’ll focus on Women’s History Month while shining a light on one employee at a time. Today’s Q&A is with Normailed Heitjan, Program Manager, National Security.
How did you come to join Amentum?
I was recruited by one of our legacy companies at a college job fair in 2004.
What is your professional and personal background?
I graduated from the University of Puerto Rico in 2004 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and minored in Project Management and Construction Management. Before joining the company, I worked for my family’s construction business.
Describe the work you do and how you think it makes a positive impact.
I manage a program of about 650 on-site employees who work around the clock to safeguard the nation’s assets. The work that we do is essential to the safety of our armed forces and our country.
What are some of your accomplishments and/or what has been your proudest career moment?
My proudest career moments have been the times when I receive notes from my employees telling me they feel valued or how I have positively impacted the program or their lives. I keep a printed copy of the notes on my desk to remind myself of what’s important.
What do you enjoy about working for Amentum?
After being part of this company for close to 20 years, I have to say that it’s the people that I enjoy the most. My coworkers have become my family. Having moved several times through my career, my family consists of the people I have met along my work journey. These are the people with whom I have grown, both personally and professionally. We are our support system at work and outside the office.
What are you passionate about?
My family. I love spending time with my two daughters and encouraging them to continue learning about the world through their unique experiences and to try to understand how other people’s perspectives are based on the world that surrounds them. I’m also very passionate about my work and my career growth.
What’s your career advice?
Be your own best advocate. Opportunities will come if you work hard, have an excellent work ethic, and actively seek growth. Also, find people who can help guide your growth. Without the help from some of our leaders, I would have never been afforded the opportunities I’ve had.
What does safety mean to you or do you have a favorite safety tip?
Safety Tip: Most accidents are predictable and preventable. Before starting any job or action, evaluate the situation and identify and correct potential hazards.
What’s the best invention in the world and why?
The smartphone. It is an amazing thing to have almost the entirety of the world’s knowledge in the palm of your hands.
Anything else you would like to share from a personal or professional perspective?
There is no job out there that should be beneath you. If you see something that needs to be done, do it. If you can help make a difference by going above your duties, don’t hesitate to do so.
Considering this monthly observance, tell us more about yourself. Please address one or more of the following questions:
What’s your favorite book?
One of my favorite books is La Isla Bajo el Mar (Island Beneath the Sea) by Isabel Allende.
What author has influenced you the most?
Isabel Allende is one of my favorite authors. She typically writes historical fiction from a female point of view. I read my first Isabel Allende book, La Casa de los Espiritus (The House of the Spirits) when I was 16. Through her books, I learned at a young age that women can accomplish whatever we set out to do if we work hard, have determination, and seize every opportunity that comes our way.
Favorite film?
The only movies I see in theaters these days are Star Wars, James Bond, or Disney movies. One of my favorite Disney movies is Mulan.
Favorite musician?
My favorite musician is my nephew. I am the proud aunt of a United States Army Band trumpet player.
