Professional Experience:
I bring over thirteen years of experience in civil engineering, infrastructure project management, disaster risk reduction, and strategic advisory roles across government, private construction, and international development contexts. My career reflects a steady progression from hands-on supervision of public works to multi-sectoral planning and resilience-focused strategies that bridge engineering with governance, sustainability, and community well-being.
I began with the Public Works Department (Roads & Buildings), Government of Jammu & Kashmir, India, serving as Junior Engineer and later Assistant Engineer. Over more than a decade, I managed the design, supervision, and execution of a wide range of public infrastructure projects including highways, bridges, schools, healthcare facilities, and staff housing. These projects were frequently situated in difficult Himalayan terrain and socially sensitive landscapes, demanding robust planning, stakeholder coordination, and technical adaptability. Notable assignments included contributions to the Mughal Road, a strategic highway linking Kashmir with the Pir Panjal region, and several gender-responsive and accessibility-focused facilities. This period developed my strengths in construction supervision, procurement, quality control, and compliance with engineering standards.
To broaden my scope, I joined the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KTRCL) where I engaged in large-scale transportation projects, further enhancing my expertise in contract management, technical execution, and alignment with broader development goals. This role helped refine my ability to integrate engineering practice with international frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
In recent years, I transitioned into international development and advisory functions. As a consultant with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Timor-Leste, I contributed to the Strategic Development Plan for Atauro Island, an integrated master plan focusing on blue economy growth, water and sanitation infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and sustainable tourism. I prepared stakeholder maps, soft infrastructure specifications, and risk-informed planning tools that supported the newly established Atauro Administrative Authority in aligning community needs with national development priorities. This role demanded cross-sectoral collaboration and highlighted my capacity to link engineering expertise with governance and policy.
Concurrently, I have worked as a Project Manager with RMS, an Australian construction company, where I delivered diverse projects in Timor-Leste. Key works include the Salao Memorial for the DCP (constructed and handed over in early 2025), retrofitting design for a medical clinic in Metinaro, and the refurbishment of the Pacific Labour Mobility Support Programme (Palladium) office in Dili. I have overseen procurement, execution, quality control, and occupational health and safety compliance while preparing technical documentation such as method statements for controlled demolition of RCC overhead tanks, emergency evacuation plans, and workplace OHS materials. These assignments reinforced my ability to manage construction at scale while embedding risk reduction and operational safety into every phase.
In parallel, I remain engaged with heritage risk management. I co-authored a Prince Claus Fund-supported study assessing risks to Sultanate-period cemeteries in Srinagar, integrating environmental risk modeling with values-based cultural heritage frameworks. This work linked climate adaptation, cultural preservation, and community resilience, underscoring my capacity to navigate both technical and socio-cultural dimensions of risk governance.