Meet Stéphane, project manager at NFrance

Hello Stéphane, can you tell us about your background?

I'm a Graduate with a Master 2 in Telecommunications Systems and Computer Networks, which I completed Course alternation. I then worked for 5 years as a service provider in the civil aviation sector, coordinating network projects and providing support during my subsequent experience.
I then worked for 8 years in the IT department of an SME specializing in mass retailing. I had the opportunity to set up and manage the technical team in charge of studying the company's IS solutions.

Why choose NFrance?

As NFrance is a human-sized company, I knew that my scope of action would be broader than in a big company where Services are generally compartmentalized, and things are more difficult to change.
Here, I was offered activities that went beyond what I'd been doing before, including customer relations. It also gave me a complete change of technical environment and enabled me to develop my Skills in areas that were important to me, such as Linux and industrialization processes.

As a project manager, what's your day-to-day routine like?

NFrance has entrusted me with responsibility for key account customers in the context of projects to set up new environments or upgrade infrastructures. I also support customers on a day-to-day basis with certificate renewal requests, access to environments...

My role is to act as a link between customer needs and NFrance's internal teams. I pass on information between people who don't necessarily speak the same language. You have to be able to deliver a Teaching approach to technical aspects, and translate a functional need to ensure its implementation.
The customer may have problems that the teams aren't necessarily aware of. On the other hand, our teams sometimes have to plan an intervention that will have an impact on the service, but our customers are not informed.

It's essential to have a clear picture of what's going on, who's involved, and what the priorities are, in order to provide a timely response. There's no such thing as a typical day, you just have to make do with what's going on at the time.

And the technical side?

You have to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical people. So it's essential to understand technical subjects and be able to explain them in layman's terms. You don't need to know everything, but you do need to be able to take an interest in them, understand them and pass them on.

What qualities do you think you need for this job?

I'd say that a project manager needs good interpersonal and leadership skills. Both to ensure the link with the customer and to interact with internal teams. Through the arguments you put forward, you have to get the others to adhere to the common project.
You also need to know how to organize yourself, as you have to deal with a lot of issues at the same time.
And priority management is of paramount importance. We're in a RUN environment, so we can have an incident at any time, which is part of the life of a hosting company. At that point, an action plan has to be put in place, but that doesn't mean everything has to stop.

What do you particularly like about your job?

The diversity, the fact that nothing is set in stone!
Everyone is involved in a continuous improvement process, from technical experts to company directors. And because it's a human-scale structure, everyone is accessible if we want to exchange views on subjects that we feel are important for moving forward in the right direction.
I learn something new every day. In fact, I've been able to take part in training courses on industrialization tools, for example.

What do you like about NFrance?

Listening to employees is part of the NFrance DNA. Of all the experiences I've had so far, it's the work environment that suits me best, that's the healthiest and that gives me the most freedom to express myself fully professionally.
The atmosphere is good and I'm discovering the hosting business.
And there are a number of salary benefits - 2 days telecommuting, weekly fruit basket, mileage allowance for bicycles...

What would your message be for people who want to apply?

Don't hesitate! You never get bored, you learn something new every day, and it's all done in a fun environment.
We're lucky enough to be in an end-customer type company, so the workplace doesn't have to change over time, which is quite comfortable.