“New York Won Me Over” – Alumni Story with Jakob Heinen
UN employee and KLU Ph.D. Jakob Heinen discusses the key role of logistics in UN peace missions and how you can find your dream job with the right tools, but also the right mindset – even in the city that never sleeps.
Jakob, in New York, where you are, it’s now 7 a.m. Do you know what the rest of your day will look like?
For us at the UN, today is no ordinary day. There’s been a military putsch in Nigeria. When the situation is so unstable anywhere in the world, we at the headquarters in New York have to find logistical solutions. At the moment, we’re working on relocating our station to neighboring Mali, the home of MINUSMA, one of our largest peace missions. Its supply corridor also leads through Nigeria, so that personnel and goods can be transported.
It must be fascinating when global events and your own planning are mutually dependent. What exactly is your job in this regard?
I work at the Supply Chain Management Office in the United Nations Department of Operational Support. To be honest, at first I wasn’t exactly sure what this department did. I had some idea of the work the UN does from an internship ten years ago at UNOPS, the UN Office for Project Services, in Copenhagen. Behind the UN’s lofty goals and prominent missions there always has to be a certain degree of logistics, and therefore people who ultimately work with numbers. That’s often underestimated. That’s what connects my work at the department to the UN’s peace missions, which are our main customers. Our department consists of experts who devise rapidly deployable provisioning solutions in areas like water supply, storage infrastructures, medical equipment and supplies, and transport. I’m the link between all of them, gather data, and integrate it into operational and strategic reporting suites. But above all, I analyze it. For me, that’s at the core of my work and what I enjoy most: What happens to information and what do we actually want to use it for? That’s what I consider to be the greatest challenge, and one that’s often forgotten.
You were a native of Hamburg. Now you’re a “legal alien” in New York. What was the change like?
Honestly, I read the job ad and thought: “Just give it a try.” I came here with the mindset that I could always fly back. Now I’ve been here two-and-a-half years. But I came at a good time, since life in New York was a lot slower during the pandemic. Even the plane was virtually empty. Plus, thanks to my colleagues and other expats, I quickly made some friends. What I generally like about America is the openness, the fact that they first think about what’s possible and less about all the obstacles along the way. Plus, we can always learn from one another. But there are some things that I miss.
Like German bread?
Ha-ha, the classic answer. But that’s not it. There’s a German bakery here, too, so I can buy whatever I need. But the long summer nights you have in Hamburg – that’s something I miss.
You seem to have fit in at KLU just fine, not only completing your Ph.D. but also winning the “Best Teacher” award. Do your experiences at KLU help you in your current job?
Well, the focus on logistics and management is of course thanks to KLU; that’s the direction I chose during my studies. Also, at KLU, people work in a very practice-oriented, international way. You’ll find almost every nationality here at the department, very much like at KLU. And as for my teaching experience: Here, too, my goal is to communicate content precisely. And back at KLU, my teaching philosophy was always that students teach themselves. I view my role with my colleagues here similarly. Actually, hopefully I can even make my own position redundant someday.
What advice would you give to freshmen who want to follow you to New York?
If you know you’re interested in logistics and management and that’s the path you’ve chosen, then just keep your eyes open for what you like most, or what you’re good at. For instance, I really liked teaching, but my job here doesn’t really have much to do with that at all. But at some point, you might find your calling in your work, or a new direction for the future. In any case, don’t be intimidated. Sure, there’s stiff competition out there, and in theory, anyone in the world could apply for a job like this one. But maybe you have unique experience or come from a field no-one else is covering. Instead of trying to be a jack of all trades, try to focus on your own path – who knows where it will lead?
And what’s the next step for you?
I don’t have any plans just yet, and maybe that’s a good thing. I used to say that I’d never move to America, but now I really like it. But it’s very, very unlikely that New York will be my last stop. If you stay in the UN system, you’re automatically transferred to further stations and operational areas down the line. That wouldn’t be a problem; I’ve lived in countries like Namibia and South Africa before. But it’s anybody’s guess.
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