Iris’ Journey
For Iris, what began as a first job as a young adult blossomed into a rewarding career. After her early days working at that small construction company, she joined a concrete construction company and a general engineering contractor, taking on a variety of roles from accounting and payroll to running bids. She then stepped into project management, where she could more fully use the depth and breadth of her construction industry knowledge.
I appreciate the real behind-the-scenes engine that this business requires. There are some very talented people making everything happen. What you see at the office or on the job site is not even half the story.
Iris has been a part of the Rainbow team since 2015, her current position is Rainbow’s field operations manager. Here, she finds inspiration in witnessing the progression of commercial, historic, and landmark restoration projects for which Rainbow is known—and in the close relationships she has built with her colleagues. “We became a team quickly. I’ve forged some real-life friendships with many of the project management and admin team.”
The Right Role in Commercial Building Construction
Commercial building construction wasn’t initially what Iris pictured herself doing long term when she took that first job. “To be perfectly frank, at 18 years old I certainly didn’t think of it as a lifelong career commitment,” she says, “Yet here I am so many years later!”
The longevity of her career comes in part from the way she connected with the work. “I took to construction because my personality lends itself to this industry,” she explains. But while she gained invaluable experience and knowledge in her previous roles, it is as field operations manager that she can truly thrive.
Being at a desk doesn’t appeal to my nature. In operations management, you’re continually learning and inevitably, there’s always something to be accomplished. You’re constantly trying to figure out situations and collaborating with new people. That kind of energy keeps me motivated and engaged. I enjoy working in an environment where my team knows they can count on me, where we count on each other, and we all jump in and help when needed.
Iris’ current position as FOM is a culmination of all her years in this industry and was born from her relationship with Rainbow.
Rainbow recognized me in creating this position and shows who the company is at its core by empowering me in this job. The position didn’t exist previously. We took the time to define it. Together, we shaped it and continue to do so.
Over the course of Iris’ career, she has seen many construction firms idle and become constrained by the status quo. At Rainbow, that doesn’t happen. Instead, her role is constantly evolving and she’s a part of out-of-the-box thinking that “creates an energy—that leads us, and I hope, is motivating to our entire team of 100+ crew members.”
What a Day in Operations Management Looks Like
Whether you’re in the commercial building construction industry or you’re not, there’s a certain intrigue in imagining what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes for a day. Iris’ day typically begins in the Rainbow office, where she ensures the crew has what it needs before even arriving at the job.
“There are so many moving parts of this,” she says. “It’s a flurry of phone calls and conversations.”
There is one aspect of Iris’ job, however, that takes on special importance: safety. Rainbow’s Safety Program is a crucial part of the FOM role. This commitment to safety also extends to the warehouse, where Iris is involved in essential details like providing support for warehouse staff.
Caring for the Team
Part of the reason safety is so important to Iris is the close relationship she has with her team. In fact, when asked about her favorite part of the job, she immediately says, “Interacting with our crew and being of service to them. I know them as individuals not just as ‘the crew.’ They do the work that makes Rainbow thrive as a company.” That is what Iris embraces on a daily basis—and what makes her an exceptional field operations manager.
In many industries, the core of the company is overlooked as it is not the shiniest aspect of the operation. How beautiful does a building look after our 3-year renovation? Stunning! But I know:
- How many hours that foreman spent experimenting in his own garage trying to work out a particularly tricky repair
- How many times our crew worked a Saturday because the client preferred it
- How many times our team worked during the holiday weekends because those were only weekends the building was vacant and a particular repair could be done
- When they schedule their personal time off around a project’s schedule as they take pride in their work as it’s a reflection of them
Knowing all those details I’m motivated to work for them, to advocate for them, to create an environment that moves us all forward.
Iris reflects regularly on the accomplishments of her Rainbow team while always looking ahead to future opportunities.
Becoming Part of Our History
Iris is a unique asset to Rainbow, helping to redefine the possibilities of operations management. Construction can sometimes have a disconnect between the field and the office, but Rainbow is striving to bridge that gap putting people like Iris in a position to shape the future of Rainbow’s team and customers—and the San Francisco Bay Area as a whole. As Iris says:
San Francisco is my adopted home. I really do love this city. It has been the only place I have lived since arriving in this country from El Salvador so many years ago. Having this community where we settled has been a blessing. This a progressive, inclusive, diverse, and welcoming space for so many of us. To be able to be part of preserving San Francisco—my adopted home—is not something I ever thought I would be part of. The significance of that does not escape me.
While Iris has played a pivotal role in many interesting and historically significant projects in the San Francisco Bay Area over the years, there is one that is closest to her heart: the Conservatory of Flowers. As an avid gardener and plant lover, Iris felt as though she became part of preserving that special piece of San Francisco history.
“It’s a building I’ve been to many times,” she says,” During our work there, there were many days I got to start my day at Golden Gate Park. I would pick that over an office any day.”
Rainbow has the experience and expertise needed to make your Bay Area building commercial or historic restoration projects a success. Reach out to the Rainbow team today.
The Rainbow Team is Northern California’s most trusted waterproofing and restoration company. We have the craftsmanship and expertise to handle any commercial or historic building envelope, masonry, or waterproofing project in the San Francisco Bay Area.
