The Cockroach Manager
Fresh out of ITB, I landed a job offer to work at an FMCG factory that produces Vicks near Pulo Gebang, Bekasi, Indonesia.
On my first day, I was super excited. Still very green, instead of heading straight to the air-conditioned reception, I found myself queuing at the gate with truck drivers handling their entry permits.
After onboarding with the HR Team for Compensation & Benefits, I finally got a clearer picture of my role. My job title: Band-1 Manager - Engineering and Technical System (E&TS).
I was to lead an Engineering Team of six members, despite having zero work experience. And to top it off, the engineering I studied at ITB was not mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or factory production processes.
At 21, I was the youngest, with team members old enough to be my father. That’s where I learned to win over my team to teach me everything I didn't know.
But isn’t ITB all about learning how to learn? So it doesn’t really matter what subjects we study as long as we have Learning Agility.
I was pumped to lead the Engineering Team. What would we engineer? A new, more efficient cough syrup machine? An upgrade to the candy-making chemical process?
Turns out “Engineering” here meant Engineering & Building Maintenance. So, my KPI was to ensure the factory was always neat and spotless. Daily tasks involved managing the in-house contractor to complete building maintenance - fixing chipped epoxy floors, patching leaking roofs, mending damaged walls, maintaining the Air Handling Unit, and so on. And be ready to face the wrath of QA Managers if the AC was too hot, the floor was chipped, or the mosquito population spiked.
Yes, pest control for the entire factory was also my responsibility. In daily Team Meetings, we tracked mosquito, cockroach, and lizard populations across the factory. This was crucial because any insect contamination in cough syrup or candy could spell a massive disaster, ruining the company’s reputation—not to mention financial losses.
I even used my ITB statistics skills to analyze trends in insect and lizard populations, identify root causes, implement permanent solutions, and hire spray teams for short-term fixes.
Initially, I did wonder if a graduate from Indonesia's top university should be dealing with factory roaches. Aren’t we the nation’s best and brightest?
Ah, that’s just false pride. I chose to stay positive, knowing the company’s principle of Promotion From Within. Everyone starts from the bottom and works up to the CEO, with rare mid-career hires from outside.
Sure enough, I held this role for just four months. Then, I was reassigned as Operation Manager - a core role in the factory, replacing the previous manager sent as an expat to the Bangkok Plant. My team grew to 32, with greater responsibilities for Vicks candy production volumes, efficiency targets, safety, and quality.
Lessons learned: never feel entitled to anything. Nothing is given; we must earn it.
