For this employee feature, we would like to introduce someone many people at Milrem already know very well, our Office Manager, Irja.

Originally from near Tallinn and having lived in the city for the last 25 years, Irja’s career path was not exactly straightforward. Growing up, she was an avid reader and a huge fan of detective stories, especially ones involving lawyers. Naturally, law seemed interesting at first, but already after the first year, she realised real life was not quite like the crime novels. More importantly, it was also not the kind of people interaction she truly enjoyed.

Having studied in a humanities-focused school and learned several languages, Irja continued into French philology. But once again, the reality did not quite match the image she had in her head. After a year, she discovered ‘applied higher education ‘for executive assistants’ and immediately felt that this suited her much better. A supportive and helping role, lots of communication, but not necessarily being in the spotlight. There were also some HR and archiving involved, which she enjoyed as well.

Milrem is Irja’s third major workplace. Straight after her internship, she joined the classifieds newspaper Soov, later Postimees Grupp, where she worked for 10 years as an editorial assistant. After that came In Your Pocket, a city guide similar to Lonely Planet, where she also worked as an editorial assistant.

“Very cool work. I knew everything about Tallinn,” as she describes it.

Her journey to Milrem happened during a difficult period. In Your Pocket closed its doors practically overnight during COVID. There was a lot of walking and thinking during that time.

“The dog got walked so much its legs became shorter,” Irja jokes.

Before applying for the Office Manager position, she had actually never heard of Milrem. The job ad felt more manufacturing-oriented, and the defence industry was not something she had ever really considered before. But the first online interview changed that quickly.

“It was a very good meeting. I liked the people enormously.”

And that feeling has stayed with her ever since.

Today, Irja says that working at Milrem gives her a feeling that her work truly matters. That there is meaning behind what she does every day.

“It is not just about sending someone on a business trip to Brussels. I see how everything we do serves a bigger purpose. I feel like I am part of something bigger, part of Milrem as a whole, not just one small cog in a machine. So a business trip to Brussels is one more way I can contribute to the work we do, for example, in Ukraine.”

That sense of purpose is one of the reasons why the defence industry surprised her in the best possible way.

Over the years, the biggest changes have come from technology. Archiving used to mean printed contracts, signatures on paper, shelves full of folders, and physical mail arriving regularly. Today, almost everything is digitalised and automated.

Travel management and approvals have also moved away from endless email chains towards systems and workflows. Even though automation makes things easier, Irja admits it is not always simple to find solutions that work equally well for everyone. It is still a work in progress, but the team is always looking for ways to make life easier for employees at Milrem.

One of the bigger moments during her time at Milrem was the arrival of EDGE. There were a lot of worries and uncertainty at first, but those fears never actually materialised.

"While some things have changed, that’s a natural part of any company’s development, and our core has remained the same”

And for Irja, the people remain one of the biggest reasons why. When she started, she could proudly say she knew everyone’s faces. Today, that is a bit harder, but it is also why she enjoys welcoming people coming to interviews and new starters. It is her way of connecting to every employee at Milrem from day one.

She describes Milrem people as independent, proactive, and unafraid to ask for help. According to her, that mindset is important for succeeding here.

“You need initiative and the courage to ask for help. At Milrem, if you ask for help, you will get help. And if I cannot help you myself, I can direct you to someone who can. You are not left to figure things out on your own.”

And in the same breath, one of the few things that genuinely frustrates Irja, who is not easily frustrated, is when people do not accept help.

Irja says her own team has a huge role in why she always has a smile on her face. Supportive colleagues, patient people, and a strong sense of togetherness matter a lot to her.

Being an Office Manager at Milrem also means being adaptable. Days are unpredictable, and priorities can change quickly. The more open you are to learning and trying new things, the more rewarding the role becomes.

“Changes will always come. You need to be ready to accept them and adapt to them.”

Outside work, Irja has sung in a choir for 10 years. Maybe that also reflects something about how she sees teamwork. Not necessarily needing to stand in the front, but genuinely enjoying being part of something bigger together.

Happy 5 years with Milrem to Irja, and here's to many more!