A day in the life… with Simon Finlay, Solutions Project Manager

14th February 2022

Working in a “high pressure environment”, and often responding to emergency callouts at all times of the day, Solutions Project Manager Simon Finlay is very proud of his role at Selwood and the team he manages.

“It’s very rewarding – providing a full solution for a job and taking some of that worry and responsibility away from the customer,” he says.

No two days look the same for a Solutions Project Manager, but on a typical day Simon is often found out on site scoping jobs with his team.

“Whatever the job, it always starts with a site visit,” he says. “A Solutions Manager carries out the site survey and I am here to ensure that any challenges that arise, together we can build a plan of what we need to complete the work.

“The scale of a project can be anything from a building site that has flooded, that takes a diesel pump and some pipework to maintain a dry working area, or, we could be bypassing an entire treatment works, involving up to thousands of litres per second of raw sewage which requires an over pumping system to be planned and installed.

“Whether it’s an emergency, a temporary job or ongoing project, we still treat it with the same detail as a permanent job that we’d have months to plan for. Ensuring that any system is resilient and robust.”

Team Selwood

Being a team player is an important quality Simon instills in his team. Each day they are liaising with the operational teams and sales teams across Selwood’s branch network.

“For any project we need to make sure we get the right equipment delivered, in the right time scale and ensure that it’s been inspected beforehand, so it is fit for purpose.”

He is in regular contact with the Solutions and Installations teams, especially during long-standing projects that require periodic inspections. Sometimes the customer may want to adjust the setup of the pumps or pipework, so at this point he enlists the help of the dedicated mechanical Installations teams and Electrical Installation and Commissioning team.

“We also work closely with the Sales team” he says. “carrying out joint site surveys and working hand in hand on projects as they come up.”

It was all hands-on deck for a recent overpumping project, where Simon and his team worked around the clock to prevent raw sewage from polluting a beach.  

Emergencies like this often mean his day ends up going in a different direction than expected, but that’s all part of the job!

Training exceptional people

Staff training is a big part of the role of a Solutions Project Manager. If he’s not out on site, Simon is spending time with his team 1:1.

“At least 60% of my time is spent with my team, coaching and supporting them. It’s important we give people the knowledge and confidence to work safely.”

“We invest a lot of time and effort mentoring our people – from the day they start –and we’re very serious about investing in them to make sure they have a successful career at Selwood.”

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