As an Installation Manager for the South, Jamie works with the Solutions, Operations, Electrical teams, and Schedulers to ensure his teams’ projects run smoothly and are supported.
Following 23 years in the Navy, as an Engineer and Physical Trainer, Jamie was looking for a challenging managerial role with a clear pathway to progress. When the position at Selwood came up, it seemed like the perfect fit.
“I love the variety of this role and learning new skills. I also wanted to get my teeth into something and make it my own – Selwood allow me to do that.”
“Day to day I’m checking in with Operations and Solutions to make sure jobs are running efficiently. I’m the first port of call if there is an issue on site, and the conduit between the Install team and the Solutions Managers. I also carry out inspections to check kit is ready for the next job and liaise with my team for updates.
“On any given day I might have a pre-site meeting for any planned or complex jobs. We go through the job pack to make sure everything will work, and to be sure that the team know what they are doing when they get to site.”
“Selwood has recently recruited Schedulers who manage the team’s whereabouts, which means booking through a new system and allocating the paperwork. The system has seen a big difference in how the install teams work with getting the work complete on site and alleviates a lot of admin.
The online system has also supported Jamie with time management and documents such as RAMS, streamlining the admin element of his job role.
Continuous improvement and collaboration
Across the last 20 months, Jamie has made it his goal to develop his team, which currently sits at 20 employees (10 teams of two people).
“I’ve introduced more collaborative working between the Installations teams, Operations and Solutions. I call it ‘close communication’, so we make sure to close the line of communication. It’s all about making sure that everyone is on the same page.
“I work with my team to give them regular training. This could be led by myself or another senior supervisor. In doing so, the team understand how best to meet our high standards and to ensure they’re following the latest health and safety procedures.
“I carry out job reviews and chats with my team but aim to get the training to do more performance-based reviews. This will enable me to help support them develop to their full potential.”
Recruiting exceptional people
“Right now, I’m reaching out to companies and the military to recruit for more supervisors. As Selwood has grown, so has the demand for installation expertise.
“We have attended CTP (Career Transition Partnership) recruitment fairs, which support ex-military to get into work after leaving the forces. It’s encouraging for them to speak to people of a similar background, and I’ve enjoyed talking to people about my own experience and the transition into working at Selwood.”
“As recruitment continues, I am now working on site more to develop the teams, this requires taking them on a journey with me assisting on more difficult jobs throughout the Southern region.”