|
Careers
The initial part of my career was working in the private sector in sales and commercial roles. When the opportunity came up, I leapt at the
chance to join Stevenage Borough Council as it works so closely with the local community and residents it serves. Stevenage was particularly
appealing as it already had a history of entrepreneurial activity in the form of the town centre regeneration partnership.
As Head of Commercial, my role is varied and includes being the corporate commercial lead for the organisation, overseeing a large commercial operational area and the business development function. My role was new and the commercial team has expanded over time. I feel fortunate to work for such a forward- thinking organisation with great ambitions for the future. The ability to work flexibly is hugely beneficial and supports me in having a good work-life balance.
Commercial activity in the form of advertising and sponsorship, film shoots and productions are just a few examples of how we generate an income. However, a lot of my work takes place behind the scenes and centres around consolidating and building the portfolio of commercial offers.
In what is a hugely challenging financial situation for all local authorities, the work my team does in supporting the financial security of the council is valued and there is great job satisfaction in knowing that we are working to support the continued delivery of vital council services.
After a decade of working in the private sector, my focus was to optimise and streamline operations, managing costs to increase profitability. I
needed to adapt my way of thinking from asking “How do we make profit...? to how we make a difference...?” Working in the public sector, my
focus is now directed towards serving the community.
The decision to apply for a role outside of London and eventually move to Stevenage was motivated by a desire for a change from London's atmosphere. This is the closest I have ever lived to where I have worked and this played a significant role in my decision to relocate.
The onboarding experience was excellent, with great initial communication from the HR team. I had lots of questions and their responses were always prompt and informative. When I attended site for the first time to provide my Right-To-Work documentation, the onboarding team were so welcoming. All nerves that I had soon disappeared and before I knew it, I was an SBC employee.
I have always had an interest in ICT, but I particularly enjoy learning about new technologies, systems and gadgets. After completing my A-Levels, I was keen on gaining hands on experience, earning whilst learning. The apprenticeship program offered by Stevenage Borough Council was an exciting opportunity to do this. Having looked at the Council’s website I was surprised by the range of services the council provided to its residents.
Initially as a Helpdesk Apprentice my role was to provide first line support to staff, this was a great entry role into IT. During my apprenticeship I had the opportunity to work with a variety of IT specialists, this was a great insight into the routes available to me. I went on to secure a permanent role as a 2nd line engineer. I then progressed through roles focusing on technical support, Project Management into my current role as leading the team as the Service Desk Manager. My roles were all supported with formal training and mentoring by the Senior Leadership Team.
Stevenage Borough Council offers great flexible working packages. I truly felt the effect of flexible working when I was able to pursue my career and have a family. As a busy mum of 3, balancing work and life is crucial. Being able to work flexibly around my family is important to me, a benefit SBC truly supports.
Every day presents a new challenge and a chance for me to learn new skills. It is so rewarding to help employees across the council do their jobs which provide essential services to the residents and communities of Stevenage.
My main motivation for choosing SBC was to work in local government, for me, this is synonymous with working for the general well-being of people. My role as Head of Climate Action is wide-ranging and exciting covering different areas of sustainability.
My background is in electrical engineering and energy systems, and I have previously worked in research, academia, energy regulation, and energy policy. I moved to the UK from Chile to study an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development, so this opportunity was a perfect fit for a new professional challenge.
The Council has developed a Climate Change Strategy and set a very ambitious goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2030. Our team is small and newly established and working across the whole organisation we engage with all employees as we are responsible for delivering climate action.
In my first six months at the Council, I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of fascinating topics related to sustainability and climate change, such as sustainable transport, active travel, clean fuels, buildings energy performance, renewable generation opportunities, sustainable procurement, and community led projects.
I am looking forward to continuing to contribute so that we all achieve our climate goals together.
