Volunteer steward on board trains, carriage cleaner and attendant in the buffet

Responsible for managing and co-ordinating the entire census operation in Bolton and Bury. Initially focussing on establishing links with these local authorities, local media (both radio and print) and community groups in order to engage with the general public and specific target populations, but during the operational period, becoming more focussed on managing and ensuring the health and safety of a team of 250+ Field Staff. Financial responsibilities included hiring venues for meetings, authorising expenses and approving additional hours. This fixed term contract ran from 02 August 2010 to 10 June 2011. Key Achievement: secured over 90% return rate of household questionnaires while remaining within budget

Responsible for recruiting, inducting, training and managing a team of up to 25 environmental surveyors and data processors across the country to monitor and grade levels of cleanliness in the public realm using protocols approved by the Office for National Statistics; undertaking analysis of data in order to write and publish annually the Local Environmental Quality Survey of England on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) which included creating national benchmarks used by Government for local authority target setting via the Best Value Performance Indicator BV 199; additionally in the summer, undertook monitoring visits for Blue Flag Beach and Blue Flag Marina Awards; budget holder for survey activities including contract work for local authorities, housing associations and other major land managers; briefing Defra and Keep Britain Tidy’s top management on aspects of local environmental quality; overall responsibility for upholding quality assurance of the data and for the Occupational Health & Safety of the surveying teamsKey Achievements: surveyed every English local authority over a two year period on behalf of Defra, within budget, and published survey results on the internet; managed the BV 199 Helpdesk for local authorities

Responsible for a National Lottery-funded project aimed at encouraging disadvantaged communities across the four home nations to improve their local environments by providing start-up grants for community gardens and similar projects. This involved devising an initial strategy; recruiting and briefing two project assistants; tendering for the design of logo and materials from media agencies; writing publicity materials and grant application forms in accessible language; publicising the project through local radio interviews, stands at various shows and press articles; forming relationships with intermediaries such as Housing Associations and seeking match funding; establishing a grant approval committee; liaison and co-operation with regional Britain in Bloom committees; supporting community groups in the field; creating budgets and managing all project expenditure; quarterly reporting on progress to the National Lottery; bringing the project to a conclusion having given out 360+ start-up grants to community groupsKey Achievements: saw project through from inception to completion, on time and within budget; also took over management during the final stages of the struggling National Lottery-funded Sustainable Communities Programme and brought it to a successful conclusion

Secretary to the newly created Partnership Committee including office management with responsibility for agendas, minutes, booking venues, paying grants; regular liaison with local Scope groups in Greater Manchester, Lancashire and CumbriaKey Achievement: arranged and supervised elections to the Partnership Committee and Executive Working Group

Responsible for the implementation of educational and development contracts, mainly in China, funded by the British Government, European Union and World Bank; managing budgets in the range £5m - £8m per annum; managing a UK-based team for the delivery of projects overseas and for the training and welfare of overseas personnel in the UK; staff recruitment, induction and training; visiting overseas clients, ministries; British Council colleagues and project staffKey Achievements: member of the panel of Internal Quality Auditors which achieved ISO 9002 at the first attempt, the first public body in the UK to achieve this award and introduced a new contract filing system

Responsible for the recruitment and maintenance of British specialists for overseas posts in educational and development projects funded by the British Government, European Union and World Bank, mainly in Eastern and Central Europe and the Far East; advertising posts in the British press; selection interviewing; preparing candidates for life overseas; administering ‘pay and rations’ and other contractual obligations; British Council representative on the Universities Advertising Consortium; minutes secretary of a sensitive industrial relations forum; recruitment of British postgraduates for scholarships offered by overseas governments, NATO and other organisations; editor of the annual ‘Scholarships Abroad’ booklet and held interim appointments at the British Embassy, Beijing, China and in Kaduna, NigeriaKey Achievements: introduced a new, centralised recruitment database; safely brought back all contract staff and students from China after “Tiananmen Square;” served as guest interviewer at several Embassies in London