Running a large number of small, concurrent projects to install specialist furniture and equipment in public libraries and schools

I project managed delivery of various strategic and operational improvements to specialist laboratory and cold storage facilities, ensuring each project delivered the product the client desires, in a timely manner, within budget and complying with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.Projects included –• £1.2M, site-wide fire containment project including investigations, remedial repairs, updating and improving fire safety and setting up ongoing maintenance systems and cleaning ductwork.• Managing £1.2M refurbishment programme for walk-in cold rooms varying in size from 10m² to 100m². Improving the thermal insulation, refrigeration components, refrigerant and Building Management Systems (BMS) alarms.• Designing and implementing the expansion of an operational area by reconfiguring and extending an existing building. After tender evaluation I contracted out the production of a design and ran design reviews with all stakeholders, as well as co-ordinating external CDM and building regulations consultants. Implementation of this design is due to commence shortly.• Specifying remedial improvements to existing HVAC to comply with specialist requirements for pressure, humidity, temperature, air changes and noise. I researched legal/statutory and operational requirements and produced tendering specification.• Specifying and replacing large specialist batch processing equipment including reconfiguring a plant room to remove any impact on operational processes. I coordinated the writing of a User Requirement Specification with local stakeholders and equipment specialists, and prepared this for tendering.

Thrapston Plaza Opera Company aims to bring the local community together to enjoy an annual operatic production, performed to a high standard including outstanding soloists, an accomplished orchestra, beautiful costumes and high quality sets.As company director I am responsible for ensuring the company's sound management including its finances, processes and procedures and the general manner in which it is run. I also take part in more hands-on activities within the company, helping as required with sets, costumes, props etc.

The charity Peterborough Opera aims to bring to beauty of opera to a wide audience in the Peterborough area. As a trustee I take part in setting strategy; developing the ongoing Business Plan and assisting in the administration of the financial and artistic developments of this longstanding regionally-based registered charity.

I have varied my yoga teaching hours between full and part time depending on my managerial work.As a yoga teacher I enjoy working with people, particularly as I am often able to help them with important personal goals.Key skills employed include delivery of clear and concise instructions, motivating and encouraging people and keeping mindful of the whole class at all times to ensure no-one is left behind and everyone is working safely.As a self-employed person, I also use a range of other skills including website design and maintenance (using only notepad, plus a pencil and scanner for images), financial accounting, advertising and customer service.

I am the area chair for Cruse Bereavement Care for their Peterborough and Huntingdonshire branches.Cruse Bereavement Care is the leading national charity for bereaved people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We offer support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies and work to enhance society’s care of bereaved people.Cruse offers face-to-face, telephone, email and website support. We have a national helpline and local services, and a website and freephone helpline specifically for children and young people. Our services are provided by trained volunteers and are confidential and free. Cruse also provides training and consultancy for external organisations and for those who may encounter bereaved people in the course of their work.

I oversaw of all aspects of RNIB’s use of volunteers across Anglia and Lincolnshire, including:• Advising managers on all stages of volunteer recruitment including needs analysis, role design and marketing. • Supporting a wide range of managers to develop and deliver appropriate volunteering support.• Providing timely advice to managers, staff and volunteers on dealing with the full range of ongoing volunteer management, including performance, reward and recognition, conduct, and problem solving. • Assisting managers with project/change management, including communications with stakeholders, alternative volunteer opportunities, reward and recognition, dealing with complaints and feedback• Delivering various training courses to managers and to volunteers• Line management of around 80 volunteers supporting key work across Anglia and Lincolnshire including advertising, recruitment, training, induction and ongoing support.• Working in partnership with other third sector, statutory and corporate organisations to deliver RNIB Group strategy through involving volunteers.

I managed volunteer-led services for older people around Greater Peterborough and led co-ordinated the work of the 'Cambridgeshire hub'. This included:- Project Managing the creation of new services- Line Management of RVS services in Peterborough- Recruitment, development, motivation and line management of staff and volunteers- Development and maintenance of relationships with key local contacts- Provision of management support to other services within the company- Organising of fundraising activities- Promotion and advertising of services- Dealing with customer feedback, complaints etc.

I taught a timetable of science classes from 11-year-olds to A-Level including many pupils with special educational needs, as well as completing academic report writing (to masters level). This interesting course involved considerable thinking on my feet, and finding new ways to engage with children and to present concepts, whilst maintaining safety and discipline.Although very rewarding and challenging, after 2 terms I decided this training was not for me and did not complete the 2 year course.

I managed 30 staff and 40 volunteers and hired 8 professional voice actors each day at recording studios in Peterborough and London. My revenue budget was £1.3 million per annum plus additional money when I undertook project management work such as building of new studios.Much of my work focused on ways to improve throughput, efficiency, quality and functionality of output. I prioritised and streamlined work, allowing turnaround times to reduce from several months to just a few days. I ensured that from 2007-2011, output of Talking Books, our main product, more than doubled whilst the cost per book almost halved. The same world-class standards of performance and production were upheld and the number of errors was reduced by a factor of 10. Functionality was also improved significantly, allowing much better navigation and searching of books.In 2010 I successfully implemented an ISO9000 quality management system for my teams. This was audited by LRQA with no non-conformances.In addition to general managerial duties, I gained a range of experience of accounting, HR processes (leading recruitment, capability and disciplinary processes etc), technical development (including in-house engineering and working with other organisations), and health and safety.

I managed a large number of broadcast engineering projects with budgets up to £5million, including refurbishing and building of radio stations. These involved tight timescale requirements, including managing subcontractors, landlord arrangements, operational staff involvement and ensuring that work did not take the BBC’s broadcasting off the air. Key skills required were organisational and planning skills, presentation skills, interpersonal and facilitation skills and also the ability to re-engineer solutions when issues or opportunities came up. As well as broadcast engineering, I also managed building works, facilities, IT equipment and software development.I also completed engineering work such as designing a tactile level meter for use by visually impaired staff, and I led small teams of experts in designing larger products such as the physical layout of a radio station, radio studio control desk layouts and radio station playout software function.

My work was as per September 2004-December 2006. Siemens Business Services bought out BBC Technology in March 2004 but my project work at BBC continued.

This was an on-the-job training course for project management, specialising in broadcast engineering projects. On completing the training, my work continued as per September 2004-December 2006.My department moved to BBC subsidiary company BBC Technology in March 2001 and Siemens Business Services bought out BBC Technology in March 2004 but my project work at BBC continued.

This regular holiday job included face to face customer interactions with customers, giving advice about electronic design, components and fault-finding, as well as more general customer advice in choosing electrical items etc. I also performed stock checking, carried out electronic repairs, set up shop window displays and took charge of the cash till.