What do you most enjoy about working at Bristol Veterinary School?
Something of a typical answer but it really is the people- BVS has such a wonderful community vibe and it’s amazing to see just how much everyone cares about making it a great place to work/study or visit. The vet school doesn’t stand still, we’re constantly evolving, improving, listening to feedback and actively making changes and finding ways to improve things for everyone. It’s a dynamic and exciting place to work and a big draw for me personally its rural location- coming out of the city to work is a luxury not many people have and it’s just such a beautiful campus it makes it all the more rewarding- and of course it also helps that there are dogs in the office 😃
What motivated your recent change in job role?
I moved into the Deputy School Manager role just a couple of weeks ago, I’m covering Ruby Jones who is off on Maternity Leave. The step up for me was something of a ‘right place/right time’ situation. I had been in the Executive Administration Manager role for just over a couple of years and feeling ready for a new challenge and wanting to develop my knowledge, but I was also nearing the end of completing UoB’s Female Leadership Initiative (FLi) for this year- an incredible opportunity to explore what female leadership means to me and really dig into and develop my skills as a leader alongside likeminded colleagues from across the organisation. With the role being a secondment, I get to put what I’ve learned into practice and continue to learn and grow into the role. This year has been all about personal growth for me!
What does a typical day look like for the Deputy School Manager?
As I’m only three weeks in I’m still learning that myself! I don’t think anyone in BVS has a ‘typical day’, but I love that my role intersects across all aspects of the school, and I get to be nosy about all the various goings on. This week for example I’ve been doing some heavy lifting (literally!) helping with the Dolberry building moves, attended a few different meetings related to school management, recruitment, finance, marketing and research. When I’m not in meetings I’m either keeping on top of my inbox (or trying to 😉) and still very much learning what’s expected of me in this new role- with particular focus on supporting the research community, as well as making sure Jade who has picked up the Executive Administration Manager role has everything she needs. So, watch this space, we’re in the transitional phase right now.
What excites you most about your new role?
I’m a problem solver by nature and I love to find new and imaginative ways to make things better or more efficient- my hope is that I can now do that on a slightly broader scale in my new role. That as well as the sheer variety of the work I get to be involved with. One day I might be creating some content for our LinkedIn pages, on another I could be reviewing and streamlining a school process or helping to plan for the next big school event, at the moment we’re busy preparing for an EAEVE Accreditation visit in October but last month it was the BVS Community Fun Day which was a fabulous day and one of our BVS@75 celebration events.
What kind of things do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
Honestly, all sorts! I’m a big foodie and I keep a list of restaurants I need to try after being inspired by all the foodie influencers I follow on IG! I also try (and often fail spectacularly) to recreate some of the dishes at home- I can always be relied upon for a good restaurant recommendation though! The cocktail photo is of me and colleagues Cath and Abbie from the School Admin Team at a team Bottomless Brunch earlier this year.
I love any chance to behave like a big kid, you’ll see a recent pic of me at Go Ape and this weekend I’m off to partake in a gigantic inflatable assault course, whilst a couple of years ago I took on the world’s fastest zip line (it’s in North Wales by the way and is an absolute blast!)
I’m also on a mission to increase the number of countries I have visited (currently 8% of the world) so have made a vow to visit at least one new country every year. Last year was Costa Rica and Malta (both fantastic places to visit!) and next week I’m off to Albania. I’ve always loved to travel so this is a fun way to explore new destinations (though not sure my husband agrees when I’m giving him the cost breakdown of my next half-baked travel plan, any tips for Slovenia?!).
In my downtime I’d love to say I have a unique and interesting hobby, but the truth is I’m more than content with a good book and a cup of tea (or a glass of wine) after a dog walk with my Frenchie JC, he’s getting on in years now but still loves a run and a roll on the field.