I started working for a subcontractor at Portsmouth dockyard around 2008 and the chance came up to become a full BAE Systems employee, so I went for it. Straightaway, I loved the teamwork and the culture of the dockyard, it felt like a big family, a really enjoyable place to work. My first major project once I joined was a three-year secondment to work in the Kindom of Saudi Arabia, reconditioning and conducting the mid-life upgrade on their ships, along with BAE Systems colleagues from different sectors up and down the country. I was fascinated by the religion and the culture. It was an amazing experience to be working with people from such different backgrounds to my own and it helped me develop some core values that I carry with me to this day.
It was a challenging time, as we were all missing friends and family. But through it, I developed a deeper understanding of emotional intelligence - learning not just how to build relationships and read people’s behaviour, but how to respond with empathy and provide real support. Wellbeing is much more at the forefront of our business now and for me it started to become something I was interested in on that first secondment.
I'm currently working on the refit and upgrade on a Hunts Class ship, where my role supports the structural survey and repairs of various structures.
A benefit of working for a global organisation is the opportunity to experience working across a diverse portfolio of projects, business streams and in multiple countries. As a Project Manager, I love the interaction with people the most. Setting a clear vision at the outset of a project and working with different people to achieve a common goal. This is not without it's challenges, however there's no greater feeling than overcoming them to deliver for our customer. It brings me a real sense of pride and satisfaction.Shane, Project Manager
Aside from my day job, I volunteer to lead our ECG ‘Cultural Heritage’, which supports cultural and ethnic inclusion. I also sit on numerous Inclusion boards across our Maritime & Land sector to help educate and develop people regarding different aspects of inclusion, helping them to have the emotional intelligence to understand how someone is slightly different to them or does things in a slightly different way.
We’ve run activities to highlight things like International Women’s Day and Black History Month, we also look at mental health topics and try to remove some of the stigma. We’ve now got a calendar to help us plan our activities, to keep inclusion, as well as wellbeing on the agenda all year round. It’s important to me, I want to make a difference.
I’ve learned from every opportunity that the business has given me and made the most of them all. I’ve worked abroad, achieved project management qualifications, completed a degree and had some fantastic coaches and mentors over the years. It’s a place where you get out as much as you put in. If you want to challenge yourself and push yourself there’s always someone to point you in the right direction, give you sound advice and help you fulfil your potential.
This is my BAE Systems story, find yours by joining today.