What do you do in your day job?

I’m an offshore coordinator team leader for Westermost Rough which is an offshore windfarm situated 8km off the Yorkshire Coast, north of Hull.  I love the role, I manage a team of people who look after the coordination and communication with people when they go offshore, which includes vessel transport planning, maintaining radio contact, ensuring they have all the up to date information including restrictions if any. Our main responsibility is knowing who is offshore, ensuring they are safe to be offshore and ensuring they come back onshore.

What do you love most about your job?

I love my job. Every day is different and when you arrive in the morning you don’t know what that day might hold. It’s a really sociable job too, we’re the place to go if people need any support whether they’re planning a trip or already offshore so there’s always people popping by, from the Head of Operations to the vessel crews, you never know who’s going to walk through the door. I love meeting new people so it’s the perfect job for me.

What made you want to get into the renewables industry?

I was working at a gas power station when I read an article about DONG Energy, and it made me think. I wasn’t sure what the future of the gas station was and the article said that Ørstedwere recruiting in Grimsby so I applied and got the job. The industry attracted me because it’s growing so rapidly. As an example – I currently look after offshore coordination for Westermost Rough but we also operate Gunfleet Sands and will be taking over operation of Lincs windfarm in February 2018. We’re also constructing another two windfarms off the Yorkshire coast; Race Bank, and Hornsea Project One. When built, Hornsea Project One will be the biggest windfarm in the world,  but we also recently got the go ahead for Hornsea Project Two which two years later will leapfrog that and be the biggest! So not only do I feel positive about what I’m doing, I know there’s a strong future for this company and industry too.

What advice would you give to someone applying for a job at Ørsted?

Believe in yourself. I actually applied for a different role, as a site assistant, and when they told me they’d like to offer me the offshore coordinator role I couldn’t believe it! I really questioned whether I’d be able to do it, but they had confidence in me. The feedback I got was that it was because I had a good attitude towards work. So even if you don’t have the experience sometimes it’s your mind-set that counts.

What qualities do you think are important for your role?

As things such as weather conditions or sea restrictions can change rapidly, you have to be able to think on your feet and react quickly to solve any problems. The job involves communication an coordination with many different people so it helps if you can quickly develop relationships, and enjoy meeting new people. At first I had to ask a lot of questions because I hadn’t had experience in the offshore wind industry, which some people might be too scared to do, but it allowed me to learn quickly and I think it gained me respect.

What’s been your biggest achievement?

I was part of the team that introduced helicopter operations to Westermost Rough. It’s the first time we’ve used helicopters in the UK to transport our staff to and from the windfarm, and it involved a lot of planning and persistence. There are so many aspects to consider and challenges to overcome, and there were many times when I couldn’t see how we would get it to work. So it was a really great and proud feeling to be part of the team that achieved this milestone for Ørsted. I was nominated for a president’s award (an internal award given each year by our Group CEO) for my work on the project, which I was extremely flattered by and was so surprised when I won! It’s such an exciting thing to be part of, I’ve been out in the helicopter a couple of times and as we use it almost daily I am constantly reminded of what we achieved.