Jane Davys

What is your role at Ricardo? 

I am a Team Leader managing the Central Admin team which provides travel and administration support for Ricardo. 

What does you average day at Ricardo look like?

Every day is different, and it depends on the request the team and I get. The main tasks are travel requests (UK and International), postal/courier requests and other ad hoc teams, for instance, catering. 

What do you look forward to at work?

I enjoy the cross collaboration as I work a lot with our IT, Facilities and Health & Safety teams. I like the challenge of working on projects as it's different to my day-to-day role.

What do you find most rewarding at work? / Are you proud to work at Ricardo? 

I enjoy helping resolve issues and the simple satisfaction of doing a job well done, every time, whether it's a small travel request or a much more complex issue. I find it rewarding to manage the team. I am proud to work at Ricardo and often tell people about it. 

What was you or your team's latest achievement and how was it celebrated? 

We've had a few over the last few months, we recently completed a complex vis / travel request on time alongside updating all archived documents. Another achievement was completing a challenging clear out project in the Glasgow office. We tend to go out for lunch to celebrate any achievements or milestones like birthdays or service lengths. 

How have you developed your career at Ricardo? 

I joined Ricardo later in my career as an experienced hire so already had qualifications and experience. However,  when I joined the business it was after a career break. I had initially joined Ricardo as a temp employee to support the Air Quality team. 

I was then able to transfer into another role as a Team Leader for the Central Admin team which was a new post. I have since developed and supported the growth of the team and taking over more functions.. 

How do you support career development opportunities for your team?

We review training and development opportunities in our monthly check in meetings and the team can request the training they need. On the job training and shadowing are often the most effective as the roles are quite specific. I encourage the team to do personal development training as well. 

What do you most enjoy about working with your team?

I enjoy our discussions and considering all the different ideas that surface, often at our informal team meetings. I also enjoy the chat and the informal fun.