James Gowing, Director, our Power sector Professional Service lead, who currently heads up the East Anglia team and project manages several of the high profile renewable energy projects that Dalcour Maclaren are involved with on the east coast, talks about his experience in East Anglia, how he’s grown the team continuously since 2014, and where they are looking to go next.
Can you explain how the East Anglia team has developed since you first opened the office in 2014?
We have gone from a team of two servicing Cadent Gas and working on the Race Bank offshore wind farm on behalf of Orsted to a team of 20 working across the Power, Water, T&I and Telecoms sectors, advising clients such as EDF on flagship infrastructure projects such as SZC Nuclear Power plant and the Hornsea Three offshore wind farm project for Orsted , now located in a brand new purpose built office on the Kilverstone Estate. (we even have EV charging points!)
And what about the workload?
Our team has wide ranging experience on large-scale CPO and DCO projects , working with the likes of Orsted, EDF, National Grid and Scottish Power Renewables, alongside our framework clients such as Cadent Gas, the Environment Agency, Gigaclear and Anglian Water, to name a few. These are fast-paced, diverse, industry-leading projects and as our team continues to grow, the workload that comes with it is increasingly varied.
The key difference in how we deliver, compared to when we opened the office and certainly compared to when I started here at DM, is how we’ve innovated over the years. We deliver an industry leading service to our clients on wide-ranging areas: Surveying has always been our ‘bread and butter’ but we are now fully integrated with our in-house Geomatics, Environment and Planning and Property Management teams, without which we would not be able to deliver the solutions we need to. As well as that we have massively developed our use of software and technology. The quality and commitment to getting the job done has always been there, but our innovation allows our experts to give advice in specialist areas, whilst streamlining the processes, providing cost savings for our clients and making much better use of all of our time.
How have those two things (the development of workstreams and growth within the team) aligned with the growth across the rest of the sector/company?
We have made the most of opportunities since having an initial presence on the east-coast. We’ve been well placed to pick up large-scale framework opportunities and deliver on major infrastructure developments such as Sizewell C Nuclear power plant. The growth in the team has been driven by growth across the Power Sector, on which we are predominantly focussed, along with the Water and Transport and Infrastructure sectors. Location (aligning with multiple clients and other offices along the east coast, Yorkshire and the northeast) has been key to our involvement within the Renewables sector. The ‘One Team’ approach allows us to distribute staff nationwide but provide a consistent service to clients- this has always been something that we have done, but since being in Lockdown and working remotely, our agility has been a huge help in keeping projects moving.
How would you describe the team that we currently have working in the Power sector and in East Anglia?
Our team has built up over the last 6 years and each new member brings something different, be that in their experience, expertise, tea-making skills or questionable jokes. I am fortunate to say that we really do have a dynamic, professional, motivated and high performing team. The way we have all come together and supported each other with our Friday pub quizzes, regular catch ups and check-ins, and buddy system during the Covid pandemic, and even orchestrating an office move during that time, has been amazing to see and great for team morale. The extra space in the new office now means we are starting to meet face to face a bit more, to really reinforce that One Team ethos.
We started lockdown with a team of 12 and now we’re up to 20; we are really excited about where this team is heading- now we just need some more great people to join us on our journey.
What are you looking for in a new addition to the team?
The person (or people) we need will be motivated, ambitious, driven, team players who are willing to get stuck in and deliver the company business plan goals with a smile and innovative approach, keeping the team spirit and can-do attitude at the forefront of their work.
If this sounds like you or someone you know I would really encourage you to get in touch, visit our website to read about the available roles, and find out what DM can do to help you with your next career move.
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