Siemens Healthineers Manager Helen Jones has a fabulous job

Meet Helen Jones, who works as a Formulation & Dispense Department Manager at Siemens Healthineers Llanberis.

In her role, Helen's main duties include: ensuring and maintaining a safe working environment for the team; maintaining high levels of quality and Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) compliance; supporting the team to ensure that all resources are provided to meet the production demands; managing the budget; dealing with any HR issues and support required; and driving continuous improvement and provide recognition and reward where appropriate.

Describing her typical working day

Helen describes what her typical working day at Siemens Healthineers looks like: "I work core hours now but have previously been on shift, so I can sympathize! The day starts with the Tier meetings and SQDIP boards which enable me to catch up with how the teams are getting on, and for any problems and issues to be brought to my attention."

"Much of the rest of my day is spent in meetings. These can be troubleshooting, providing information for projects or reviewing key data sets to support the manufacture process and to deliver on time. I also hold regular team meetings and one-to-ones with my team to maintain good communication and to look at personal development," adds Helen.

Enjoying a collaborative team

For Helen, the most rewarding part of her job is when the team is working together. "They are a well-oiled machine and capable of really good work," says Helen.

"I am constantly surprised and pleased by the level of dedication and passion shown by the team for the work that they do. It is often seen in smaller actions, as well as those publicized through the recognition channels," adds Helen.

Overcoming challenges in her job

When asked about the greatest challenges Helen faces in her job, she explains: "Managing my time to maintain a balance between day-to-day production activities, whilst also including activities to move the department forward through continuous improvement and the development of the team. Also, ensuring that I am available to the team in person and catching up face-to-face on a regular basis can also become an issue when I am scheduled into a lot of meetings. It is a challenge for me to say no."

Thriving in a respectful environment

Helen shares what she would say to encourage others to take up employment at Siemens Healthineers, whose culture she describes as "innovative, responsible, progressive, respected and sociable."

"This is a very professional environment where everyone is treated with the same level of respect. I am surrounded by very hard-working and dedicated colleagues, and it is a pleasure to work amongst them. From personal experience, there are plenty of opportunities for reward if you are willing to work hard and embrace all that the company has to offer," comments Helen.

Offering advice for young STEM professionals

Finally, Helen offers the advice she would give to young people considering STEM careers: "Be open-minded about what different roles can offer as experience even if they are outside your area of focus; part of the Continuous Improvement activity here is to look at the work done at other sites or in other functions. As well as being fascinating, there is always a practice or learning that you can take from the experience."