Meet Jenni
Lines and Cables Asset Manager
I was sponsored through university by NIE Networks and this provided both financial aid as well as valuable work experience opportunities. I then joined full-time as a graduate in 2011 working in the Engineering Design department focusing on overhead lines.
My current role is within the Asset Management department as Lines and Cables Asset Manager. My team is responsible for overhead lines and underground cables. We focus on the condition and reliability of the network rather than looking at power flows.
We write the specifications for equipment, policies on how things should be built and maintained, and decide which areas and circuits would benefit the most from refurbishment and replacement. There are some really interesting challenges at the moment including more sustainable alternatives to wood poles and how we can get optimise the existing network to facilitate Net Zero targets.
I also have a role as the Transmission Interface Manager, in which I manage the contract and relationship with the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI). Though we are completely separate companies, NIE Networks and SONI work very closely together and there needs to be rules that govern how we do that. I love that this is a completely different type of role with a lot of contractual and regulatory aspects.
As well as this I am also the ISO Co-ordinator, managing all the ISO certifications that NIE Networks holds. This role lets me see a much wider view of the whole company as well as seeing how an external auditor views our practices.
I have a 3 year old and a 7 year old. Life with young children can be hectic and constantly changing, with managing school drop-offs and childcare, changing schedules for school and nursery as well as illness, doctor's appointments and everything else. We also have an excitable labradoodle that we wouldn't leave alone all day. The flexible and hybrid working options really help me to juggle everything. It's great to have some time with my girls but also be able to get into the office and be my own person. It's important to me to show my daughters that they can have a fulfilling career as well as a family life.
I have always felt supported and trusted to manage my own time and work, and given the flexibility when it was needed. My mum used to help me with childcare so when she took ill and I had to rearrange my working schedule, it was sorted very quickly and easily.
Although perhaps perceived as a male-dominated area, in over 15 years with NIE Networks, I have never once felt that it mattered that I was female. In fact, with a focus on bringing more females into the company and engineering roles, there are so many opportunities for engagement, mentoring and support.
I love to learn and am grateful for the opportunities I have had to complete courses and qualifications during work. With a young family, I wouldn’t have the spare time to do so much of this on my own.
There are so many options for flexible and agile working. From shorter hours, compressed hours, 4-day weeks or 9 day fortnights, there is bound to be something that suits your needs.
I also really value the friendships I have developed through the years and across the company. I love the department and team I work in. We all pitch in when needed to get things done.
I also have a group of very close female friends that I have made through university and working together since. We support and champion each other through all the different phases of both home and work life.