Culture and Values, Diversity & Inclusion, Hints and Tips, Home Page, Marketing, Sales & Service, People, United Kingdom, Who We Are

Inclusive, non-judgemental and full of team work and enthusiasm

Ever wondered what a career journey looks like when it starts at the age of 19 as a Business Apprentice and leads to becoming a manager? Look no further! Michelle Harman’s path is a rollercoaster of growth, from launching products to leading teams. Dive into her story, aspirations, and tips for success in our latest blog:

Q: What position did you start in and what is your position now? Please describe your current responsibilities. 

I started at 19 as a Business apprentice which enabled me to experience many areas of the business. I am now in the Branded Goods area which we call Collections as Planning and Market Performance Manager. I am responsible for the launch management process, project managing the stakeholders to deliver on time to spec. This includes products such as apparel, models, caps, umbrellas etc that retailers may sell or gift to customers along various touchpoints of the Customer Journey. In addition to this I also manage the Markets Performance, working with market champions to understand their needs and ensure we get the global exposure required for our collections.

Q: Are you involved in any other projects / networks? If so, please describe what they are and what your contributions are. 

  • Founder and Co-chair of the Working Parents Network – A HUGE passion of mine. Working Parents are often an under represented group in the workplace and there is plenty of unconscious and conscious bias towards working parents – the network helps change culture, empower , engage and educate others.
  • Workforce Experience Projects – At JLR we have plenty f opportunity to make a difference outside our day job and the Workforce experience projects are great to be involved in for this. The last two projects have centred around recognition and wellbeing so it’s very rewarding.
  • I am on the D&I Awards Squad – supporting the growth and engagement in D&I

Q: What do you like about working here?

There is a lot of flexibility to change career direction. The hybrid working is literally life changing for me as a full-time working mother too. The JLR Creator’s Code sits very well with my values, and it is great to see over the years how the culture is really changing for the better.

Q: What are your career aspirations? Do you feel that you get the necessary support from your management / department to help achieve your learning & development goal? 

To continually add value and be the best version of myself  – this is super important to me. This may be progressing to a senior managers role longer term but essentially, its achieving value add in the business whatever my grade and enjoying what I do, whilst balancing motherhood. Feeing like I am not good at either work or parenthood is soul destroying so getting the balance right is imperative to me. Where you work and who you work for is crucial in supporting this and not being judged on being a mother limiting career progression is important. I am lucky that I have a really supportive manager and he has created a really great, inclusive culture within the Collection and Licensing Team.

Q: Describe your team / department, and what makes it stand out from our competition? 

The collections team is relatively small, but they really work together as a team. The pull to the job for me has always been the team culture which aligns as closely to the Creators’ Code more than any other area I have worked in. The standout for me is everyone truly is their authentic self. For example, It’s ok for a dad to leave work to a poorly child, for someone who is part-time to want to progress their career. Inclusive, non-judgemental and full of team work and enthusiasm.

Q: Tell us 3 interesting facts about yourself.

1. I have a twin sister

2. I am a qualified Neuro Linguistic Practitioner

3. I have worked at JLR since leaving school

Q: What hints and tips can you share with the potential candidates who are going through the application / interview process? 

Always be true to yourself. Recognise your self-limiting beliefs and be kind to yourself. Confidence is key but you have to believe you can do it.

Search for exciting careers opportunities here at JLR: Click Here

Analtyics, Analytics, Culture and Values, Diversity & Inclusion, Featured, Graduate, Hints and Tips, Home Page, Marketing, Sales & Service, People, Supply Chain & Logistics, United Kingdom

A positive, productive environment where everyone can thrive

Emma joined Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) as an undergraduate in 2016. After finishing her Business Management degree, she returned to the Graduate scheme where she worked in Aftersales Supply Chain in Global Customer Care.

She found her passion in working to improve Retailer experience in the Retailer Performance team for a couple of years. Exposure to the Retailer network ignited her interest in getting closer to JLR’s clients, she then jumped on the opportunity to join the Retailer Performance Intelligence team within Revenue & Loyalty in 2021 where she works today.

We asked her to share her experiences here at JLR as a Retailer Performance Intelligence Senior Consultant.

Q: Please describe your current responsibilities. 

My main responsibility is to provide data-driven insights to JLR’s global customer service teams and Retailer networks to drive improved revenues and customer satisfaction which is critical to delivering JLR’s Modern Luxury vision.

Q: Are you involved in any other projects / networks? If so, please describe what they are and what your contributions are. 

Up until recently, I was an active member of the Commercial Change Agent group where I supported several function-wide initiatives such as the Christmas Bake Off and the departmental shared common objective. Due to my current work responsibilities, I have had to take a step back from the Change Agent group however I am still actively championing the Commercial Wellbeing group. I take inspiration from our Commercial Wellbeing Lead, Kristina Brain, who volunteers above and beyond her day job, to drive real change in the way we collaborate and look out for one another.

Q: What do you like about working here?

I like working at JLR because of the volume of opportunities available to try new things and meet new people. For me, the extra things that happen outside of the day job, such as Coffee Roulette, learning a new skill through Employee Learning Scheme (ELS), and flexible working arrangements that enable us to work offsite at exciting locations such as Classics keep me motivated.

Q: What are your career aspirations? Do you feel that you get the necessary support from your management / department to help achieve your learning & development goal? 

I aspire to make a positive impact on the people, projects, and processes around me. Whether that be by checking in with a colleague who doesn’t seem themselves that day or supporting a project to bring in £1.8 million revenue to JLR. One person stands out to me when I think about my personal and professional development within JLR and that is my mentor – Jessica Tubb. I admire Jess for being an influential female leader within her department and thank her for expanding my perception, encouraging me to break barriers, and elevating my confidence.

Q: Describe your team / department, and what makes it stand out from our competition? 

I would describe my team as ‘forward-thinking’, driven by the belief that feedback and collaboration are the keys to success. The team is composed of motivated individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences giving us a unique perspective on the challenges we face, and how we bring out the best in each other. Whether it’s sharing insights, bouncing ideas off each other, or simply offering support, our team is always working to create a positive, productive environment where everyone can thrive.

Q: Tell us 3 interesting facts about yourself.

Outside of work, I like to keep active and play for JLR’s Netball team (shameless recruitment plug – if anyone is interested in joining please get in contact). I need to keep active to counteract my other interest – food. I’m a known foodie and will jump on any opportunity to travel to a new country or go to a new restaurant to try local cuisines. Without a doubt, Japan is the best country I have visited and wined and dined in.

Q: What hints and tips can you share with the potential candidates who are going through the application / interview process? 

Be yourself and have confidence in what you bring to the table. Jaguar Land Rover is going through an exciting period of change so its an excellent time to join the company and make a positive impact.

Search for your opportunity here.

Early Careers, Marketing, Sales & Service, People, Undergraduate

Marketing, Sales & Service Undergraduate – Joseph Taylor

“Working as part of the Owner Experience team, focusing on developing Jaguar Land Rover’s Body Shop Network, I’ve had the chance to take part in numerous exciting projects, such as helping run a global conference alongside my manager. My role was to organise the event’s agenda, locations and accommodation, and to present to delegates on the day itself. I learnt a lot, as I’d never been involved in an event this size before.

I also took part in developing a Cosmetic Repair Programme. My role was to conduct market research to support the business case and produce support material. I identified pilot locations and suppliers to work with.

My ambition is to return to Jaguar Land Rover on the Graduate Programme and make a significant impact on the future success of the business. I’m excited for what’s next.”

Early Careers, Marketing, Sales & Service, People, Undergraduate

Marketing, Sales & Service Undergraduate – Joe Beacham

How have you seen your role develop since you first started?

When I first started, I spent a bit of time understanding the role and what I would be required to do, but I got hands-on pretty early with completing tasks that would be part of my workload each month. As I have learned more about the business I have been able to get involved with other tasks and bigger projects. Being hands-on with suppliers and spending time offsite has been a really interesting experience. I still have my core day-to-day tasks to complete but I’m now getting involved in wider projects.

What was a project you were proud to be part of?

We undertook a three-week project to approve the efficiency of the creation of our main department scorecard. During the time we worked with external suppliers and I was able to run many of the meetings with them, outlining what we needed and tracking the ongoing progress that they were making. It was great to be part of an effective process improvement, whereby we were able to save the company time and money. It required a lot of work as sometimes dealing with suppliers in different locations isn’t plain sailing but that made it an even more interesting and exciting project to be part of.

How would you describe the undergraduate community at Jaguar Land Rover?

There is an undergraduate community; there have been several organised collective meetings within my Undergraduate Programme; being able to talk to people of interest from around the business and getting a chance to visit and learn about other areas of the business that we were previously unaware of. There have been many chances to see other undergraduates outside of work as well, and initially the Facebook group set up was a great way to get introduced to others.

What’s the best thing about being part of the Undergraduate Programme?

Being involved in making real improvements within the company that make a difference to the daily operations, and constantly being challenged to look at how we can improve our processes has been a great experience. I have been able to get involved in projects where I was given real responsibilities and saw the impacts they had across several business areas.

Early Careers, Marketing, Sales & Service, People, Undergraduate

Marketing, Sales & Service Undergraduate – Dominic Indoe

How have you seen your role develop since you first started?

I spent the first couple of weeks getting to grips with the working environment and learning what my role entailed. The start is always slow but since being in my role I have learnt an enormous amount about Customer Relationship Management. This has allowed me to not only develop my own skills but I have also been able to apply them to help improve the CRM system within the business.

How would you describe a typical working day?

A typical working day consists of me getting in around 8:30 and finishing around 5. Normally I’ll have a couple of meetings a day, some of which may be offsite. The work I do is challenging at times but that is what has kept me interested throughout my time here so far. If there are times I am really stuck when I’m doing something, I have my manager to help me out and provide their assistance, which I find so important for my development. There is a friendly atmosphere around the office with a lot of banter. It can, of course, get quite serious at times but that is expected especially when big projects are coming to a close. The office culture is definitely relaxed and people get on really well with each other.

What was a project you were proud to be part of?

A project that I completed was setting up the first Global Customer Relationship Management Conference. It was a two-day conference that got all CRM managers together from all over the world. I was in charge of finding a venue for the conference, and the hotel for 33 guests. This required me to do a lot of research and negotiation with different venues. I was then required to find transport for all the guests so that they could get to and from the venue as well as a restaurant for a 50-person dinner. I worked with internal stakeholders and the reprographics team to help make the conference a reality. The event was a huge success with everyone saying it exceeded their expectations which made me feel good about my contribution.

What’s the best thing about being part of the Undergraduate Programme?

The best part about being an undergraduate is exceeding your manager’s expectations. The different opportunities you have access to while on placement also means that if you want to gain an insight in another department you can. All you have to do is talk to your manager about it, and most of the time they are more than happy for you to broaden your horizons and learn more.

How would you describe your placement to a friend?

I’d say that people should be prepared to get outside of their comfort zones as there are chances while on placement here that you wouldn’t have anywhere else. Even if you’re doing things you haven’t done before that you have no clue about, there’s no harm in trying and learning.