Bjorn Risebrow
GTS Operations Manager - Service Delivery
What I do at Ports of Jersey
My role as Operations Manager is to oversee the operations of a number of service delivery trades for Ports of Jersey's Group Technical Services team. This includes the following teams/trades; building services/facilities (painters, carpenters, plumbers), mechanical fitters/vehicle workshop, electrical teams, harbour and airport maintenance teams.
Along with ensuring that the teams remain compliant in all aspects of H&S related to their work i ensure that the teams are meeting pre-determined targets, agreed and set out in various service level agreements. My intention is for our empowered teams to strive to ensure that we remain customer focused at all times, often looking for creative and innovative solutions to achieve completion of tasks and activities.
Along with ensuring that the teams remain compliant in all aspects of H&S related to their work i ensure that the teams are meeting pre-determined targets, agreed and set out in various service level agreements. My intention is for our empowered teams to strive to ensure that we remain customer focused at all times, often looking for creative and innovative solutions to achieve completion of tasks and activities.
Why Ports of Jersey
Ports of Jersey is a modern, progressive, inclusive company. They pride themselves on being fair and supportive and genuinely put the people (staff) first. They are a company which is striving to make a difference for the island and who cares about customer service, improvement and ensuring they play a big part in a sustainable future.
Who am I?
I started my career at Ports of Jersey around 2007 starting as a member of the marina leisure team. My experiences as a child growing up on the coast and boating from the age of 10 led me to be drawn to a role more closely linked with the maritime industry. Previous to this i had worked in the motor vehicle trade as a parts advisor since the age of 19 and had also trained at Highlands College to become an apprentice vehicle mechanic along with helping out my father with his small construction company from time to time.
During my time at the marina i had started studying various maritime practical and theory courses with a view to looking to progress to the Coastguard and VTS team. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take up a role with the CG+VTS team in 2009 after completing my yachtmaster exam. This foundation of maritime learning stood me in good stead and over time i worked hard to excel and look for advancement within the close knit team.
Working in the CG+VTS team and with the crossover between both maritime and port operations, this gave me a good insight into operations and logistics, alongside the very important role of coordinating maritime rescue operations. I was successful in applying for the role of Maritime Operations Centre Manager. The key responsibilities for this role were to ensure appropriate and effective operations encompassing Coastguard Operations for the island, collaborative working relationships with all SAR Partners, training and compliance, VTS and Port operations and equipment function and standards.
During 2021 with the recent formation of the new Group Technical Services structure and teams, a new role became available for an Operations Manager (service delivery). Looking for a new challenge and also coupled with my background in both the motor and building trades and knowledge of the Port and Operations, i applied for the role. I was over the moon to be successful and have now been in post since August 2021. There is a lot to learn for this role as it encompasses both Aviation and Port technical operations, however i am enjoying every minute learning new pieces of information and knowledge on a daily basis!
During my time at the marina i had started studying various maritime practical and theory courses with a view to looking to progress to the Coastguard and VTS team. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to take up a role with the CG+VTS team in 2009 after completing my yachtmaster exam. This foundation of maritime learning stood me in good stead and over time i worked hard to excel and look for advancement within the close knit team.
Working in the CG+VTS team and with the crossover between both maritime and port operations, this gave me a good insight into operations and logistics, alongside the very important role of coordinating maritime rescue operations. I was successful in applying for the role of Maritime Operations Centre Manager. The key responsibilities for this role were to ensure appropriate and effective operations encompassing Coastguard Operations for the island, collaborative working relationships with all SAR Partners, training and compliance, VTS and Port operations and equipment function and standards.
During 2021 with the recent formation of the new Group Technical Services structure and teams, a new role became available for an Operations Manager (service delivery). Looking for a new challenge and also coupled with my background in both the motor and building trades and knowledge of the Port and Operations, i applied for the role. I was over the moon to be successful and have now been in post since August 2021. There is a lot to learn for this role as it encompasses both Aviation and Port technical operations, however i am enjoying every minute learning new pieces of information and knowledge on a daily basis!
Advice for prospective candidates
Be yourself, feel confident and go for it! We are genuinely excited to hear about you and your experiences and will do so in a really informal, comfortable, non-judgemental way.