John Sam Kate Sandra Tony Max Russ Don Kelly

Meet some of our people

Please read on to find out what it's really like to work here!

John

What do you do?

I am responsible for managing the procurement of all major products in the BOWMAN Programme, such as VHF and HF Radios and Data Terminals with a budget of up to £1bn.

What is a typical week for you?

It is very difficult, as I rarely have a 'typical week'! It would be easier to describe a typical month. Approximately 2 weeks of the month is spent travelling internationally, visiting major suppliers for procurement negotiations. The other 2 weeks are spent liaising with MoD customers and internal General Dynamics customers to ensure products are available in time and on schedule for the BOWMAN Programme. A 'nose' to sniff out potential problems is essential!

Why do you enjoy working at General Dynamics?

There is a superb team of people to help me in a very challenging role. There is a clear target to complete in an aggressive timescale. Also there is an excellent reward scheme, here at General Dynamics UK.

How did you find the move to Wales?

I will be the first to admit that I was concerned about moving to Wales, but since the relocation to Monmouthshire (30 minute drive) I have never looked back. The area is breathtakingly beautiful and is in easy reach of Bristol, Cheltenham and Cardiff. London is an easy 2 hour drive. I live in a very rural environment with easy city links for my wife to go shopping! The local schools are excellent, my children are 13 and 15 years old and have settled very well and very quickly.

Sam

What do you do?

I am responsible for the configuration of all the software applications for all the military and COTS laptops. I also provide support for other applications. I am also heavily involved in CISCO routing and also getting the networks up and running.

What is a typical week for you?

I never have a 'typical week'! This is due to the speed and dynamics of the programme and the unpredictability of each machine. For example one day I may be working purely on the BOWMAN emulator, then the next day be issued with a completely different urgent requirement, such as imaging a laptop for a software configuration.

Why do you enjoy working at General Dynamics UK?

The people here are excellent and are always willing to help me out with any problem of any magnitude. I also enjoy it due to the locality, I am a local boy through and through and didn't want to move too far away from home! I am a member of the Sports and Social club also, and play regularly for the General Dynamics UK football team, providing a great way to socialise with the lads.

What do you enjoy about the local area?

The Oakdale building is very close to Cardiff city centre, which provides terrific nightlife in the shape of hundreds of pubs, clubs and late bars. I also visit the Millennium Stadium for concerts and football games as much as I can. The people here in South Wales are nice, friendly people too- well I am one!

Kate

What do you do?

I manage the requirements database, in terms of the customer document and equipment specifications, with full support from the System Engineering team. I manage the interface between the customer and system engineers, the interface being in the form of equipment specs.

What is a typical week for you?

The only thing that is typical in my week is that I start at 8am and finish at between 6 and 10pm! I attend regular team and internal meetings to ensure we deliver the capability we signed up to as part of the CIP contract, as we are only 4 months into the programme.

Why do you enjoy working at General Dynamics UK?

It is a massively challenging role, in terms of the actual solution we are proposing, and I couldn't have asked for such a highly effective team. The variety of the team is also worth mentioning. For example, we have guys who are very experienced, well established engineers as well as much younger guys, who are continually benefiting from the wealth of experience that my peers can offer.

What do you enjoy about the local area?

I think Cardiff is a great place, it’s a modern, up and coming city with excellent restaurants and bars. I am a keen sailor, and enjoy visiting Cardiff Bay, which offers excellent facilities. Plus the commuting time is less than 30 minutes to the Oakdale facility.

Sandra

What do you do?

I manage the field service representatives, or FSR's, including recruiting them. I have also set up a help desk, which will be used as a central point to manage the FSR capability. It will also serve as a means of support for the customer's requirement for the for field service support.

What is a typical week for you?

That's a difficult question, as one week is usually very different from the next. I am always looking to identify and improve processes and I am heavily involved in the User Acceptance Testing. At the moment I am testing out the help desk software and I am always supporting other members of the team.

Why do you enjoy working at General Dynamics UK?

I really like working here because it's an extremely fast-moving environment. I also like the fact that I have been in the FS team from the beginning, when the process was set up and therefore have been given a 'blank sheet' to draw on. People's abilities are recognised and rewarded well here too, I have experienced this first hand. I started here as a PA to one of the Vice Presidents, but my talent was recognised and I soon became a member of the support team. My manager is also a great mentor and is always available for support, which I think is very important in any organisation.

What do you enjoy about the local area?

I live in Aberdare, which is approximatly a 30 minute drive to Oakdale. The house prices are very low when compared to other areas and the housing is of a very high standard. It has excellent sport facilities, two huge supermarkets and is on the outskirts of the Brecon Beacons National Park. It is ideally located for shopping in both Cardiff and Swansea, with excellent train links.

Tony

Tony I am responsible for ensuring all of the product required to support the development and conversion programmes is ordered and arrives on time to enable BOWMAN to be a success.

What is a typical week for you?

Typical days normally start at 7.30am with a review of emails I have had overnight from our colleagues in Canada and the US. There are usually a few issues that need to be resolved and passed to the other members of the team for action. A typical week varies so much it is hard to generalise, but normally I am in Oakdale for at least one day reviewing equipment allocations and issues with the Product Managers, spending the rest of my time in Ashchurch managing a team of what will be at full strength, 20 people. Meetings to discuss ongoing projects and issues also play a big part in the day to day activities, particularly as we head towards the start of conversion.

Why do you enjoy working at General Dynamics UK?

I find the company very flexible to work for. You do have the power to manage your own workload and be flexible with your hours whatever level you are at. It is also a huge challenge to be involved in such a complicated programme.

What do you enjoy about the local area?

If you step outside the boundaries of Ashchurch the surrounding area has a lot to offer, ranging from sweet Cotswold villages to cosmopolitan towns - something to suit everyone.

Max

What do you do?

I manage a Business Area within Mission Systems at Hastings where I am responsible for the success of a portfolio of programmes and also for the development of future business with my customers.

What is a typical week for you?

There is no typical week which is why my role is so exciting. It’s probably easier to talk about a typical month which would include a couple of visits to see my customers around Europe, a review of the programmes within my Business Area and internal meetings with my various teams. Then there are bids to be managed to win more business and every day brings new and challenging issues to be dealt with to ensure that my Business Area’s programmes are successful.

Why do you enjoy working at General Dynamics UK?

There are so many reasons. I love the challenge and excitement of my job and the people are great to work with. I enjoy the opportunity and encouragement that General Dynamics UK provides to actively pursue my own personal development. General Dynamics UK are corporate members of the Association for Project Management and I qualified through them as a Certificated Project Manager and subsequently become actively involved in one of the associations Special Interest Groups. I have also completed an MBA and most recently was awarded Chartered Manager status by the Chartered Management Institute.

What do you enjoy about the local area?

As a keen sailor, being located on the south coast could hardly be better. I live in the Sovereign Harbour marina development in Eastbourne which is an easy 30 minute commute from where I work in Hastings. The area also has beautiful countryside, lovely villages and stunning cliff-top walks.

Russ

What do you do?

As senior technologist I make sure that we plan, execute and deliver on the types of research and development that make us first-in-class for delivering what our customers want. I also consult with new bids and proposals on the technology solutions that General Dynamics UK can offer. In a nutshell, it's my job to make sure that we are moving forward making the most of new technology, ensuring that we are one step ahead of the competition. When I get some spare time I also write books for O'Reilly Media and General Dynamics UK actively supports this work.

What is a typical week for you?

With the pace of technology here in General Dynamics UK there is no such thing as a typical week and I'd have it no other way. In any given day I could be right down in the weeds, cutting code for a particular aspect of a project, and then in the space of a breath I could then be providing my inputs into our high-level technology strategies; things really are that varied and interesting. In a typical week I could also be travelling to anywhere on the globe. General Dynamics UK is a pan-global company and as a technologist I need to work with colleagues and customers from Los Angeles to Brussels, as well as keeping my finger on the pulse by attending some of the most important international standards committees.

Why do you enjoy working at General Dynamics?

I enjoy working at General Dynamics UK because of the challenge and support for truly 'making things better'; it's a combination that works great fior innovators and developers alike. We are very lucky in General Dynamics as we have an excellent forward-thinking crew of staff that are always challenging each other to help us deliver better and better solutions for our customers. For a defence company this type of innovative atmosphere is very rare and, coupled with our attention to detail and craftmanship, really makes General Dynamics a challenging and enjoyable place to be.

What do you enjoy about the local area?

I live over in Eastbourne, a short hop to General Dynamics UK in Hastings, in an area called the Sovereign Harbour that boasts one of the largest marinas in Europe. I don't sail just yet, but I certainly enjoy watching the boats from the many bars and restaurants that are a slow 5 minute walk away from my appartment. Being in Eastbourne, I'm also 5 minutes from the beach, 15 minutes from the Sussex Downs, 50 miles from London (about an hour and a half on the train) and 45 minutes from Brighton; together this package means I can windsurf, trek, eat and shop in some of the best places in the South East.

Don

What do you do?

I’m responsible for building relationships with potential customers and industry partners. The aim is to create awareness of our products and capabilities developing this into revenue generating business for Mission Systems.

What is a typical week for you?

I spend a lot of time communicating! My colleagues are key to achieving our objectives so I try and spend as much time as I can with them. I also spend a lot of time on the road, staying close to our key customers in MoD, and liaising with our industry partners. I have to balance longer term opportunities against immediate business so the pace is varied and very stimulating. For me the typical week is full of variety, no two days the same, and never standing still for long!

Why do you enjoy working for General Dynamics?

People and technology! I’ve been in this industry for a long time and, in my experience, General Dynamics has a unique combination of leading edge technology with people who are truly committed to delivering. In my role, having the total commitment and backing of colleagues makes it so much easier to do a good job.

What do you enjoy about the local area?

I like working on the South Coast; access to the sea coupled with the rural landscape inland and lots of history. I still manage to get lost in Hastings but that’s due to my navigational skills rather than the size of the town! Access to London is easy for business, and pleasure, which is a big plus.

Kelly

What do you do?

I am currently in a PA role supporting the Business Development Director and his team of BD Managers. In this role I provide comprehensive administrative support to the team and am actively involved in the management of the Order Forecast. I am also an active member of the cross function Administration Team based at Hastings.

What is a typical week for you?

Typical weeks are rare, I could be attending meetings, organising travel, liaising with our customers in order to arrange inward and outward visits. I also manage the infrastructure of the building and make sure that the BD Director and his team are well organised - there certainly isnt any spare time!

Why do you enjoy working at General Dynamics?

General Dynamics is one of the largest companies locally within the Hastings area. Hard work and commitment is well recognised and there is room for personal growth. There is also a good sense of community spirit among employees.

What do you enjoy about the local area?

I live in a village that is about 20 minutes drive from Hastings. I am surrounded by beautiful countryside , a fabulous local public house , and access to the beach - what more could I need?