A day in the life of… Jordan Sanderson, Senior Project Manager, Manchester

Discover what our project managers get involved in at dunnhumby as Jordan shares more about her role and tips on how to grow your network in the tech industry.

I’m responsible for…leading the programme management of a new dunnhumby product migration. I’m in charge of the full end-to-end planning of activities to achieve this, ensuring we’re getting everything done that is required to launch the product. Tracking to timescales and budget along with identifying and removing blockers that may impact these.

How I got into data and technology…I did an engineering degree, but my first role was working for an automotive software company. It was the software development side that I was more naturally drawn to. I worked as a software test analyst, test team lead and then project management.

A typical day for me includes…

• Updating reporting, including finance tracking, to communicate overall status of the programme and any escalation required.
• Facilitating cross team meetings to progress key areas needed to deliver the overall project –this could be ensuring we understand and carry out the work to meet security requirements or agreeing a plan for delivery of training material.
• Attending team meetings such as stand ups, showcases, planning so that I know more about the product development, what is going well and where there are issues.
• Tracking and tackling any key issues we have which could impact delivery. This could be holding workshops to understand options or raising decisions needed to a steering committee to ensure there is a clear plan to address issues as quickly as possible.

Best part of the job…I get to see the overall delivery end-to-end, along with all the activities and teams involved. It can sometimes be challenging but I always feel like I’m learning something new and meeting new people across dunnhumby.

Outside of work I love to…Spend time with my two children. Run/do yoga/try new classes at the gym, preferably anything that involves some loud dance music! I’m also trying to teach myself piano as my kids are learning too, but they’re doing better than me.

My tips for others on how they can grow their women in tech network…Go to Meetups and talk to people! For example, in Manchester there are women in tech specific events, but it’s good to go to any Meetups you have an interest in and make new contacts.

Keep in touch with the people you meet in your career who support you, and if there is anyone who really inspires you ask if they can mentor you, it’s a great way to get a different perspective and advice and help you grow your network further.

Discover where a career with us can take you. Meet our people on YouTube to learn about the diversity in career paths across dunnhumby. For more about our culture and to explore the benefits we offer visit our Careers site.