Portrait of the Month : Mike – Head of Project Management Office

I’m Mike Jones – I’m Head of Project Management Office for the UK. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share a bit about myself and my experience here at NUVIA.

I’ve been the Head of Project Management Office for the UK for the past 4 years. As the Head of PMO, I am responsible for the way in which we manage projects within the business: ensuring the assurance, people and capabilities are in place so that projects perform as they should. This is critical to ensuring we deliver on time and to the right standards for our customers.

I’ve been really lucky in my career to work in a range of roles, across some of the most exciting sectors. I started my professional life in finance and project roles with Siemens UK – including looking after onshore wind farms up in the North of Scotland (which gave me the opportunity to climb lots of ladders and fix big machinery, with a good view!). More recently, I worked for Rolls-Royce to support the UK Naval Nuclear Fleet – where I managed design, R&D, digital transformation projects, before heading to the UK dockyard sites (Faslane and Devonport) to support the Nuclear Enterprise in the delivery of the Continuous at Sea Deterrent.

My role is to develop and lead the Project Management office for NUVIA UK. This included setting up the team we have in place today, setting the roadmap for change across our ways of working and systems, developing our Project Controls and Project Management offerings and providing direction and oversight within the business for how we manage projects and our processes and procedures to ensure projects deliver successfully.

I also manage the relationship with the Association of Project Management, and the wider PM / PC capability we have within NUVIA UK. This included creation of a Degree Apprenticeship scheme to help grow our own PMs rather than always going out to market.

NUVIA is an exciting place to be – we’re in a period of growth and transformation – which means that no two days are the same. This also gives opportunities to get involved in activity that isn’t your normal day to day.

NUVIA is growing at pace – and this ambition comes with unique challenges. The main one is hiring great people into the nuclear sector. Often people assume there are barriers to entry, which isn’t always the case. One of the ways I’ve tried to address this challenge is by starting a Project Management Apprenticeship scheme to grow the next generation of Project Managers within the business.

Across my career I have always chased exciting technology. From wind turbines to Naval Nuclear reactors, to power plants and now Fusion, I’ve always looked to be involved in engineering and equipment that feels like it is not only ‘cool’ but that feels like it is making a difference. The UK Nuclear industry is an exciting place to be right now.

I recently got the opportunity to be part of NUVIA’s successful bid to be the construction partner for the new STEP Fusion Power Plant in West Burton. The opportunity to be part of cross organisational project team, especially on a project which will define and transform the future of the UK’s Energy infrastructure, reinvigorate an entire region of the country and become a large part of NUVIA’s future portfolio, is a career highlight, especially getting the news we had won the contract.

Ambition. Variety. Opportunity.

NUVIA is a great place to be if you want to learn, grow and make a difference. And a move into the nuclear sector isn’t something people should worry about.
When hiring for my team I always say that I can teach people the nuclear sector in 6 months, but it takes a lot longer to teach someone to be a good Project Manager.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do”. Steve Jobs.