Rich Ditte is Director SVI Nuclear at Steve Vick International.
As part of a retained People Plus campaign to recruit a Project Manager, Rich spoke with Gemma Nixon, Senior Recruitment Partner about what makes Steve Vick International a great company to work for and the opportunities on offer for the right candidate.
Could you tell us about Steve Vick International?
Steve Vick International is a thriving, well-respected, and growing SME.
We’ve been involved in the UK utilities distribution networks for more than 45 years.
During that time, we have built up a reputation for excellent customer service and innovation.
We are a multi-award winning, family-orientated, SME that continues to thrive and expand from the gas and water industries into nuclear and renewable energy.
It’s a great company with big aspirations to grow and diversify in the coming years.
Can you tell us about the business structure at Steve Vick International and some of the interesting projects the business is involved with?
Steve Vick International is a growing SME.
Key to our success has been our continual focus on customer needs and requirements in the industries we have grown up with.
So that we continue to grow in the right way, there is still a huge emphasis on the customer, and we have remained a family-run business during all of this time.
The products and applications we have designed for the gas, water, and now nuclear sectors, have proven to be highly innovative and successful and are now well established.
We continue to innovate in all of the industries we are involved in, and no two projects are the same.
Some of our most interesting and challenging projects have been for the UK nuclear decommissioning sector.
We have won multiple awards for innovation in all of the sectors we are in.
Can you describe the culture at Steve Vick International?
Throughout our 45 years of operation, SVI has remained a business with strong family values. This culture starts at the very top and our Chairman, Steve Vick, continues to be involved with the company although in a less operational capacity.
The company has always looked to develop talent from within its ranks and some of the key members of our board started at the very beginning of the company journey.
SVI prides itself on recognising its staff’s success and supports everyone’s continual improvement with a strong emphasis on the employee to drive their own development within the company.
It is a very friendly and supportive place to work!
Although the business is well established and relatively mature, there is still huge growth potential.
This is a very exciting time for the business.
Can you tell us about the Project Manager role you’ve retained Astute to headhunt?
As we continue to grow into new sectors, the volume and complexity of our projects has increased.
We are now at a stage in the company’s growth where we need to recruit talent from outside our business.
We are looking for a Project Manager who is equally as excited as us about the potential the company has for growth.
I believe that opportunities like these, to work in a growing industry for a company that will fully support its staff in key decisions as a team, come around rarely.
The role of Project Manager for Nuclear and Development is a role that brings with it responsibility, interest, and reward.
The diverse range of projects will always be interesting, and the support offered by the rest of the team and business will ensure that you feel valued and respected.
What skill sets are you looking for in this role?
The ideal candidate will bring with them experience in Project Management in all its guises.
From managing internal staff and resources to communicating with clients in meetings and during site visits.
You must be able to communicate well at all levels and be clear and concise during meetings with customers and potential clients.
The majority of our projects involve problem-solving and engineering, you must be able to understand the concepts that are being discussed so that you can perform your role and successfully manage the project team.
We are always looking for new ways to do things, and any experience you bring will always be respected and put to good use to further develop the way we function as a business.
We are very willing to listen to ideas about better ways to do things and you will be given encouragement to bring your own systems of work into SVI.
Where will the successful candidate be based?
The role is mostly office-based at our head office in Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire.
There are opportunities to visit clients at their sites within the UK and from time to time, abroad.
There is always flexibility for staff around working hours which is in keeping with the strong family values that SVI have.
You will need to be able to manage in a fast-paced environment.
Most of our engineering and design projects need to be completed within 12-18 months from conception to implementation so you will need to be organised, driven, and concise.
Are there any specific qualifications people applying might need for this role?
Ideally, you need a recognised Project Management qualification.
As we are an engineering-based company, knowledge and experience in this sector would be highly advantageous.
Our design team consists of Directors, Managers, Mechanical Engineers and Technicians so experience communicating within part of a team is a must.
You will need excellent time management and people management skills.
Why would someone want to join Steve Vick International, what makes you different?
I absolutely love working here! I have been here for 20 years now, and I can honestly say there isn’t a single company I know that is anything like it!
It is always interesting, always engaging, always supportive and encouraging.
The work environment is fantastic, and the people are great.
The company is always striving to do better and to stand out from the crowd but always in the right way!
Solving problems and supplying solutions to our customers is our key focus but to do that, you need a happy and engaged workforce, and that is exactly what Steve Vick International is!
About the Project Manager role
Astute’s Nuclear team is working on a retained basis with Steve Vick, industry leaders in innovative engineering solutions for trenchless renovation and decommissioning of pipes worldwide to recruit a Project Manager to join their rapidly growing projects team based at their offices in Bradford on Avon.
The strategically important Project Manager role comes with a salary of around £50,000 dependant on experience and a competitive package.
This is a really exciting time to join Steve Vick as they develop their projects, expanding further into the market.
If you’re an experienced Project Manager with a background working across design and development teams and are looking to work for a forward thinking organisation that puts their people at the forefront of what they do, then submit your CV for the Project Manager role at Steve Vick International
