Emma Fitsell
Southampton
Summary
Accomplished organised professional with expertise in project coordination and operations management, demonstrating a goal-oriented approach to business administration and development. Proven track record in financial management, customer retention, and compliance monitoring, leveraging skills in data analysis and process improvement to drive organisational success. Adept at staff training and development, policy and process implementation, and office administration, with a strong background in sales and customer service management. Committed to enhancing business performance through strategic problem-solving and effective communication.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work history
Project Coordinator
Eastleigh Borough Council
Eastleigh, Hampshire
2025.06 - Current
- Implementing an organised filing system for all project documents, enhancing accessibility.
- Conduct thorough quality checks on deliverables before submission.
- Work closely with the Project Manager to define objectives, leading to clear guidelines.
- Established effective working relationships with stakeholders for smooth project progression.
- Coordinate project tasks, ensuring timely completion.
- Provide essential administrative support during planning applications, facilitating smoother operation.
- Streamlined processes by implementing and creating new documents to aid in handover points.
- Manage communication amongst project team members to foster collaboration.
- Keep up-to-date records on project status
- Improve workflow efficiency with structured planning and coordination of tasks.
- Facilitate regular team meetings to monitor progress.
- Address potential risks timely, and monitor project timelines, preventing unnecessary setbacks.
- Liaise with suppliers and contractors for seamless delivery of resources.
- Streamlining processes to improve and optimise office operations.
- Developing organisational policies for administrative oversight and internal controls..
- Created digital file classification system for company-wide use.
- Drafting procedural ops manual and guidelines for company-wide use.
- Control and monitoring of the services action log to ensure updates across the programme are timely, to avoid delays.
- Networking with colleagues across the planning and environment team to enable successful planning applications.
- Facilitate smooth transitions between project stages for seamless progression.
- Plan and execute Marketing campaigns for public engagement
Seconded Business Centre Manager
Eastleigh Borough Council
Eastleigh
2022.04 - 2025.05
- Currently seconded to the Business Centre Manager role which includes similar accountabilities to that of the Assistant Manager role with the addition of;
- Analyzing and resolving quality and customer service issues, recommending system improvements.
- Liaising regularly with upper management to ensure alignment of goals and objectives.
- Strategized with leadership to stay ahead of changing customer needs and labor planning concerns.
- Coaching and motivating team, to drive sales and deliver exceptional customer service.
- Overseeing multiple projects simultaneously and ensured tasks were efficiently completed.
- Conducting performance reviews, to define and coordinate team goals and objective to drive success.
- Managing P&L and finance reporting, to deliver optimal bottom line contribution. Reviewing of financial statements, sales reports, and other performance data to measure productivity.
- Future proofing the business centre and the clients who licence space from us.
- Training and mentoring of staff based on site, and additional support staff
- Managing teams time and attendance
- Sourcing new suppliers
- Implementing cost-saving initiatives to reduce overhead costs.
- Created and enforced policies and procedures to support compliance.
- Creating databases for analysing key data to support decision making, and identify areas of improvement.
- Creating market research database, and attending local competition
- Strategy of the business centre
- Networking with internal and external colleagues to keep up to date with business centre market
- Conducting regular walkthroughs and inspections of company facilities to verify adherence to safety standards.
- Established and implemented departmental policies, goals, objectives and procedures in conjunction with board members, organization officials, and staff members.
- Set and implemented strategic goals and initiatives to align company with mission, values, and vision.
Assistant Business Office Manager
Eastleigh Borough Council
Eastleigh
2018.07 - 2022.04
- Looking after clients in our offices, to ensure needs meet and drive retention.
- Deliver administrative support, using Excel, Word, and Outlook.
- Championed the deliverance of business meetings between clients and key EBC representative’s to enhance our clients experience of using our business centre
- Monitor and process tasks related to billing, and financials.
- Conduct viewings to potential new clients, utilising sales techniques, customer service skills and flexible approach to their needs. Delivered office rentals 6% above target
- Support in personal and business requests
- Reinvention of out of date documents, including Marketing documents
- Train key front of house staff and support staff to aid customer service experience and grow talent and retention amongst staff by developing a new in house training matrix
- Liaise with contractors for building works, to ensure deliverance of works on time, to a high standard
- Efficiently deal with client complaints or requests
- Support with the review and management of P&L for building
- Manage and monitor meeting room usage and performance, and develop new strategies for improvement.
- Liaise and support with telephony and broadband providers for our clients to maintain seamless service.
- Deliver first class customer service to aid businesses both in personal and business requests.
- Streamlined back-office operations and improved customer service by introducing new technology and automating processes.
- Developed and implemented successful process improvement initiatives that reduced costs and increased efficiency.
- Submitted and reviewed invoices to accounts payable for administration.
- Organized tasks to meet deadlines and prioritize competing office demands.
- Set goals and deadlines for department.
- Analyzed internal processes and recommended and implemented procedural and policy changes to improve operations, including creation of new documents for the onboarding process of new clients.
Emergency Support Staff
Eastleigh Borough Council
Eastleigh
2021.09 - 2022.04
- I was seconded to the Afghan Resettlement Project, as part of the initial team to offer wrap around support for the Afghans who fled their country to England. My role included, but not limited too;
- Creating a database of essential personal data to support families seek the medical, finance and family needs required
- Assisting in the donations, and the allocation of school uniform and supplies for the children.
- Arranging transfers to schools, health and wellbeing sessions, medical appointments, mosque visits
- Creating and translating documents around events, critical information, sessions and guidance.
- Creating and maintaining schedules and rotas for the team and families
- Liaising with multi channel of organisations to ensure wrap around support
- Invoicing and purchase order raising
- Supporting in the implementation of health and wellbeing sessions and their success
- Emotionally supporting families whilst navigating their new lives in England
- Running and helping with drop in sessions
- Collating a database of outstanding individual family needs for follow up
- Responding quickly to meet individual needs and resolve problems.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks while remaining adaptable and flexible.
- Coordinated and provided clerical assistance for meetings and events
- Scheduled and confirmed appointments for individuals and their families.
- Prepared conference and event materials, such as flyers, and invitations.
Screwfix Store Manager & B&Q Trading Manager
Kingfisher plc
Southampton
2006.03 - 2018.07
- I started as a customer advisor before progressing to supervisor in B&Q
- In 2008 I took the appointment as assistant manager in Screwfix, and within a year became the youngest store manager at the time.
- In 2010 I was contacted about a role back in B&Q where they were putting the Screwfix concept into B&Q stores.
- I returned to B&Q where I implemented the new Trade concept into a local store and progressed to Showroom Manager position.
- Over the course of my career at Kingfisher PLC I have;
- Implementation of new Trade concept in our region successfully.
- Ran a team varying between 10 - 20 individuals, delivering on sales for both the showroom department and trade department, and as a store manager.
- Coached and trained individual advisors by creating own training plan, and training sessions to enhance retention, and develop customer service experience.
- Conducted performance reviews, regular 1:1s, as well as disciplinary meetings.
- Advised and supported on HR matters in store
- Trained new managers, via the buddy system to aid in efficient onboarding of new talent.
- Managed a stock and sales team, and delivered on Peak sales, best MWH in region.
- Aided in stock take prep and count to deliver on shrinkage target.
- Championed audit in all stores, resulting in a ‘green’ audit.
- Became the first store manager to have a ‘blue’ audit in our region.
- Turned around under performing store, including its previous staff engagement score prior to me taking on the role.
- Received the best employee engagement score as a trading manager for our region.
- Reduced stockloss figure back into target with reviewing processes, upskilling staff and implementing new procedures.
- Dealt with under performance effectively, and supported and trained individuals in their career progression. Provided feedback and guidance to ensure maximum productivity.
- Dealt with high value orders, and upskilled and supported team to be able to do so.
- Efficiently dealt with customer complaints, and needs, to ensure future spend.
- Delivered first class service, and lead by example.
- Implemented daily checklists to cover day to day running of department and store.
- Managed departments' P&L and supported stores' P&L budget to ensure continuous improvement and growth mindset.
- Successfully implemented range changes in store to aid in sales, and deliver on deadlines.
- Managed and implemented regular marking campaigns, to high standard.
- Solved problems and resolved conflicts for team members and customers.
- Oversaw day-to-day store operations to foster efficient and profitable operations.
- Analyzed financial data to identify areas of improvement.
- Coordinated employee schedules according to availability and made staffing adjustments to cover shifts.
- Evaluated customer feedback and complaints to locate weaknesses and improve service.
- Analyzed sales numbers and performance metrics to locate deficits and implement process improvements.
- Implemented loss prevention strategies, alleviating shrink.
- Set sales targets and budgets for team leads and employees to follow.
- Directed and coordinated activities of businesses or departments concerned with production, pricing, sales, or distribution of products.
- Facilitated open communication between departments to improve collaboration among teams.
- Spearheaded multiple projects from concept through completion while successfully managing budgets and timelines on each project.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to develop long-term strategic plans for growth.
- Designed innovative approaches to optimize workflow, streamline procedures, and enhance customer service satisfaction levels.
- Established and monitored KPIs to optimize company performance.
- Prepared staff work schedules and assigned specific duties.
- Oversaw the development, implementation, and maintenance of policies and procedures within the department.
- Supported recruiting and hiring of talent, developing strong and capable teams.
- Promoted and supported activities designed to strengthen and improve morale and teamwork, improving overall work environment.
- Adhered to store merchandising standards in support of appropriate inventory levels and backroom organization.
- Scheduled coverage during peak traffic periods, fostering positive customer experiences.
Education
A Level - English
Barton Peveril
EastleighAS - Law, Sociology, Psychology, Communication Studies
Itchen College
SouthamptonGCSE - Multiple
Wildern Secondary School
Hedge EndSkills
- Project Coordination
- Operations Management
- Goal-Oriented approach
- Financial Management
- Business Administration
- Business Development
- Customer Retention
- MS Office
- Sales background
- Data Analysis
- Process Improvement
- Staff Training and Development
- Customer Service Management
- Goals and performance
- Compliance Monitoring
- Problem-Solving
- Policy Implementation
- Office Administration
REFERENCES
References available upon request
Timeline
Project Coordinator
Eastleigh Borough Council
2025.06 - Current
Seconded Business Centre Manager
Eastleigh Borough Council
2022.04 - 2025.05
Emergency Support Staff
Eastleigh Borough Council
2021.09 - 2022.04
Assistant Business Office Manager
Eastleigh Borough Council
2018.07 - 2022.04
Screwfix Store Manager & B&Q Trading Manager
Kingfisher plc
2006.03 - 2018.07
GCSE - Multiple
Wildern Secondary School
AS - Law, Sociology, Psychology, Communication Studies
Itchen College
A Level - English
Barton Peveril