James Swann
Chichester,West Sussex
Summary
I am a motivated professional with a strong ability to engage stakeholders and build relationships across various levels. Bringing creativity and problem-solving skills to develop projects that support organisational goals. Committed to fostering teamwork and collaboration to achieve shared objectives.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Head of Programmes & Innovation
UKHarvest
Chichester, West Sussex
02.2023 - Current
- Devise and develop primary projects working with the team to pull together strategy and proposition documents inclusive of options appraisals for board level decision making.
- Work alongside the CEO to develop pipeline prospects.
- Work alongside the partnerships, fundraising, policy and advocacy and service delivery team members to aid in their delivery, in turn supporting and sourcing funding whilst developing and delivering the wider organisational strategy.
- Support off site teams with ad-hoc requirements.
- Write operational strategy documents to communicate projections for both large and small scale projects.
- Work alongside HR consultants to ensure good practice is followed.
- Think and aim outside of the box to help devise projects and programmes with new perspectives.
- Engineer benchmarks for the team to have satisfaction within their roles and to fulfil the requirements of the organisation.
- Support other senior leaders with clearly defined cross departmental working aims and objectives.
- Attend, present and feedback to the CEO and other board members at quarterly meetings.
- Work with both internal and external stakeholders to bring projects and proposals to life to effect change.
- Help bring to the forefront a strong sense of team working and organisational empathy, whilst thinking globally and laterally.
- Demonstrate inclusivity at all structure levels by pitching in with manual operations as and when required or including team members in the forward moving strategy development.
- Work on building a "one version of the truth" with the team to ensure consistency in data collection/use.
- Support the development of forming the standardised operating procedures for the organisation.
- Support others in the team with base level HR function where their knowledge is limited.
- Support the CEO in developing the "What's next" and the "Why"
- Collaborated with senior management to understand needs, successes, and challenges of existing strategies.
Systems & Production support manager
Langmead Farms Ltd
Chichester
04.2022 - 02.2023
- People planning and management
- Systems integration
- Co-ordinating workforce with various labour providers for a temporary, seasonal and permanent workforce.
- Project management - Planning, installing and executing the build of a site office for the farm (50ftx28ft modular building) including groundworks and essential services.
- Audit oversight
- Supporting the Farms Director in his undertakings
- Sit between finance team and farming team to help interpret data and communication from both sides.
- Conceive, initiate and develop workflow management system for production area.
- Deal with professional and legal entities where required.
- Complete weekly and monthly timesheets, building data from scratch to differentiate spend on labour force for allocation.
- Design and develop KPI data sheet for the board - with multiple remanufactures to suit alternating data streams and environments.
- Arrange and co-ordinate transports and foreign travel for managers where necessary.
- Be the go between for the HR team and farm management team for initiating onboarding of seasonal/full time staff members.
- Perform base level HR functions as to the requirement of the business.
Glasshouse Labour Manager
Tangmere Airfield Nurseries Ltd.
01.2015 - 02.2022
- Manage labour requirements for the glasshouses, utilising multiple recruitment agencies.
- Design, fill and publish analytical reports regarding environment and crop for senior management, adapt and adjust as necessary.
- Procure equipment and parts for the onsite maintenance team from within Europe and the UK.
- Arrange movement of equipment and people between suppliers and home countries.
- Assist in managing contractor teams needs whilst working on site.
- Assist in project managing new endeavors undertaken by senior management.
- Oversee waste and recycling disposal and operations by external supplier inclusive of reporting and getting the most out of material buyers where possible.
- Oversee the installation, maintenance and operation of technological advances on site.
- Situation and reactive management aware.
- Reporting to various levels of senior management team.
- Integrate, monitor and work with new labour suppliers.
- Operationally manage team events.
- Integrate Seasonal Agricultural Workers as per government and supplier guidance.
- Support regulatory documentation post-brexit (PEACH, APHA, ATA Carnet etc.)
Production & Logistics planning team member
Tangmere Airfield Nurseries Ltd.
05.2012 - 01.2015
- Use bespoke & tailored software to manage the arrival and despatch of customer & own vehicles on site.
- Assist the packing teams where required by manipulating bespoke software.
- Undertake reporting of stock levels when required, to assist the quality control management.
- Undertake adjustment of stock allocations by manipulating software.
General Packhouse Assistant (Agency Worker)
Cityfield Recruitment Ltd.
04.2012 - 05.2012
- Deployed to undertake manual operations within the FMCG environment.
- Ranging responsibilities - General agency work within a packhouse environment.
- Also working with QA of inbound produce to build reporting for sales team for both imported and own grown product.
Managing Director and Owner
RCS Models and TheRCScrapyard Ltd
01.2007 - 03.2012
- Manage the business to make it profitable
- Deal with suppliers and manufacturers on a day to day basis solving customer and supplier problems and enquiries
- Run the online and shop front locations
- Mail order/online sales of spare parts for hobby grade radio controlled vehicles.
- Perform repairs and apply specific knowledge as and when required.
- Produce marketing materials - being present in the competitive community at national and club level.
Assistant Manager (Acting manager)
Burger King
Rustington
02.2010 - 07.2011
- Team management skills (10+ staff)
- Health and Safety skills
- Rostering
- Cash Handling
- Stock Taking
- Banking
- HR Procedures (Within limitations)
- Profit and loss evaluations
- Food Hygiene practices
- Customer Service
Security Officer/Door Supervisor
Church Farm Holiday Village
Pagham, West Sussex
05.2009 - 09.2009
- Door supervision
- First Aid
- Routine Patrolling
- General Housekeeping Duties
- Communing with Emergency Services as and when necessary
- Customer Service and providing a positive guest experience.
Door Supervisor
Regency Security Services
Chichester, West Sussex
10.2008 - 05.2009
- Door Supervision
- Customer Service
- Emergency Service communications as and when necessary.
Resort Safety Security Officer
Butlins, Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis, West Sussex
02.2007 - 09.2008
- CCTV control room operation - managing a 48 camera system whilst utilising both radio's in house and with local authorities, also manning a resort wide phone line and responding as necessary.
- Door Supervision
- First aid & Defib trained
- Routine site patrols
- Physical intervention as and when necessary
- Emergency radio contact trained.
- Crowd Dynamics - Course attended
- Control holds, restraints & Handcuffing - Course attended - Certification gained - now outdated.
- Emergency Services contact as and when required
Sales Agent
Satellite Direct UK Ltd
Bognor
09.2006 - 12.2006
- Outbound customer contact sales/commission based
Assembly Technician
Rolls Royce, Chichester (Oasis Recruitment)
Westhampnett, West Sussex
05.2006 - 08.2006
- Assembly line technician
- Work within tolerances and within specifications to produce a high class product.
Supermarket Assistant, Night Shift
24 Hour Tesco Store
Bognor Regis
02.2006 - 05.2006
- Re-stock and re-dress shelving
- Assisting customers as and when necessary
Assistant Telephone Canvassing Manager
Zenith Windows
Bognor Regis
10.2005 - 02.2006
- Lead based outbound call centre job role.
- Encourage and train the team to meet sales targets and work towards goals generating leads for sales team.
Engineering Apprentice in Prototype Power train Development
Land Rover Prototype Test Center
Gaydon, Warwickshire
09.2004 - 10.2005
- Attain basic and hand crafting engineering skills, further training whilst studying in a college based environment toward HND in prototype engineering.
- Work within a prototyping environment whilst in the facility to help better the companies products and develop my own skills and knowledge.
Education
GCSEs -
Lytham St Anne's High Technology College
LancashireSep 2002
Coundon Court School & Sixth Form College
Coventry, UK07.2004
Skills
- Microsoft Office
- Training & development
- Bespoke Programme Management and Administration
- Creative problem solving
- Change management
- Decision making
- Active listening
- Relationship-building
- Microsoft Excel
- Project Management
- Team Working
- Management
- Project management
- Strategic planning
- Stakeholder engagement
- Fundraising strategy
- Operational strategy
- Team leadership
Certification
- Carbon Literacy Training, 2025-09-01, Present
- HACCP, 2025-10-01, 2028-10-01
- Fire Warden Training, 2025-09-01, 2027-08-01
- COSHH, 2025-06-01, 2027-05-01
- Food Safety & Hygiene Level 2, 2023-09-01, 2026-08-01
Custom Section
A-Level or equivalent
Personal Information
- Total Experience: 21
- Agriculture & Forestry
- Community & Social Service
- Customer Service
- Education & Instruction
- Food Preparation & Service
- Other
- Willing To Relocate: Anywhere
Timeline
Head of Programmes & Innovation
UKHarvest
02.2023 - Current
Systems & Production support manager
Langmead Farms Ltd
04.2022 - 02.2023
Glasshouse Labour Manager
Tangmere Airfield Nurseries Ltd.
01.2015 - 02.2022
Production & Logistics planning team member
Tangmere Airfield Nurseries Ltd.
05.2012 - 01.2015
General Packhouse Assistant (Agency Worker)
Cityfield Recruitment Ltd.
04.2012 - 05.2012
Assistant Manager (Acting manager)
Burger King
02.2010 - 07.2011
Security Officer/Door Supervisor
Church Farm Holiday Village
05.2009 - 09.2009
Door Supervisor
Regency Security Services
10.2008 - 05.2009
Resort Safety Security Officer
Butlins, Bognor Regis
02.2007 - 09.2008
Managing Director and Owner
RCS Models and TheRCScrapyard Ltd
01.2007 - 03.2012
Sales Agent
Satellite Direct UK Ltd
09.2006 - 12.2006
Assembly Technician
Rolls Royce, Chichester (Oasis Recruitment)
05.2006 - 08.2006
Supermarket Assistant, Night Shift
24 Hour Tesco Store
02.2006 - 05.2006
Assistant Telephone Canvassing Manager
Zenith Windows
10.2005 - 02.2006
Engineering Apprentice in Prototype Power train Development
Land Rover Prototype Test Center
09.2004 - 10.2005
GCSEs -
Lytham St Anne's High Technology College
Coundon Court School & Sixth Form College