Nicole Donnell
Paisley,Renfrewshire
Summary
Highly organised and results-driven Project Coordinator with extensive experience managing complex workstreams and coordinating large-scale, multi-regional project portfolios. A strong team player with proven expertise in stakeholder engagement, financial control, and risk management, alongside a focus on governance, KPI performance, and continuous improvement. Recognised for driving operational efficiency, enhancing delivery outcomes, and supporting strategic business growth within fast-paced environments.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
2
2
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Operations Coordinator
City Fibre
Finnieston, Glasgow City
2021.11 - Current
- Coordinate meetings by scheduling, preparing agendas, and tracking actions to ensure efficient communication and timely follow‑ups.
- Maintain and update live Salesforce and ServiceNow dashboards, ensuring accurate reporting and real-time visibility of performance metrics.
- Support and manage multiple workstreams across the Network Maintenance division including Emergency Restoration Services, Defects, Diversions & PPM.
- Attend live site inspections with the Operations Manager, identifying risks, health and safety concerns, and quality control issues to support compliance and improved operational standards.
- Performance manage external Stakeholders (predominantly Sub-Contractors) by chairing weekly virtual/ quarterly face-to-face governance sessions, analysing SLA performance against business KPI's driving accountability and continuous improvement.
- Leading small-scale cost recovery projects by auditing contractor submissions via Deponet, identifying discrepancies (e.g., excessive travel claims, insufficient completion evidence and missing Live Works references) and recovering unverified costs for the business.
- Preparing high-level operational reports in various formats for company-wide distribution, highlighting performance metrics, delivery risks, and stakeholder outputs.
- Liaise with multiple internal stakeholders, including Commercial Finance, Cost Recovery, Planning, and Field Services, to ensure alignment and effective delivery of operational objectives.
- Create and manage an annual out-of-hours operational support rota for over 60 staff across field and planning teams, acting as the primary point of contact for issues, distributing weekly updates to contractors, the Technical Service Desk, and senior leadership, and chairing weekly handover meetings to address change requests and mitigate potential OOH operational risks.
- Manage risk registers and RAID logs, ensuring accurate tracking of risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies to support effective project governance and mitigation planning.
Build Support Coordinator
Virgin Media
Bellshill, North Lanarkshire
2017.04 - 2021.11
- Coordinated the end-to-end delivery of over 800 regional and national new-build developments across Yorkshire, South Midlands, and East Anglia, ensuring seamless integration between planning, finance, field services, and delivery teams to support large-scale housing growth and strategic network expansion objectives.
- Acted as a central coordination hub between cross-functional departments and key stakeholders, facilitating clear communication, driving alignment on priorities, and ensuring all projects progressed efficiently within established governance frameworks and operational standards.
- Maintained comprehensive project records, ensuring full compliance with internal governance processes, regulatory requirements, and operational procedures within a fast-paced, high-volume delivery environment.
- Led the development and submission of detailed business cases for new development opportunities, incorporating cost forecasting, risk assessments, and feasibility analysis to support investment decisions and programme growth.
- Managed the end-to-end mobilisation process for new sites, including issuing detailed contractor work packs, coordinating wayleave agreements with relevant parties, and ensuring all required build materials and resources were forecasted, ordered, and delivered in line with project timelines.
- Proactively monitored programme performance by tracking key milestones, identifying risks and delivery blockers, and escalating issues through appropriate governance channels, contributing to effective jeopardy management and minimising delays to critical delivery schedules.
- Collaborated closely with Build Officers, Commercial, and Finance teams to actively manage project budgets, ensuring delivery remained within the £700 cost-per-premise target while identifying cost-saving opportunities and efficiencies across the portfolio.
- Produced detailed financial analysis to support budget variance approvals, providing data-driven insights and clear justifications to senior stakeholders to enable informed decision-making.
- Designed, implemented, and continuously improved a suite of operational trackers (including materials, planning, financial, and progress trackers), enhancing visibility across the workstreams and enabling real-time reporting on project status, risks, and performance metrics.
- Analysed operational data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement, supporting continuous improvement initiatives and contributing to enhanced delivery performance across the programme.
- Played a key role in maintaining workflow efficiency across a high-volume pipeline of projects, ensuring smooth handoffs between teams and minimising delays through proactive coordination and problem-solving.
- Supported the wider operational team in achieving programme delivery targets by driving accountability, ensuring adherence to timelines, and maintaining high standards of quality and accuracy across all project activities.
Spa Therapist
Cameron House
Loch Lomond , Alexandria
2014.01 - 2017.04
- Performed skin analysis tests, leading to more targeted treatment plans.
- Identified tailored products for clients' skin types through comprehensive consultations, enhancing client satisfaction.
- Educated clients on self-care techniques and healthy lifestyle habits, fostering long-term wellness and client loyalty.
- Administered body treatments by explaining procedures to clients.
- Promoted a calm atmosphere by maintaining professionalism and respectful communication.
- Maintained clean, hygienic work area by following established cleaning protocols.
- Participated in staff meetings and training sessions, contributing to improved team collaboration and effectiveness.
Education
Higher National Diploma - Holistic Therapy & Salon Management
City of Glasgow College
Glasgow 2012.08 - 2014.08
Skills
- Document management
- KPI tracking
- Data analysis
- Complex problem solving
- Stakeholder management
- Meeting coordination
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- Project scheduling
Certification
- Full UK driving license, insured for business purposes
Key Achievements
Personal
One of my most significant achievements was volunteering as a Special Constable with Police Scotland from 2020 to 2024, dedicating an average of 8 hours per week alongside a full-time role. Despite being a voluntary position, it required rigorous training and a consistently high standard of professionalism, accountability, and discipline.
During this time, I developed strong competencies in de-escalation and conflict management, risk assessment, situational awareness, and prioritisation under pressure. The role demanded calm, effective decision-making in unpredictable environments and the ability to communicate confidently with individuals from diverse backgrounds. These highly transferable skills have directly supported my professional development, strengthening my ability to manage challenging situations, engage stakeholders, and operate effectively in fast-paced environments.
Professional
I led a high-impact, cross-functional initiative titled ERS Cost Validation, partnering with Asset Protection, Commercial Finance, and Cost Recovery teams to strengthen financial governance and validate the integrity of contractor completion documentation.
Taking full ownership of the programme, I introduced a robust audit approach to rigorously assess stakeholder payment applications, uncovering systemic discrepancies including inflated travel claims, redundant site visits, insufficient evidence of completed works, and missing critical documentation.
I established and chaired weekly stakeholder governance sessions, confidently challenging submissions while maintaining collaborative working relationships. Through clear, data-driven communication, I enabled stakeholders to provide justification or supporting evidence, driving both accountability and transparency across the process.
Where discrepancies remained unresolved, I applied detailed financial analysis to quantify disputed values, ensuring all unauthorised costs were removed in line with governance and contractual standards.
Within just eight months, the initiative recovered £150,000 in invalid costs, while also delivering a step-change improvement in the accuracy, quality, and consistency of stakeholder submissions. Beyond the financial impact, the project embedded stronger controls, influenced behavioural change, and enhanced overall operational and commercial discipline across the supply chain.
Timeline
Operations Coordinator
City Fibre
2021.11 - Current
Build Support Coordinator
Virgin Media
2017.04 - 2021.11
Spa Therapist
Cameron House
2014.01 - 2017.04
Higher National Diploma - Holistic Therapy & Salon Management
City of Glasgow College
2012.08 - 2014.08