Careers at Cadent

Job Title: Customer & Stakeholder Lead
Time at Cadent: 15 years

Charlotte didn’t set out to work in engineering, but what she did have was drive, curiosity, and a strong work ethic. “I actually started at Cadent by chance when I was unsure on what I wanted to do once I had left education,” she says. “But I had a strong work ethic and wanted to find something I was passionate in.”

That determination was clear from the start. “I’ve worked since the age of 15 with three part-time jobs as well as school and college, and I’ve always been keen to learn and quite practical!”

Building a Career, One Step at a Time

Charlotte’s journey began in customer service, working on the Mains Replacement programme in 2010. From there, she moved through a variety of customer-focused roles before stepping into the field as a Customer Liaison Officer for ER&R, Standard and Non-Standard Connections in the Eastern Region.

“I really loved this role,” she says. “It was reactive, but also proactive where you could problem solve, change processes and be out in the Network making a difference to both employees, the business and our customers.”

That experience fuelled a desire to get closer to the operational side of the business. “I wanted to be more involved in the Operational side of the business from a technical perspective and had good relationships already within the Eastern Network.”

When a role came up as a Reinstatement and Streetworks Supervisor for Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, Charlotte took a leap. “At the time, I was not confident I would get it due to my lack of technical experience. However, luckily, I did get the role, and it was one of my favourite jobs I had.”

She threw herself into learning, gaining qualifications and building confidence on the job. “I soon felt that I had made the job my own and the process worked so well that within the first year Herts and Beds was the most improved area!”

Making a Real Difference

Today, Charlotte works in Services Beyond the Meter - a programme that supports vulnerable customers who may not have the means to cook or heat their homes. “This has given me the opportunity to complete my MLP which will give me my Gas Safe qualification upon completion and my boiler and cooker certificates.”

“Services Beyond the Meter is a brilliant programme that helps support those who need it most and allows you to make a real difference to people’s lives through the funding provided by VCMA,” she explains. “It really puts perspective on all the work we do here at Cadent and is, in my opinion, the most rewarding area in the business to work in.”

Seeing the Bigger Picture

Charlotte’s role gives her a unique view of both the engineering and customer sides of the business. “I am lucky to see both sides, from an engineering perspective and from a back-office environment, which allows me to have a balanced perspective and understand processes and influence change to provide new and better ways of working.”

She’s especially proud of how Cadent now supports customers in hardship. “In the past, we didn’t have an infrastructure in place to support these customers beyond the meter, but we can now do that, and it is so rewarding and empowering for us as a company and the engineers on the ground to be able to refer in and provide them with the reassurance that they will be supported.”

Facing Challenges and Finding Confidence

Despite her success, Charlotte admits that one of her biggest challenges has been internal. “I think some of my main challenges have not been within the company and more within myself, where I have difficulty accepting praise, recognition and self-evaluate a lot, so quite like imposter syndrome! Everyone is so supportive!”

Moments That Matter

Reflecting on her time at Cadent, Charlotte finds it hard to pick just one highlight. “I really struggle to write about one as there have been so many and I have been lucky to have only worked with inspirational leaders who have been really good people managers and had a close team which have all become more than colleagues but also friends as well!”

But there’s one type of experience that stands out. “I really love incidents and working within a close team when everyone is working together to achieve success. I find that on incidents, customers, engineers, management, and everyone involved pull together and there is always a real ‘buzz’ atmosphere on site where people are doing things outside of their roles and obligations, away from their families at times, to do this for our customers and get them back on gas ASAP.”