Delivering electric depots: we talk to Temitayo, Project Manager in the EV Delivery Team
My name is Temitayo Siwoniku and this month makes it one year and two months that I’ve been working at Zenobe in the UK Delivery Team. In that time, I’ve been the EV Construction Project Manager for six depots; three of them are now operational, two are currently completing and we’re finalising the delivery scope for the last one.
I definitely can’t say that I’ve had a favourite project, as they’re all so different. However, knowing that my work benefits everyone – giving them cleaner air and saving carbon emissions, is definitely my favourite part of working at Zenobe. The products and services we offer are critical for achieving net zero – knowing that my efforts contribute towards this is so exciting!
01.
Can you tell us a little more about what you and the delivery team do?
The delivery team is responsible for – you guessed it – delivering our projects successfully. Before a contract is signed, we support internal Business Development teams and our customers in the design of their electrical charging installations.
Once the contract has been signed, we’re able to start work – we get on site and kick off construction. For me this means transforming vehicle depots to electric. I’m responsible for all project activities, from co-ordination, procurement and regulatory compliancy to customer communications, profit and loss, and process improvement.
Alongside ensuring that the infrastructure is built, I carry out testing, diagnostics, setup of electric vehicles and their chargers, before handing over to the customer and working with them to optimise the whole depot.
02.
So, working in the delivery team is key for project success. What does a typical day look like for you?
With projects around the country, I often begin the day by jumping on a train to get to site, allowing time for a touch of email management!
If it’s the start of the week, I’ll catch up with the rest of the delivery team to set goals, discuss priorities and identify any potential issues. I’ll also hold progress meetings with customers and sub-contractors to get status updates, resolve problems and carry out contract management duties. It’s really important that we maintain an open communication channel with our customers as this allows them to keep informed and confident in project progress.
On site, no two days are ever the same: my tasks will depend on the specific needs of the project and what stage we’re at. I could be:
- Working with our network contractor and electrical installer to connect the electricals
- Supporting the DNO with energisation of the depot from transformer, to the LV switch room and then feeding out to the chargers
- Commissioning the chargers with our technical support team to ensure they are connected and speaking to the software. We’ll carry out a live test and charge the buses to ensure everything is working together
- Carrying out the go-live – I’ll check everything is running as expected before the vehicles go into operation
I get to interact with almost all the different teams at Zenobē, as well as the various contractors, which keeps things interesting and means that I am always learning new things.
03.
Once complete, are you sad to hand over a project to the operations team?
The project gets handed over to the operations team once we’ve completed the network and software commissioning phases and the project is live. I complete a handover including project scope, deadlines, essential files and contacts, as well as a snagging list to ensure the operations team are fully briefed.
Generally, I don’t feel sad as it’s a moment of success – the client is happy and the job is done. It’s also a moment of reflection and often lessons learned can be used to continue to perfect our project delivery.
