There's been a buzz at JDi HQ lately, and it's not just because of the Planning Awards shortlisting!
This month, we've welcomed two new faces to the team - and yes, one of them is me!
I'm Alex, your new Sales and Marketing Executive, and I'm joined by the brilliant Micaela, our new First Line Support and Web Content Administrator. We thought it was about time we properly introduced ourselves.
What’s your role?
Micaela: First Line Support and Web Content Administrator
Alex: Sales and Marketing Executive
What have your first few weeks looked like at JDi?
Micaela: Lots of onboarding, getting set up and soaking everything in! I've been shadowing the team, working through training and getting familiar with how everything fits together.
Alex: I've jumped straight in feet first! From building out our content plan to joining demonstration meetings, writing blogs, drafting emails and generally trying to make sure the world knows how brilliant JDi is. No two days look the same which suits me down to the ground!
How do you support clients?
Micaela: Being approachable, clear and helpful, not just technically but in a way that makes people feel at ease. I want clients to feel like they're in good hands when they come to me.
Alex: You might see me in quite a few of our client meetings! My focus is also on making sure councils and planning teams can find us in the first place, and that when they do, everything they read, watch or receive from us feels clear, jargon-free, exciting and worth their time.
What are you most excited to bring to the team?
Micaela: My background spans quite a few different environments including charity, legal, and healthcare, so I'm used to adapting quickly and communicating with all kinds of people. I'm also genuinely passionate about accessibility and making sure digital content works well for everyone.
Alex: A lot of enthusiasm! I want to help JDi shout even louder about the incredible work they do. Once you understand the impact that planning software has on communities across the UK (from making planning more accessible to shaving planning officer review time down from ~3 working days to 16 minutes!), it's hard not to get excited about it. Paperwork is nobody’s favourite thing so I’m excited to be part of the revolution of simplifying this process. Coming from a background in journalism, L&D, garden machinery, dust management products and lifecycle marketing, I’m used to learning new things quickly and I’m really excited for this new challenge!
Best thing you've discovered since joining JDi?
Micaela: Finding the video tutorials my predecessor made. It gave me a really clear sense of how things are done here and I love that there's a creative outlet built into the role. Getting to bring my own personality to that side of things is something I'm really looking forward to.
Alex: Everything OpusConsult and OpusMap can do! I came in knowing very little about local plans, consultations or Call for Sites, and now I find myself really enjoying learning more and more.
During a typical day, where will you be found?
Micaela: Replying to client support emails, editing web content to make sure it's accessible and up to standard, logging and tracking issues within the OpusConsult platform and gradually getting to grips with more of it. I do all this with peppermint tea as my faithful assistant through it all.
Alex: Buried in a content calendar, probably with a massive cup of Twinings Everyday tea in hand (the best sip!) and a tab open on the JDi LinkedIn page checking if the latest post has gone live yet. Either that or following up to a demo we’ve done!
Next steps
We're really excited to be part of the JDi team and can't wait to get to know you all better!
If you'd like to get in touch - whether that's a support query, a question about OpusConsult, or you'd just like to book a free demo and see what we're all about - we'd love to hear from you!