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Meet Ciara. ICT Service Assurance & Governance Manager.

I joined Primark two and a half years ago, and I’ve had three different roles in that time. When I joined, we were quite a small IT department for the size of the business. Now we’re growing and this means there are lots of opportunities.

I took on my current role nearly a year ago and it was a brand new role, so I had the autonomy to build the structure on my own. It’s the first time in my career that I’ve set something up from scratch, so it was great to be given that level of responsibility.

Varied work

We have a lot of managed services with partners and I make sure we get the best out of them, looking at the KPIs and making sure we’re getting the right outputs. I’m also responsible for ensuring we aren’t exposed to any major IT security issues, which involves building a security roadmap for the business.

From day-to-day I work with a number of project teams to ensure the smooth transition of projects from delivery into operations, so it’s seamless for the business. It’s all very well if a system’s working on day one, but for us it’s about long-term reliability and making sure it works on day 301 too.

I also look after financial governance in the IT Operations team, so I work closely with the Finance teams.

Ciara at work

Supportive team

My immediate team only had six or seven people in it when I first joined. It’s grown since then, but there’s a great atmosphere and we have a lot of fun.

It may be hard work, but you develop strong friendships here. There are a number of very experienced people who are always willing to offer support. We all work hard and when you’ve got your head down, they’ll leave you to it, but we have a bit of a laugh too, which makes it more enjoyable.

There’s a fun atmosphere and we have a lot of craic.

Under the radar

For me, shaping my current role and the whole new function has been a great opportunity. It’s been almost a year now and I’m really starting to see it take proper shape, to the point where I can say I’ve built it.

But my biggest achievement was probably something few people noticed. Last year we had a lot of challenging issues all at once and we had to deal with multiple incidents that could have had a big impact on the business. We got through it and kept everything running without it affecting business operations. That, to me, was my biggest achievement, because nobody noticed we’d done it.

Great place to work

There’s a great atmosphere in the Head Office – it doesn’t feel like a big global company, because it’s more like a family. The facilities and the way the office is designed encourages people to come together so it’s an engaging environment and everyone’s approachable.

I’ve always been into fitness and I go to the on-site gym regularly, which is a good place to meet people from different teams and get an understanding of the wider business. One of my big ambitions was always to do a triathlon, but I’d never had the time to do proper training. This year they started a Primark swimming club at a local sports centre, which gave me the chance, so recently I completed my first ever triathlon.

It’s a very friendly environment and there are massive opportunities for people who want to grow and develop. You not only get insights into ICT, but you also learn about a global business and how the industry works.

Other reasons to join

Your experience at Primark is about so much more than your job. It’s also about our people and our culture. Our beliefs as a business and our aims for the future. It’s about all the exciting, empowering, amazing things that make us who we are – and you who you are.

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