Paul Gordon

If you have found this page, you have probably scanned the QR code on my CV. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about me. This page gives me the opportunity to elaborate in a little more detail and in a way that would not be possible in my CV alone. 

I am 38 and currently based in Sheffield where I live with my wife, our son and three dogs. I have enjoyed what I think is quite a relatively varied work history, involving what may seem like a less than expected line of progression, however this site allows me to explain my rationale in the decisions I have made. 

After graduating from university, studying Cellular and Molecular Biosciences, I started full time employment with Covance in Harrogate. I enjoyed my time working for this large multinational contract research organisation, starting in the Molecular Biology department and then moving to Immunoassay - both within the Biotechnology division. It was in the latter that I had the chance to develop and progress to an assay acceptance rate of over 98% which was the highest pass rate in the division at that time. By virtue of working for a plethora of pharma and biotech clients, each with their own requirements/standards for the studies entrusted to us, we worked to an amalgamation of standards by taking the best practice from each. Working here helped me realise I enjoy the regulated practices and environment That would later see me on the path I am on today. There are two types of people at Covance, Harrogate: people who stay for a year or so after graduating and those that stay for life. I decided that I wanted a new challenge. 

Moving to Kirkstall Ltd, a very small company consisting of less than five full time employees, I took on significantly more responsibility. I was the sole analyst in a research project that was essentially keeping the company afloat. With a clear lack of established processes, I created my own quality management system. Once the research project was complete, I had to diversify my role. Our technology was cell culture bioreactors that function like plug and play Lego to build a bespoke systemic model allowing for dynamic co-culture. I designed and produced novel designs that are now still on sale by the company. It was very rewarding to be working for a company with a goal to eliminate animal testing, however financial pressures on the company led to staff being asked to sacrifice half our pay to avoid redundancies. I tried to weather the storm however after about six months of this I could not financially remain with the company. I was luckily poached by a company I’m the same building. 

Preventx are a remote diagnostics company specialising in sexual health. Preventx has grown from strength to strength and is where I met my wife who also worked there. Here I managed contracts between the company and local authorities, NHS and Public Health England. In this rapidly growing company, I helped perform assays in the lab, be involved in internal and external audits regarding our accreditation and I managed the home testing kit aspect of the company; sourcing, negotiating and procuring components. I enjoyed my time at Preventx however I thought it best to separate work life from private life, so I moved to PHE while my now wife remained with the company. 

Working for Public Health England was very eye opening. Formally the HPA and now rebranded as the UK Health Security Agency, PHE was now part of the Civil Service. This caused a lot of tension between colleagues who were on the old Agenda for Change Ts&Cs and the newer employees, like me, who were on Civil Service Ts&Cs. Taking an average training time until competency of six months, it was very telling that the average length of employment for someone on the new terms was only eighteen months. To add to this, the role was advertised on NHS Jobs and displayed the old AfC pay conditions. upon entering the lab for the first time I was greeted with “Did they tell you there is no progression?" and “No one on Civil Service Ts&Cs are allowed to move up their pay band.” This unfortunate conversation made me realise that my time at the Vaccine Evaluation Unit would regrettably have to be short. Under the Civil Service we were not entitled to move up our band like our colleges doing the same work but on AfC terms. We were also not entitled to a pay rise but may qualify for a 1% performance related rise. At this time, I was commuting from Sheffield to Manchester by train. My train season ticket was increasing significantly more than my wages and I knew this would not be a viable long-term position. 

I decided to follow the aspects I have always enjoyed within my role and move out of a science-based role into my current position within Learning Technologies Group. Here I have helped maintain and expand our ISO 9001 certification, develop, introduce an ISMS and gain ISO 27001 certification despite not having an IT related background. I have helped several LTG companies gain ISO 27001, something that I am quite proud of. At LTG I also look after HSE globally, including researching legislation in various counties and territories. Within LTG i tend to wear many hats, such as maintaining the corporate risk register, calculating the carbon emissions for the group and completing security questionnaires. 

You may wonder why I am considering a career change, and the answer is quite simple. The QHSE team was previously only myself and my line manager. Currently it is just me. I am also part of the Governance, Risk and Compliance team however I float centrally between divisions. Since becoming a father I have a greater drive to be able to better provide for my son, however within my current organisation I don't see much scope for pay or role-related progression. Now seems like a perfect time to assess and consider my options, including a change in employment. I am always happy to elaborate further so please feel free to contact me either via telephone or email, both available on my CV. 

- Paul