If we can help someone make a start in their new career, that’s reward in itself. It demonstrates to our people that there are opportunities in Cleanaway, when you look for them.
If we can help someone make a start in their new career, that’s reward in itself. It demonstrates to our people that there are opportunities in Cleanaway, when you look for them.
When Vinh Dam joined the procurement team as a graduate in February on a secondment, he moved to another desk in the Brisbane office.
Although it was only a short walk, it heralded a big career transition for the credit collections officer and was another important step toward achieving his ambition of working in logistics and supply chain management.
Pictured: Vinh Dam at his desk in his new role within the procurement team
Vinh moved from an accounts receivable team handling thousands of inbound calls from customers each month to a procurement team that manages millions of dollars of expenditure a year.
He says: “I was studying accounting but realised it was not for me, so I changed the degree to supply chain and logistics. I had a year of study to go and wanted to find a job in that field, but I also wanted to stay at Cleanaway because I like what it stands for.”
Shared Services Receivables Manager Ben Blake says: “We knew that Vinh was seeking to transition his career beyond accounts receivable. So, when Vinh mentioned in his end of year career conversation that he was now ready to explore graduate type opportunities, we were keen to support him and see what was available within Cleanaway.
“I sent an email out asking about opportunities at graduate level. Although we don’t have roles in logistics, procurement is also a key part of our supply chain that may have relatable knowledge. Remarkably, an analyst within the procurement team was taking maternity leave and they needed to find a replacement quickly. After a few interviews it was decided Vinh would move across for six months. The fact that Vinh has good knowledge of the Cleanaway business was a bonus.”
Vinh says: “I am really grateful that Cleanaway is a company where you can have this type of job flexibility. I couldn’t have been happier when this opportunity came up. Cleanaway has been supportive all the way.”
The procurement team’s mandate is to manage relationships and contracts with suppliers and, ultimately, lower the total cost of ownership.
“In my last job I had an average 9 to 5 day which was more structured. This new role is a lot more in depth and involves a lot more critical thinking and problem solving. I need to be flexible and think outside the box but I’m also more autonomous. It’s very challenging and very different work. It’s been a real eye opener, seeing the business from a different side,” Vinh says.
Head of Procurement Ezra Clough says Vinh is working in the planning and analytics team within the procurement function, which supports the other three strategic sourcing teams by working with them to optimise value from their purchasing activities. He does this by helping with reporting, maintaining the function’s spend ‘cube’, and implementing e-invoicing solutions.
“We value Vinh’s background and skill set. He brings knowledge that we don’t necessarily have in the function, which is a competitive edge for him. In his previous role, the work came to him. In procurement he has to find work because you don’t have customers calling you. That’s a big mind shift,” Ezra says.
Ben admits he feels good about how this has turned out for a member of his team.
“If we can help someone make a start in their new career, that’s reward in itself. It demonstrates to our people that there are opportunities in Cleanaway, when you look for them,” he says.
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