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jHub Fellowship Scheme: "Work hard - play hard"

From the Fast Stream to Chief Operating Officer of the Catalyst Team, Alex shares her career journey.

Photo of Alex with the quote "work hard play hard."

We鈥檝e all heard the saying 鈥渨ork hard - play hard鈥� before but its relevance in the workplace can sometimes be called into question. This is not the case, at the jHub as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Catalyst Team, Alex, explained:

It鈥檚 definitely one of the most dynamic, energetic, fun places I鈥檝e worked. The work you do is tangible and impactful. You鈥檙e really empowered and it鈥檚 a lovely group of people.

Alex鈥檚 journey to the jHub began as a Civil Servant. Having experienced a number of positions through the Fast Stream programme Alex arrived at Defence Digital and it was here, she says, that the jHub came into focus:

I was working in Defence Digital and heard about the jHub and thought it sounded amazing. I began working with the team as part of a loan before transferring it into a full-time job.

Now COO of the Catalyst Team, Alex is responsible for spreading the benefits of the jHub across Defence. This includes sharing information, as well as lessons learned, tools, and understanding across Defence.

However, such a big task requires a cohesive team effort according to Alex:

The leadership put a particular emphasis on being a team and investing in team dynamics. We have social events, and when we work together we bring our ideas and projects into open forums.

The jHub鈥檚 collective approach to work not only encourages participation, but also inspires discussion and challenges employees to ask questions. It promotes empowerment among employees and this, Alex says, comes down to the approach of the organisation:

We work more as a principle-based organisation rather than a rules-based organisation. Whilst there鈥檚 a lot of respect, there is definitely open forum for challenge. Everyone is viewed as equally valuable, and their input is equally important.

So, what is Alex鈥檚 favourite thing about working at jHub?

The people. They genuinely all care for each other and don鈥檛 just want the best for the jHub but for everyone working in it.

Alex finished our interview with a simple message for anyone thinking about pursuing a career in the jHub - Apply.

It鈥檚 probably one of the most interesting and empowered places you can work in Defence, and one where you鈥檙e given the opportunity to make the biggest impact in any area you care about.

You can find more information about working for the jHub and their new Innovation Fellowship by reading the Innovation Fellowship Launches article.

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Published 17 August 2022