Carlos’s Development Journey

Service Delivery Manager Secondment: Supporting Our Colleague’s Career Development

At Regular Cleaning, career development is one of the ways we put our people first. We are passionate about creating opportunities for our team to learn, grow and progress in their roles, and Carlos Andres Ochoa Tafur is a fantastic example of that commitment in action.

Gaining Hands-On Experience

Over the last month, Carlos, who is our Site Supervisor at Finsbury Dials, has been undertaking a Service Delivery Manager (SDM) secondment. He’s been gaining hands-on experience across a range of sites while working alongside Portfolio Director, Michael Chinawke, Operations Manager, Tony Noakes, and Service Delivery Manager, Bruno Fanqueiro.

Carlos joined Regular Cleaning just over a year ago, initially covering shifts before progressing into the Site Supervisor role at The Guardian, taking lead of the night team. It was a fast paced, challenging environment, but he quickly demonstrated his leadership potential.

Michael Chinawke recalls:

“Over a short period of time, cleaning standards at The Guardian improved. Carlos dealt with the pressure really well.”

Following his move to Finsbury Dials, Carlos continued to develop his skills and soon expressed a desire to take the next step in his career. This ambition, combined with his strong performance and willingness to learn, led to the opportunity to undertake the SDM secondment.

Learning on the Job

Over the course of his four-week secondment, Carlos gained valuable first-hand experience in compliance, health and safety, client relationships and service delivery standards across a range of sites.

“There have been lots of opportunities to learn about different processes within the company,” Carlos explains. “I’ve also been able to meet so many new people and clients, as well as gain experience with things like audits.”

One of the highlights for Carlos was seeing how audits and operational reviews are carried out across different buildings. This gave him a deeper understanding of how service standards are maintained, how opportunities for improvement are identified and how action plans are put into practice.

For Carlos, the Service Delivery Manager role felt like a natural next step, combining two things he enjoys most: learning and working with people.

“Before the cleaning industry, I worked in retail and enjoyed coaching, training and supporting others,” he says. “In the SDM role, I had the chance to spend time with lots of different people, visit sites, listen to concerns and help things run smoothly while building relationships with clients and colleagues.”

The variety of the role has also been a key part of the experience.

“Being involved in KPI meetings with clients and understanding the challenges that can come up, as well as helping to find solutions, has been really valuable.”

Having worked as both a Cleaning Operative and Site Supervisor within Regular Cleaning, Carlos brings a unique frontline perspective to the role. He understands the challenges colleagues can face and is always willing to get stuck in and support site teams when needed.

While the secondment has strengthened his knowledge of compliance, service standards and client management, Carlos says the support of the team has made the biggest impact.

“Working with Michael, Tony and Bruno has been great. Tony has been a fantastic coach, and all the managers have been incredibly supportive. It’s been like a big family.”

Supporting Mobilisations

Alongside his day-to-day learning, Carlos also supported the recent mobilisations at 150 Cheapside and 16 St Martin’s le Grand, gaining valuable exposure to another key aspect of Service Delivery Management; ensuring our colleagues have their best first day in their new roles.

As Michael explains:

“Carlos has gained vital experience over the last month. He’s been on site checking compliance, ensuring colour coding is correct and making sure colleagues are working safely and compliantly. He’s learnt about the correct use of cleaning solutions and the importance of ensuring colleagues are confident using products correctly.”

Of course, stepping into a new role has also brought challenges. From time management and administration to learning new systems and processes, Carlos has embraced every opportunity to develop. Tony believes understanding Carlos’s learning style has been key to helping him get the most from the experience.

“We tried to make it manageable for Carlos and understand the way he learns. There’s a lot of information to absorb in a short period of time, and it can feel overwhelming. Breaking things down into manageable steps makes the learning process much more enjoyable and effective.”

What’s Next for Carlos?

As the secondment comes to an end, Carlos will continue working with our People and Development team to build on the skills he has gained and identify future opportunities for progression and career development.

Reflecting on the experience, he said:

“Thank you for everything, for helping me out and for teaching me so many things. It’s been a great experience.”

The secondment may be ending, but Carlos’s development journey is only just beginning. With his enthusiasm, willingness to learn and people-first approach, he has demonstrated the qualities Regular Cleaning looks for in a future Service Delivery Manager.

His story is a great example of what can be achieved when talent, ambition and opportunity come together, and of our commitment to helping colleagues build rewarding and fulfilling careers at Regular Cleaning.