New beginnings: why your next move should be Barques

Wow, I’m pregnant! 

I’m incredibly excited about the new adventure I’ll be embarking on in a few months. 

And while I have much to look forward to personally, I’ll be sad to (temporarily) say goodbye to my colleagues at Barques, as well as the clients I’ve built strong relationships and friendships with.

Before that time comes, I’ll be supporting the team in sourcing a Digital Project Director to cover the period of my maternity leave - and hopefully finding a fantastic person that will stay and develop with us beyond my return. 

Maybe that’s you?

More than just a job

We’re a friendly and open bunch at Barques, so I not only wanted to share my amazing news but also give you a sense of just how fabulous it is working here. 

I can’t quite squeeze everything into one blog post, but here’s just a few of the reasons why I love working here - and why you might too.

I joined the business nine years ago and I can promise you that I wouldn’t have stayed so long if I didn’t thoroughly enjoy working here!

I was in my 20’s at the time and began my Barques career as a digital project manager. Since day one I was welcomed with open arms, a glass of fizz and a helping hand, and not much has changed since. 

It sounds cliche to say so, but working for Barques is much more than just a job. 

The perfect place to develop your career

Through the experiences and guidance of my Barques colleagues, I’ve become a trusted and valued member of the senior leadership team.

And I have also progressed to a digital project director role too.

My team comprises talented digital account managers, SEO and digital marketers and developers and that’s where your experience and expertise would come in.

You'll be leading that team and supporting them day-to-day in the delivery of a variety of exciting projects and tasks. You will also be focusing on their career development and ensuring they continue to provide the very best outcomes for our clients. 

What happens when I return? We see this role as part of our long-term future as a business. When my maternity period is over, we’d like you to continue to be a part of our digital team as we grow and progress. 

The ‘go to’ for digital 

It’s not just the fabulous team that retains my loyalty to Barques, it’s also the quality of the projects and clients I have the pleasure of working with. 

We have a diverse combination of new and longstanding clients in a range of sectors, from education and sports events, to food and beverage and financial services. 

When it comes to digital projects, you’ll be the ‘go to’ person at Barques. You will be managing and advising strategically on large scale ecommerce and membership platforms, as well as web apps and complex integrations - so you'll need to know your APIs from your UIs and your DNSs from your CMSs.

You will also be overseeing the brand and marketing elements that revolve around a website or web app project too.

If you enjoy working with clients and advising them on the best solutions, Barques is definitely the place for you. We like to give people the freedom to employ their own style of account management, so they can apply their personality in nurturing these important client relationships.  

Katie French’s top five hits

It’s almost impossible to choose a shortlist from the many projects I’ve had the pleasure of being involved in, but here’s five of the most memorable ones:

Great Run: event website

Having been a keen runner for many years I was absolutely delighted to be given the opportunity to pitch for Great Run’s new website, in collaboration with our partners, Goodform. 

It’s an amazing brand to work with. It offered a challenging brief, which included the integration of existing databases and systems, as well as the development of its online brand - it was right up my street! 

The website was launched two years ago and I continue to enjoy a fantastic relationship with the client Claire, as we continuously explore ways to increase user engagement and conversion.

Hilton: advanced ordering system

We’re now on the second iteration of our bespoke ordering system and I am the champion of - and main point of contact for - this sophisticated web application. 

This application enables food and beverage managers and conference staff to provide a platform for their clients to securely pay and pre order ahead of the day. 

I’ve worked with seven different Hilton hotel and conference facilities nationwide, and have received consistently positive feedback regarding the platform’s ease of use and its role in increasing the value of customer orders. 

I’m excited by the potential to grow this application even further and engage with more brands.

Colmore Partners

Richard, the owner manager of Colmore Partners came to us at the very start of setting up his new Independent Financial Planning business. We were an integral part of this as we were asked to create the brand, website and supporting collateral. I’m ever so proud of the brand we have created and evolved and they have now grown from 3 members of staff to 18 in only a few years.

During my time working with Colmore Partners, they have invited me to their launch party and also their company away day making me feel like an important part of their story.

King Edward VI Foundation in Birmingham

I’ve worked with the Foundation ever since I started at Barques and I now truly feel like an extension of their marketing and comms team and custodian of their rich and valued brand. 

Striking a balance between being true to their heritage whilst still being relatable, we work together on ensuring that the family of schools within the Foundation are accessible to all and aren’t perceived as elitist. 
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Working with the Foundation also means that we work with the schools within the organisation on their branding, website and marketing collateral.

Over the years I have been involved in branding their ‘Flight School’ at Birmingham Airport, creating a social media campaign for the Foundations involvement with the Big Sleuth as educational sponsor and soon we’ll be launching the Foundation’s new website ready for the new school year.‍

Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid

One of the things I love about working at Barques, is that we have a great reputation working with charities and Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid are one that I hold close to my heart. 

Working with such a worthy and important charity means so much to me that we can support and spread the good work that they do for women and children in the area.