Secondment Story - Srividhya Kulandaivelu

Secondment Profile
Srivdhya Kulandaivelu

Sri, Centre Manager of the Centre of Cell Biology at the Blizard Institute of Cell and Molecular Science shares her secondment story

Tell us about your secondment role 

I undertook a 12-month secondment until January 2025 as the Operations Manager in the School of Politics and International Relations. In the role I oversaw the Operations Team, and was responsible for HR, H&S, building management and Finance matters. I worked closely with the school management team. It is a Grade 6 role. 

My substantive role was Executive Assistant in the School of Physical and Chemical Sciences in the Faculty of Science & Engineering. That’s a Grade 4 role and includes some of the same aspects of HR, building management etc.  as well as diary management for the Head of School, working with the senior team, building management. I’d been there since 2017 although my role had changed.  

The secondment covered some of the same aspects of my substantive role but at a different level. 

How do you think the Secondment helped your career and your development? 

The secondment helped me to get experience of managing a team. That has been a change to support people in delivering their roles and making sure that work gets done. It has helped my communication and management skills. 

I also had the opportunity to get involved with working on strategic plans and documents.  
I’ve broadened my experience of different ways of working as have found that Schools in the different Faculties have done things differently. I was able to think about of changes and improvements to take back to my substantive role. 

Were there any people that supported you during the secondment? 

All my line managers have been helpful.  I was encouraged to get some coaching to help me to determine the career path I wanted for myself. My managers have also been supportive to talk to when I’ve needed help or advice.  
 

The Heads of School I’ve worked with have also been great in providing mentoring and encouraging me to have confidence in myself that I can do the role. 

Did the secondment present any barriers or challenges?  

I did have some self-doubt about taking on the grade jump from a Grade 4 to a Grade 6 role and wanted to be sure that I was doing things right, for example some of the line management responsibilities that I was taking on for the first time. My manager and the Employee Relations team in HR have helped me. Some timely training might have helped me too.  

I realised that the Faculties and Schools do things differently and needed to learn how things were done in HSS. 

Have you had some time to reflect on the experience and consider what’s next for you? 

Since undertaking the secondment, I have moved role and am now the Centre Manager, Centre of Cell Biology in the Blizard Institute. 

Have you got any advice to anyone considering a secondment? 

I’d encourage people to take the opportunity. It is a good thing! 

Secondments allow you to learn a lot of things. You get more experience which you could use for career progression if you want to. If you’re not looking to progress your career at that time you still learn a lot and build your experience.  

I wasn’t 100% sure what a secondment was and how it worked so having a formal policy and some guidance will be really good to help to help people to understand that and know it is an opportunity.