Materials Girl

Jill Richards has joined JET PRESS as a Materials Co-Ordinator. Before taking up her role with us, Jill built up valuable experience in purchasing and supply chain roles. She worked for companies with automotive, aerospace and military customers.

Adapting to rapid change

In her role with JET PRESS Jill works with a group of our suppliers in the US, the Far East and Europe. She works with Technical and other departments on purchasing existing items and sourcing new or replacement products. In normal times there is plenty of work involved in setting up all the details for new parts. This includes identifying materials, establishing a country of origin and setting price breaks. Jill and the Materials team do all this along with monitoring stock levels and ensuring the availability of stock items.

With disruption around COVID and Brexit Jill is dealing with more layers of complication. For instance, she is responsible for consolidated shipping from the US. Recently this has been affected by Thanksgiving, Christmas and bad weather.

There is a backlog of deliveries from the Far East so there are issues at ports like Felixstowe. Many European suppliers have changed their process from Delivered at Place (DAP) to Ex Works. This means calculating all the shipping costs and dealing with documentation and customs checks are now the responsibility of the Materials team at JET PRESS.

Jill has to anticipate these sorts of problems wherever possible. Then she calculates the impact they may have on shipping times and keep the Customer Services team informed. This means our customers are always well informed about possible delays and the ways we can work around them.

Busy on land and sea

You might think with such a busy job Jill would go home and put her feet up. But you’d be wrong. Outside work Jill combines helping to look after her Mum with a role in the Royal Navy Reserve and a passion for outdoor pursuits.

Jill is part of Maritime Trade Operations who work closely with the Merchant Navy to keep the world’s shipping lanes open. This has led to a 6 month placement with NATO in the Middle East on an anti-piracy mission and she is in line for promotion to Petty Officer.

Jill has already completed the 3 Passes trek to Everest base camp. Now she’s added Traditional climbing to her love of trekking challenges. Her next project will combine both. A trek along the Black Cuillin Ridge in Skye then climbing the notorious Inaccessible Pinnacle. And before COVID stopped us all from having fun Jill started to learn Ceroc dancing.

If you would like to talk to the JET PRESS team please call on +44 1623 551 800 email [email protected] or contact us online.