Back to Work for Melin

Our people

Leslie

A portrait of Leslie

Meet Leslie, one of our Money Advisors

After starting his career in the banking sector 18 years ago Leslie was looking for a career change, and a role that provided fulfilment. He started his housing carer in 2013, joining our Melin family in 2019. He says:

“Every day is different in my role. From contacting our service partners to assisting our residents with different queries, I love the variety of the work I do. No one has the same query although it may sound the same it usually isn’t. The role is so rewarding, every day I am working to help people have a better quality of life. If you are looking for a rewarding, varied career then I cannot recommend housing enough.”

Why Leslie loves working for Melin:

“Easily the best employer I have worked for. The organisation is very supportive. My mental wellbeing has never been so good and it’s good to know the organisation cares.”

I love the people I work with. I lost my dad last year during the first lockdown and with my family living in Scotland, it was very hard but the support I received from my work colleagues (my friends) was amazing and something which will live with me forever.

Sharon

A portrait of Sharon

Meet Sharon, Director of Assets

After starting her housing career 20 years ago joining Eastern Valley Housing, having previously worked for Caerphilly County Borough Council in finance, the step from the council to a very small housing association (at the time) was huge.

“My job now couldn’t be any different to how it was 20 years ago! To cut a long story short, I’ve gone from being a Finance Manager to Director of Innovation & Culture, to Director of Assets. Every change that has happened in my role has been for the better and to some extent been driven by my own passions and work ethic.

“My current role as Director of Assets has been a huge change, but one I am very passionate about. I’ve got fantastic managers and team leaders in all my teams, we all have a common goal of providing the best services to our residents. I am still very involved in creating a fantastic culture within Melin; Zest (health and wellbeing), b-Heard (employee engagement), Best Companies, Business Continuity, team planning and driving digital enhancements.”

Why Sharon loves working for Melin:

“Everyone says it, but the thing I love most about Melin is the people. We’ve always said that it’s like a family. Even as people come and go – which is inevitable – we have maintained the fantastic culture that makes Melin special. And it’s this that keeps people here and it’s this that attracts new people to want to work here.”

Within my role, the thing I love the most is being in a position where everything I do makes a difference to people and that I’m empowered to make decisions that impact the business and the people in it. I’m very lucky that I’ve got a fantastic team, knowing this every day makes me smile and makes me appreciate how great my job is.

Emily

A portrait of Emily

Meet Emily, one of our Administrative Assistants

Emily started her career with us in October 2020, after being made redundant as a result of the pandemic. Emily tells us:

“I have felt part of the team from day one, it feels like I have been here for years – which in my eyes is a good thing!

“My main challenge was starting the job during a pandemic, I was worried how I would learn my job, the systems, understand the housing sector and fit in with people, as we were all based at home. Everyone has been amazing at helping me learn my new role and all about housing. The different departments all have the same aim to make a difference to communities and residents.

“My day-to-day job is monitoring the contracts database, helping with all admin aspects of tenders, reviews, and contracts.”

Why Emily loves working for Melin:

Since day one of my employment, I have felt part of the team and part of Melin. Staff are helpful and welcoming. The staff benefits and flexi-time is such a great bonus to get. Waking up every day knowing I have a job that I love is the best feeling!

Jamie

A portrait of Jamie

Meet Jamie, our Development Graduate

“After studying Urban Planning and Development at university I developed a passion for housing and in particular affordable housing. In my final year I had decided I wanted to pursue a career within this industry, so I started searching for graduate roles and I was lucky to find one that had just been published at Melin. I applied, made it through short listing, then the interview and I got the job!”

Why Jamie loves working for Melin

“I love working here, it really is a great place to work, the people I have met have been very welcoming and happy. Everyone has made more than 100% effort to make me feel welcome and part of the team. I have only been here since July, but I already feel part of the Melin family and am growing in confidence every day.”

In my role as a Development Graduate, I am able to make a positive difference to people’s lives. I am enjoying learning about the areas that we work and being able to see first-hand how the development process works, it is great seeing real life experiences and being able to watch and learn from people who are so passionate about their jobs. The people on my team are very helpful and go out of their way to make sure I’m continually learning; they constantly inspire me.

Mike

A portrait of Mike

Meet Mike, one of our Senior Development Officers

“When leaving school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and a career in housing wasn’t something that I even thought about. I wanted to keep my options open as the thought of doing the same job for the next 45 years and not enjoying it certainly made the decision even harder. I went to university and did a Law, Accountancy, and Business degree, just to keep my options open! I was still not sure what I wanted to do, however I was fortunate enough to get a teaching job in Japan.

“Fast forward 10 years and I made the decision to move back to Wales, to work in building services. It was during this time that I designed and built my first house. I loved the planning process, design, and building something that meets your needs and how you want to live. It sparked a fire in me and I realised that this was what I was passionate about. I started working in housing in 2010, joining Melin in 2016 as a Senior Development Officer.”

Why Mike loves working for Melin

“The properties we provide have such a notable impact on the lives of our residents. It is much more than just delivering a new home, we are actually making a difference people’s lives and their local community. I love how varied my role is as each development is very different; from designing refugee and homeless accommodation to supported living and general needs. No day is the same and I enjoy the challenges my role offers.”

Melin is more than just a place of work to me, it’s a family.

You might find these pages helpful

How to apply

If you’ve found an ideal position on our vacancies site and would like to find out how to apply, just check these quick tips.

See more