Name: Natalie Buckingham
Job title: Non-Residential Specification Manager for the North East & Yorkshire
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am originally from Devon but now I class myself as a ‘Geordie’, living in the Newcastle area for over 15 years now. I have a very busy household with my two daughters, a soon-to-be stepson, two dogs, three guinea pigs and our newest addition of the family – a hamster called Louis.
We love rock climbing as a family and doing water sports in the summer. We are generally out most weekends doing something, but I often push for to do something that involves food! A hike and a pub lunch are my idea of a balanced diet.
Describe your job to a five-year-old
I help builders buy new bathrooms for their schools.
What do you like most about your job?
I mostly enjoy the ‘fight’ when it comes to value engineering against competitor projects. When those projects get over the line, it is the most rewarding feeling as that project was never ours to begin with.
How did you get here?
I started off as a showroom advisor in B&Q where I first built on my knowledge for the sanitaryware products I now love.
I side stepped to Graham Plumbers Merchant as a ‘hybrid’ estimator, a mixture between estimating quotations for the whole of the North East for plumbing and heating projects whilst looking after a small portfolio of customers as a business development manager (BDM) role to help aid the BDM at the time.
From there I decided I was ready to go out on the road and took an external trade role for another company. Dealing with trade counters throughout the North East, North West and Yorkshire area plus nationals and independents for retail, residential and non-residential projects.
I then came across to the role I am in now. All of my previous roles have helped morph me into the career person I am. How I work, the steps I take and knowledge I have gained is all thanks to my career path.
What motivates you?
Targets. The wins. The customers. Competitor projects.
Your favourite song lyric or line from a film
Great balls of fire!
Your favourite app?
Amazon
Biggest facepalm moment at work?
Saying ‘Bye, love you’ on a handful occasions to end customer or colleague calls!