James Barber started his career in 2019 as a Technical Support apprentice at Sontay, a leading manufacturer of sensing devices that can monitor and report on a building’s condition. Now, nearly four years on James celebrates a promotion in the company, starting his new role as Deputy Production Manager. 

Sontay produce and supply building management systems and devices that enable better control and monitoring of a building’s environment. James has always found work rewarding in the BMS industry. He says “I like the fact I can say what I do makes a difference. I like seeing the new technology and what is coming up in the future of building management.”

In his new managerial role, James will have a lot more oversight in the production of Sontay’s leading products. The new role includes duties such as taking control of the production floor, which means planning and scheduling staff, machines and materials to ensure all products are made and delivered as efficiently as possible. It also includes taking on projects in training, hygiene standards and health and safety. 

However, James will still be able to incorporate his technical support knowledge into his new role, as it will still include manufacturing and assembling Sontay’s smart devices. This is an aspect of the role that James finds particularly interesting. When asked what his most rewarding experience at Sontay so far was he said: “I have been fortunate to go out and see customers, suppliers and go on site visits, but the best one was touring Tottenham Hotspur stadium. We were able to see the stadium behind the scenes, and see what makes the stadium run.” 

James loves problem solving and that no two days in his job are the same, however he is always looking for ways to improve, which he will bring with him in his new role. He said: “I hope that I can make some improvements and introduce new processes to make tasks easier and more efficient.”