Profile – Amelia Browne

Why did you join Altilium?

I joined in October, so I’m still quite new. I wasn’t aware of Altilium until I applied and, when they described what they do at interview, I was like, this is someone I want to work for. It aligns with my beliefs and wants for the future, so I wanted to be part of this growth.

I graduated in June with BSc in Business and Management and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I actually applied on a whim and was very surprised I got interview but it feels like it was just meant to be.

How do you explain what you do to other people?

I support with admin for our grant applications, helping prepare the presentations and important documents that are needed, setting up review meetings for each of our grants so people can see we’re using money for right things and on track.

There’s also a lot of market research involved – for example, I’ve just done a project on the battery passport, a new regulation coming in in 2027 where all batteries have to have their own passport, so that’s going to be relevant to us in the future.

The skills needed for this role are good time management and organisational skills – there’s a lot going on, meetings coming up, getting things out on time etc. – and good report writing skills, too. I wrote a lot of reports during my degree, but this is such a different industry and I’m learning a LOT of scientific words and what they mean – I’ve even made myself my own little dictionary of all the key things!

What’s the most challenging aspect of your role?

I’m very new to all this, so there’s a lot to understand about this industry, one you wouldn’t expect to find in Plymouth. It’s also my first office job, so it’s a very different environment from what I’m used to but I’m getting a nice work life balance which is important.

What makes you positive about the future?

Definitely this job. It shows there is a world of people trying to improve our environmental conditions with practical solutions. Working here has shown me there is chance we can actually change it.

How do you charge your battery?

I do a lot of running, regardless of weather – I did go at 1 degree a couple of days ago, which was a bit brutal, but I’m training for half marathon. I also do a lot of swimming and want to do the Drake’s Island 1.5km swim next year. I’m also going to Croatia to a swim- run camp where we’ll be trained by triathletes, so that’s very exciting. I also love baking, with all this exercise, it’s good to carb up!