Faces behind the build - Katie Woolhouse
People
06 Jan 2025
At Avant, it's our mission to make it possible for the next generation of house buyers to get on the housing ladder by opening the door to well built, affordable homes, in fantastic locations!
Our team put our customers at the heart of everything they do, so to find out more about the 'Faces behind the build', we've been speaking to members of our team to find out more about who they are, what they do and what they enjoy most about their job.
This month, we caught up with Central's Office Manager / PA to Director In Charge, Katie Woolhouse!
1. What does a typical day look like for you?
There is no typical day as every day is different. One minute I can be responding to emails and the next minute I can be organising meetings, dealing with office maintenance and tradesman, or providing an induction. Being a great communicator is essential for my role as I am the first point of contact for many departments whether that’s obtaining reports, dealing with holidays or general advice, the Office Manager is usually the first point of call. I often joke that my office is like Euston station, there is almost always someone wanting help or information but I love it! An office manager is one of the few roles within a company that has communication with absolutely everyone, from new employees to the executive board.
2. What do you enjoy the most about your job?
I enjoy a varied role where no two days are the same. Although I have set duties to complete on certain days and timescales, my role is always changing and I enjoy the challenge. Being part of a friendly team who care about the business is definitely a plus.
3. How did you get into this role?
I joined initially in 2010, on a temporary contract as a Customer Care Assistant to cover a colleague who was having time off to get married, and have worked in many different departments since.
4. Why did you want join Avant Homes?
I like the Avant culture, alongside having a great product featuring innovative house type designs and I’m proud to be part of the Avant family. I quickly discovered that this was the company I wanted to be involved with.
5. What would you say are skills you need to possess to be successful in your role?
You need to have good listening skills, the ability to meet deadlines and being able to prioritise your workload is a must. A good Office Manager/PA needs to be a people person, have the ability to build relationships and be discreet. As no 2 days are the same, the ability to be flexible and adapt is essential!
6. What do you like to do outside of work?
Socialise – I love a good festival, spending time with family and friends and the odd wine (or two!). We have a van at the East Coast so we like to go and chill out there as often as possible.
7. Tell us a fun fact about yourself that your colleagues wouldn't know about you?
I got married in Vegas by Elvis (The real Elvis, obviously 😉)
8. If you could swap jobs for a day with any other person in the company, who would it be and why?
Ooo probably Construction because a) that’s one of the few departments that I haven’t worked in and b) It would be interesting to see the manual side of the company. Seeing a house get built knowing that you have helped make it happen must be really exciting.
9. What would you say to anyone looking to get into the housebuilding sector?
Go for it! There are so many opportunities within the housebuilding sector which involves many different departments from land buying to construction to sales and everything in between! It’s an exciting sector to work in and lots of room to progress if you work hard.
10. Describe the culture at Avant in three words
Family, genuine and exciting
More News
People
06 Jan 2025
Faces behind the build - Katie Woolhouse
People
25 Nov 2024
Faces behind the build - Jenna Hobbs
People
01 Nov 2024
Faces behind the build - Lily Houlahan
Our locations
