Reflecting on 8 years at GeoSmart with Jess Bayliff, Operations Manager and Principal Consultant

Tell us about your professional journey and how your role has evolved over your time at GeoSmart?

I started at GeoSmart as a contaminated land consultant after graduating from university in July 2016. Shortly after I started writing flood risk assessments and sustainable drainage reports too.

Since then, I have progressed through the consultancy team to my current position as Principal Consultant. Alongside this, I have also expanded my knowledge in other areas, including line management and health and safety, which led me to become Operations Manager in early 2024.

What does a typical day look like in your current role?

There isn’t a ‘typical’ day as no two days are the same. Nowadays I write a lot less reports than I did at the start of my career as I now have more of a technical lead/advisory role. This involves working with the operations team, reviewing reports, and managing larger scale work. I am also involved in a lot of strategic planning to improve the efficiency of our reporting, ensuring we have capacity to provide the best service to clients. 

What’s your favourite thing about working at GeoSmart?

The first thing that comes to mind is the team. We have such a great group of people at GeoSmart, and although it has evolved and changed over time, it has consistently been a great atmosphere to work in with an extremely supportive culture.

I’m also grateful for the opportunities I have had during my time here. I’ve been privileged to grow my career to the position it is in now, with my role adapting and evolving just as my skills and experience have over the last 8 years. I feel lucky to have had the support along the way and look forward to seeing what’s to come in the future.

What are some of the standout moments for you?

There are too many to mention, but I will never forget the first sustainable drainage report of mine that got approved for planning. As a junior consultant at the time, it was great to know that — even at the early stage of my career — my work was making a difference. Besides that, all of the opportunities for leadership at the early stages of my career were incredible. 

Another memorable moment was the time I got temporarily locked on a farm during a site walkover! It happened because the gate was automatic and the client had left to run an errand, but luckily I got the code to the gate quickly and was able to make my next meeting only a couple of minutes late!

I also met my best friend working here — how many people can say that?!

What key changes have you noticed over this time, and how has this impacted how you conduct your work?

The most significant change has been the size of the overall team. When I first started, there were only four members of staff in the reports team and one in sales – this has now grown to 15 in the reports team and six in sales. There has been a huge transition over the years in regards to changes to the way we work, but it’s been great to be a part of GeoSmart’s growth.