Employee Stories

A Day in the Life of a Project Coordinator

Hannah Taylor is a Project Coordinator in our Cambridge office and joined the company in 2019.

What did you do before joining Costello Medical?

Before joining Costello Medical, I worked as a secondary school science teacher, specialising in Biology. Prior to this, I completed A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics with Statistics, before going on to study Biomedical Science at the University of Hertfordshire, followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Whilst studying, I also worked in community pharmacy as a Medicines Counter Assistant.

What do you like best about your role as Project Coordinator at Costello Medical?

Overall, I really enjoy that my role allows me to work with a variety of people, across the company, every day. My role sees me supporting team members from numerous divisions on a wide variety of projects. I work on external projects for our clients as well as internal initiatives that can impact the whole company, like the co-ordination of both client-specific and internal, company-wide training. This, alongside working cross-divisionally, allows me to learn and use a variety of skills, including organisational skills and scientific skills.

I enjoy having oversight of processes and projects within the Medical Affairs team and, more specifically, having the opportunity to influence these processes and make them more efficient and effective.

Despite all being part of our own “home” division, all Project Coordinators are part of a big team and there is a real sense of support. We collaborate on some cross-divisional processes, like our project management system and delivering big congresses or events.

How would you describe a typical day in the life of a Project Coordinator at Costello Medical?

8:30am

I like to arrive at the office fairly early so I have time to check and respond to any emails before my project work and meetings kick off for the day.

9:00am

This morning, I am attending a training session which outlines the routes for career progression relevant to the Project Coordinator role. With promotion rounds held twice a year, we often discuss what future roles could look like for us, either as a team or in our weekly catch-ups with our line managers. The support here is so helpful!

10:00am

One of my Project Managers has asked me to proofread a document for our clients and prepare it for copy review. This involves checking for scientific and grammatical accuracy, as well as ensuring that the material is prepared to a high quality and checking it against literature references. Attention to detail and accuracy is a really key part of this role and I am often responsible for proofreading these important documents.

12:00pm

The Medical Affairs division has a few Project Coordinators and we like to catch-up on a regular basis. We usually discuss planning for the week ahead, troubleshoot any issues we might be having and highlight successes from our recent project work to see if there is anything our colleagues can learn from these.

12:30pm

I head for lunch in the breakout area and catch-up with a few colleagues from other areas of the company that I haven’t seen for a few days!

1:30pm

This afternoon, I take some time to email some of the clients I am actively working with, in order to update them on the project’s progress. As my role develops, I am taking more responsibility for client communication and account management, which I am hugely enjoying.

2:30pm

Next, I take part in an online call with a client to kick-off a brand new project. During this meeting, I am responsible for recording the minutes and distributing these to the team, as well as updating the shared project notes to highlight any action points the team need to consider. In preparation for this meeting, I conducted some research into the new therapy area this project focuses on and share my findings to help the team get up to speed before they meet with the client.

3:00pm

Later in the afternoon, I take some time to work with one of the Project Coordinators from our Literature Reviews and Synthesis team to get their advice on a literature search I am conducting for one of my projects. This cross divisional collaboration means I can enjoy a variety of project tasks and learn about new areas of the business, which I really enjoy!

5:00pm

Today is the Medical Affairs team social and we are all going out for Italian food and ice skating in Cambridge.