Who We Are – James

James Parker, lead distribution manager at National Distribution Centre (NDC) vehicle operating centre (VOC), says he has ‘enormous pride in working for Royal Mail.’

Our Who We Are campaign celebrates our key workers - connecting communities, before and during the Covid-19 pandemic – and beyond as well. We’re recognising people at the heart of our business, across the pipeline, as they describe who they are in their own words.

We want to receive nominations from around the Group for deserving colleagues to be recognised in this way. Send yours to groupcommunications@royalmail.com.

Having started as a postman in Oxford 19 years ago, James became a delivery office manager before moving into mail centres with shift management.

‘A couple of years ago I decided to further my pipeline knowledge and came to NDC as the lead distribution manager where I look after the operation at NDC, one of the biggest hubs in the country,’ he said.

‘Working through Covid-19 has been genuinely really positive – I have family members who work for the NHS and have been furloughed, so I’ve seen both sides of it.

‘We have tried loads of initiatives throughout Covid-19. We’ve had surgeries, we’ve done newsletters, and we have opened up social media platforms for colleagues for different ways to connect.

‘People have really embraced what we’ve done. I think colleagues have seen a different side to the way we manage – they have seen an empathetic side in the way we’ve supported people in need.

‘I have found it massively rewarding to watch my team grow – managers, frontline and union members alike – and how we’ve all worked together and supported people. It has been a real success and a real sense of satisfaction for me.

‘I have enormous pride in working for Royal Mail. It’s a fabulous employer. We have really dedicated and fantastic people. You go out and speak to people about what they do, and they’re genuinely complimentary about what we do as a business, and what the brand means. Nothing signifies that more than what we’ve done during the pandemic.

‘I think most people in Royal Mail feel part of a team. At NDC, we work collaboratively with our commercial team and with the regional distribution centre (RDC) team. We understand the impact that what we do has on Royal Mail, and how that supports our colleagues down the delivery pipeline.’

Hear from James in this recent RMtv programme.