Joseph Ogundemuren – Building Safety Manager
Hear from employees of Clarion Housing Group on how they have enhanced their skills, followed new opportunities and progressed their careers.
Joseph Ogundemuren is a Building Safety Manager. He started his career at Clarion in April 2011 as a Security Officer.
What is your current role?
I’m a Building Safety Manager. My role involves strategically and operationally leading all aspects of Estate Services within three diverse London Boroughs.
I manage both static and mobile front-line teams who are responsible for keeping our estates safe, clean and well maintained for customers. I really enjoy working with my team and being able to assist and give advice to colleagues across the business.
How has your career developed at Clarion?
I started at Clarion as a Security Officer in April 2011. This involved residential block patrolling, monitoring CCTV, deterring crime, and proactively responding to health and safety building risks.
After a few years in the role, I felt I had more to offer my department and through a development opportunity that arose, I was promoted to Security & Lifestyle Manager in 2013. This role involved the operational management of Security and Mobile Patrol teams who work collaboratively to reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB) and promote safer neighbourhoods for our customers via a 24/7 service delivery.
Building on my management strengths at Clarion, in March 2020 I was further promoted to Operations Manager for Estate Services. This role gave me further insight and broader scope into being responsible for strategically shaping the services we deliver for our customers. I am currently a Building Safety Manager.
“Every day varies and I relish the challenges these bring. My team and I continuously work together to make sure our customer communities are safe, clean and well looked after.”
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Every day varies and I relish the challenges these bring. My team and I continuously work together to make sure our customer communities are safe, clean and well looked after.
It is rewarding to have the responsibility of ensuring a robust performance management culture and framework is embedded within my team to meet the ambitious objectives of Clarion.
What is your favourite work memory?
In 2012, I worked closely with the Security & Lifestyle Director and Clarion Futures to use grant funding to facilitate Security Industry Authority (SIA), Door Supervision and CCTV training for thirty of our unemployed customers.
On their successful completion of the training, I assisted them in applying for their SIA licences, inducting and organising them to shadow permanent members of the Security & Lifestyle team to gain security industry experience during the busy period of the 2012 London Olympics.
It was a rewarding experience to improve their life chances by supporting their transition out of long-term unemployment.
What advice would you give to someone looking to join your team?
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable! Working in culturally varied communities requires diversity of thought and emotional intelligence to deliver excellent customer focused services You must be flexible and adaptable constant to change.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself
I am a student of the martial art form Wing Chun, for over nine years and it’s my go to for relaxation. As part of my studies, I have been fortunate to visit Hong Kong and mainland China, which included training with Grandmasters Ip Ching and Ip Chun, whose father Ip Man was the Wing Chun teacher of Bruce Lee.