At Riverside, we believe it’s important that our colleagues reflect the communities we work in and that everyone has equal opportunities to succeed within their career.

Workforces in the trade and operational industries have historically been male dominated. For International Women’s Day, we’re sharing experiences of female colleagues working in operational management and leadership roles which have traditionally been filled by males.

Sultan Darilmaz will soon be celebrating eight years at Riverside. As our Operations Manager for South region, she is responsible for the responsive repairs of 5,900 properties across London, Kent and Essex.

We hope Sultan’s insight encourages you to consider career opportunities you could excel in, no matter your gender.

Hi Sultan, how did you get into working in this field?

I started in a temporary admin role at Riverside eight years ago, working in various roles from admin, planner, lead planner, performance manager which have developed me both professionally and personally, and have enabled me to become Operations Manager.

Would you encourage other women to work in housing, operational and construction roles?

Yes, because there’s such a vast range of jobs, when people think construction, they automatically think of tradespeople whereas there’s so much more to it!

Do you feel Riverside is a good place to work for women?

Yes, Riverside actively convey values which support diversity and the progression of female employees! I’m an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champion and see all the great work Riverside does to make their colleagues feel inclusive.

Do you feel you are surrounded by inspirational female leaders at Riverside?

Yes! Just in our management team alone, we have five female leaders and it’s an absolute pleasure working with them. My special mention would be Wendy Prendergast, our Commercial Manager, she has a positive attitude towards everything she faces, she’s resilient, supportive and dependable.

Have you ever faced any challenges in the workplace while in a “traditionally male role” because of your gender?

Thankfully, I haven’t!

Do you think it’s important that gender stereotypes are broken when it comes to career roles?

Of course, why should my career options be limited because of my gender? I really believe in equal opportunities and am grateful that we are slowly breaking those stereotypes.

Visit our Careers page for the latest opportunities at Riverside.