Colleague spotlight: meet Jon Mears
I joined Leighton initially as a Senior Software Engineer, but I’m also a Community Lead for the Front-End Community. Each day at Leighton is different, but generally I run the community and support colleagues by focusing on how we can help them improve their front-end skills and create learning pathways to help them out on that journey. With my software engineer hat on, I’m also part of the software delivery team – Leighton's in-house scrum team offering ‘build as a service’ software delivery to customers. In this role, I do more typical software engineering work, specialising in front-end. As part of this, we do a lot of proof of concept (POC) work, where we take an idea from a customer and get something developed for them within a 12-week period. Across projects we generally use React and View and we build a lot of customer front-ends which includes things like creating components, all the way through to testing and the development lifecycle.
I’ve been at Leighton for two years now, joining at the start of 2023. Before joining, I’d been at another couple of businesses over a considerable amount of time and hadn’t necessarily felt like I was part of something bigger whilst I was working there. However, as soon as I joined Leighton, I just knew it was going to be the right fit for me. The varied work that Leighton offer, like Community Lead roles, as well as the longevity of the business was something that really stood out to me. Even throughout the interview process, it felt as though they were really trying to understand me as a person and how well I’d fit in here. Two years later and I’m still really loving my time here. I think the direction in which the business is going and the plans we have for the future have really cemented the reasoning as to why I first joined.
I received a games console called a Commadore 64 as a gift when I was 8 or 9, which I think first sparked my interest in computers and gaming. At that time, it was usually just a choice of kicking a ball about in the streets or using your games console. Throughout school I wasn’t the most academic. I wasn’t a straight A student by any means, but I knew I had my heart set on doing something with computers. I remember doing work experience at school - I spent some time at a place called Northern Electric which was an electricity supply company, and I remember seeing two huge hard disks which I thought looked pretty cool. From that point on, I knew that this was the sort of thing I wanted to pursue a career in. I went to college, and then on to university where I studied computer engineering, before moving down to Birmingham to work in web development for a start-up for five years which I loved.
As I work in more of a senior role, I think it’s important to have that approachable demeanour where people feel comfortable enough to be able to come and speak to you and ask questions, as well as having that availability where people can just reach out for you to be able to support them with what they need. Having spent a couple of years in this role now, I’ve grown to learn the importance of giving advice and maybe giving a different alternative or view point to someone on how they can approach certain scenarios. I think technical skills can be learnt, however I think building those softer skills are equally, if not more important.
When I first joined, I started as a Senior Software Engineer on a project with Atom Bank who were one of our long-standing customers at the time, so I was very much in a customer-facing role. However, this quickly changed when I was approached with the possibility of joining a project which was more internal, to which I jumped at the chance because it was an exciting opportunity to do something different and work with a different technology. I think it was very much a reflection on the way in which Leighton is moving, in terms of exploring other avenues for growth. As part of this, I’ve had the chance to work with back-end and full-stack developers. I see myself very much as a front-end developer, so working with other disciplines has been incredibly valuable.
We’ve recently done some very interesting work around AI, which was challenging because when we first started, we weren’t sure on how to actually utilise it. A few months down the line and we’ve built two applications using AI, which is a which is a really good reflection on the team and the hard work we’ve been doing. Outside of Leighton I’ve helped to build an iOS app for a housing authority in one of my previous roles, just after the first iPhone was released. This was particularly challenging as there were no real frameworks at the time, so I had to essentially build it by myself.
The variety. Although I’m mostly front-end, there are opportunities where I can enjoy getting involved in the full-stack side of things as well – I’m not just limited to one particular way of working. I also enjoy being able to work with the people on my team. We have really good working relationship here –we’re able to have a laugh, but we all share a really strong work ethic and don’t mind pulling each other up when something hasn’t gone quite right. So having that team dynamic where there’s an openness to challenge each other on different things is something that I enjoy being a part of.
The culture. I think there has been a lot of hard work put in over recent years to really create an environment that allows you to grow and improve. I feel fortunate enough to be able to work for a business that really encourages you to try new things and have a go at stuff you might have otherwise not have tried your hand at. From a company point of view, everyone is pulling in the right direction and really coming together to achieve our goals.
I was recently asked to present at one of Leighton’s TechNExt fringe events to deliver a presentation on one of our recent projects, so having that exposure and really showcasing what we’ve been working on was really cool. Having the chance to also speak at Leighton’s company days has been a great opportunity to show the wider Leighton community the things we’ve been working on from a software development perspective. Finally, winning the nurturing award at our last company day which reflects one of our Leighton values, really wasn’t something that I expected.
I’d love to get some more AWS accreditations under the belt, but finding the time to do this can sometimes be quite challenging given how busy we are with various projects. I’ve also, like a lot of people, set myself the challenge of moving up the career ladder into a more senior role. The way I look at it, if I can achieve this, it then gives other people the chance to step into my shoes who are also wanting to challenge themselves by progressing their careers.
Believe it or not I was actually an extra in a disaster TV show on ITV. As part of the role, I had to tread water in an industrial sized diving pool, fully clothed, dressed in a big woolly jumper and oversized trousers. As someone who isn’t exactly the strongest swimmer, you can only imagine how it looked on TV!
I’m a coach for my daughter’s football team that she’s been a part of for 6 years. We usually train on a Tuesday night and then we’ll have matches on a Saturday. We’ve got a squad of about 18, all of varying abilities, so it’s good fun and really rewarding being able to help train them to become future Lioness stars. Aside from football coaching, I also try to play cricket and golf when I can and love to take my Labrador, Poppy out on walks.
We do a lot of work to help colleagues improve technically, but that’s only part of our remit. Helping colleagues improve their soft skills is equally as important as learning the newest features of a framework or programming language. So, with this in mind, I’ve opened my diary for anyone to book time with myself to discuss things that they may require more information on, soft or technical skills, with an aim to ultimately help them achieve their goals by having regular check-ins and mentoring.
Don’t be afraid to try. I think that actually resonates with some of the girls I help to coach too. Often there are times where the barriers may come up, but it’s important to give things a go, even if they don’t necessarily turn out well the first-time round – it’s about the perseverance and not giving up.
Find something that you enjoy doing. It goes back to that old saying, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
I joined Leighton initially as a Senior Software Engineer, but I’m also a Community Lead for the Front-End Community. Each day at Leighton is different, but generally I run the community and support colleagues by focusing on how we can help them improve their front-end skills and create learning pathways to help them out on that journey. With my software engineer hat on, I’m also part of the software delivery team – Leighton's in-house scrum team offering ‘build as a service’ software delivery to customers. In this role, I do more typical software engineering work, specialising in front-end. As part of this, we do a lot of proof of concept (POC) work, where we take an idea from a customer and get something developed for them within a 12-week period. Across projects we generally use React and View and we build a lot of customer front-ends which includes things like creating components, all the way through to testing and the development lifecycle.
I’ve been at Leighton for two years now, joining at the start of 2023. Before joining, I’d been at another couple of businesses over a considerable amount of time and hadn’t necessarily felt like I was part of something bigger whilst I was working there. However, as soon as I joined Leighton, I just knew it was going to be the right fit for me. The varied work that Leighton offer, like Community Lead roles, as well as the longevity of the business was something that really stood out to me. Even throughout the interview process, it felt as though they were really trying to understand me as a person and how well I’d fit in here. Two years later and I’m still really loving my time here. I think the direction in which the business is going and the plans we have for the future have really cemented the reasoning as to why I first joined.
I received a games console called a Commadore 64 as a gift when I was 8 or 9, which I think first sparked my interest in computers and gaming. At that time, it was usually just a choice of kicking a ball about in the streets or using your games console. Throughout school I wasn’t the most academic. I wasn’t a straight A student by any means, but I knew I had my heart set on doing something with computers. I remember doing work experience at school - I spent some time at a place called Northern Electric which was an electricity supply company, and I remember seeing two huge hard disks which I thought looked pretty cool. From that point on, I knew that this was the sort of thing I wanted to pursue a career in. I went to college, and then on to university where I studied computer engineering, before moving down to Birmingham to work in web development for a start-up for five years which I loved.
As I work in more of a senior role, I think it’s important to have that approachable demeanour where people feel comfortable enough to be able to come and speak to you and ask questions, as well as having that availability where people can just reach out for you to be able to support them with what they need. Having spent a couple of years in this role now, I’ve grown to learn the importance of giving advice and maybe giving a different alternative or view point to someone on how they can approach certain scenarios. I think technical skills can be learnt, however I think building those softer skills are equally, if not more important.
When I first joined, I started as a Senior Software Engineer on a project with Atom Bank who were one of our long-standing customers at the time, so I was very much in a customer-facing role. However, this quickly changed when I was approached with the possibility of joining a project which was more internal, to which I jumped at the chance because it was an exciting opportunity to do something different and work with a different technology. I think it was very much a reflection on the way in which Leighton is moving, in terms of exploring other avenues for growth. As part of this, I’ve had the chance to work with back-end and full-stack developers. I see myself very much as a front-end developer, so working with other disciplines has been incredibly valuable.
We’ve recently done some very interesting work around AI, which was challenging because when we first started, we weren’t sure on how to actually utilise it. A few months down the line and we’ve built two applications using AI, which is a which is a really good reflection on the team and the hard work we’ve been doing. Outside of Leighton I’ve helped to build an iOS app for a housing authority in one of my previous roles, just after the first iPhone was released. This was particularly challenging as there were no real frameworks at the time, so I had to essentially build it by myself.
The variety. Although I’m mostly front-end, there are opportunities where I can enjoy getting involved in the full-stack side of things as well – I’m not just limited to one particular way of working. I also enjoy being able to work with the people on my team. We have really good working relationship here –we’re able to have a laugh, but we all share a really strong work ethic and don’t mind pulling each other up when something hasn’t gone quite right. So having that team dynamic where there’s an openness to challenge each other on different things is something that I enjoy being a part of.
The culture. I think there has been a lot of hard work put in over recent years to really create an environment that allows you to grow and improve. I feel fortunate enough to be able to work for a business that really encourages you to try new things and have a go at stuff you might have otherwise not have tried your hand at. From a company point of view, everyone is pulling in the right direction and really coming together to achieve our goals.
I was recently asked to present at one of Leighton’s TechNExt fringe events to deliver a presentation on one of our recent projects, so having that exposure and really showcasing what we’ve been working on was really cool. Having the chance to also speak at Leighton’s company days has been a great opportunity to show the wider Leighton community the things we’ve been working on from a software development perspective. Finally, winning the nurturing award at our last company day which reflects one of our Leighton values, really wasn’t something that I expected.
I’d love to get some more AWS accreditations under the belt, but finding the time to do this can sometimes be quite challenging given how busy we are with various projects. I’ve also, like a lot of people, set myself the challenge of moving up the career ladder into a more senior role. The way I look at it, if I can achieve this, it then gives other people the chance to step into my shoes who are also wanting to challenge themselves by progressing their careers.
Believe it or not I was actually an extra in a disaster TV show on ITV. As part of the role, I had to tread water in an industrial sized diving pool, fully clothed, dressed in a big woolly jumper and oversized trousers. As someone who isn’t exactly the strongest swimmer, you can only imagine how it looked on TV!
I’m a coach for my daughter’s football team that she’s been a part of for 6 years. We usually train on a Tuesday night and then we’ll have matches on a Saturday. We’ve got a squad of about 18, all of varying abilities, so it’s good fun and really rewarding being able to help train them to become future Lioness stars. Aside from football coaching, I also try to play cricket and golf when I can and love to take my Labrador, Poppy out on walks.
We do a lot of work to help colleagues improve technically, but that’s only part of our remit. Helping colleagues improve their soft skills is equally as important as learning the newest features of a framework or programming language. So, with this in mind, I’ve opened my diary for anyone to book time with myself to discuss things that they may require more information on, soft or technical skills, with an aim to ultimately help them achieve their goals by having regular check-ins and mentoring.
Don’t be afraid to try. I think that actually resonates with some of the girls I help to coach too. Often there are times where the barriers may come up, but it’s important to give things a go, even if they don’t necessarily turn out well the first-time round – it’s about the perseverance and not giving up.
Find something that you enjoy doing. It goes back to that old saying, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
I joined Leighton initially as a Senior Software Engineer, but I’m also a Community Lead for the Front-End Community. Each day at Leighton is different, but generally I run the community and support colleagues by focusing on how we can help them improve their front-end skills and create learning pathways to help them out on that journey. With my software engineer hat on, I’m also part of the software delivery team – Leighton's in-house scrum team offering ‘build as a service’ software delivery to customers. In this role, I do more typical software engineering work, specialising in front-end. As part of this, we do a lot of proof of concept (POC) work, where we take an idea from a customer and get something developed for them within a 12-week period. Across projects we generally use React and View and we build a lot of customer front-ends which includes things like creating components, all the way through to testing and the development lifecycle.
I’ve been at Leighton for two years now, joining at the start of 2023. Before joining, I’d been at another couple of businesses over a considerable amount of time and hadn’t necessarily felt like I was part of something bigger whilst I was working there. However, as soon as I joined Leighton, I just knew it was going to be the right fit for me. The varied work that Leighton offer, like Community Lead roles, as well as the longevity of the business was something that really stood out to me. Even throughout the interview process, it felt as though they were really trying to understand me as a person and how well I’d fit in here. Two years later and I’m still really loving my time here. I think the direction in which the business is going and the plans we have for the future have really cemented the reasoning as to why I first joined.
I received a games console called a Commadore 64 as a gift when I was 8 or 9, which I think first sparked my interest in computers and gaming. At that time, it was usually just a choice of kicking a ball about in the streets or using your games console. Throughout school I wasn’t the most academic. I wasn’t a straight A student by any means, but I knew I had my heart set on doing something with computers. I remember doing work experience at school - I spent some time at a place called Northern Electric which was an electricity supply company, and I remember seeing two huge hard disks which I thought looked pretty cool. From that point on, I knew that this was the sort of thing I wanted to pursue a career in. I went to college, and then on to university where I studied computer engineering, before moving down to Birmingham to work in web development for a start-up for five years which I loved.
As I work in more of a senior role, I think it’s important to have that approachable demeanour where people feel comfortable enough to be able to come and speak to you and ask questions, as well as having that availability where people can just reach out for you to be able to support them with what they need. Having spent a couple of years in this role now, I’ve grown to learn the importance of giving advice and maybe giving a different alternative or view point to someone on how they can approach certain scenarios. I think technical skills can be learnt, however I think building those softer skills are equally, if not more important.
When I first joined, I started as a Senior Software Engineer on a project with Atom Bank who were one of our long-standing customers at the time, so I was very much in a customer-facing role. However, this quickly changed when I was approached with the possibility of joining a project which was more internal, to which I jumped at the chance because it was an exciting opportunity to do something different and work with a different technology. I think it was very much a reflection on the way in which Leighton is moving, in terms of exploring other avenues for growth. As part of this, I’ve had the chance to work with back-end and full-stack developers. I see myself very much as a front-end developer, so working with other disciplines has been incredibly valuable.
We’ve recently done some very interesting work around AI, which was challenging because when we first started, we weren’t sure on how to actually utilise it. A few months down the line and we’ve built two applications using AI, which is a which is a really good reflection on the team and the hard work we’ve been doing. Outside of Leighton I’ve helped to build an iOS app for a housing authority in one of my previous roles, just after the first iPhone was released. This was particularly challenging as there were no real frameworks at the time, so I had to essentially build it by myself.
The variety. Although I’m mostly front-end, there are opportunities where I can enjoy getting involved in the full-stack side of things as well – I’m not just limited to one particular way of working. I also enjoy being able to work with the people on my team. We have really good working relationship here –we’re able to have a laugh, but we all share a really strong work ethic and don’t mind pulling each other up when something hasn’t gone quite right. So having that team dynamic where there’s an openness to challenge each other on different things is something that I enjoy being a part of.
The culture. I think there has been a lot of hard work put in over recent years to really create an environment that allows you to grow and improve. I feel fortunate enough to be able to work for a business that really encourages you to try new things and have a go at stuff you might have otherwise not have tried your hand at. From a company point of view, everyone is pulling in the right direction and really coming together to achieve our goals.
I was recently asked to present at one of Leighton’s TechNExt fringe events to deliver a presentation on one of our recent projects, so having that exposure and really showcasing what we’ve been working on was really cool. Having the chance to also speak at Leighton’s company days has been a great opportunity to show the wider Leighton community the things we’ve been working on from a software development perspective. Finally, winning the nurturing award at our last company day which reflects one of our Leighton values, really wasn’t something that I expected.
I’d love to get some more AWS accreditations under the belt, but finding the time to do this can sometimes be quite challenging given how busy we are with various projects. I’ve also, like a lot of people, set myself the challenge of moving up the career ladder into a more senior role. The way I look at it, if I can achieve this, it then gives other people the chance to step into my shoes who are also wanting to challenge themselves by progressing their careers.
Believe it or not I was actually an extra in a disaster TV show on ITV. As part of the role, I had to tread water in an industrial sized diving pool, fully clothed, dressed in a big woolly jumper and oversized trousers. As someone who isn’t exactly the strongest swimmer, you can only imagine how it looked on TV!
I’m a coach for my daughter’s football team that she’s been a part of for 6 years. We usually train on a Tuesday night and then we’ll have matches on a Saturday. We’ve got a squad of about 18, all of varying abilities, so it’s good fun and really rewarding being able to help train them to become future Lioness stars. Aside from football coaching, I also try to play cricket and golf when I can and love to take my Labrador, Poppy out on walks.
We do a lot of work to help colleagues improve technically, but that’s only part of our remit. Helping colleagues improve their soft skills is equally as important as learning the newest features of a framework or programming language. So, with this in mind, I’ve opened my diary for anyone to book time with myself to discuss things that they may require more information on, soft or technical skills, with an aim to ultimately help them achieve their goals by having regular check-ins and mentoring.
Don’t be afraid to try. I think that actually resonates with some of the girls I help to coach too. Often there are times where the barriers may come up, but it’s important to give things a go, even if they don’t necessarily turn out well the first-time round – it’s about the perseverance and not giving up.
Find something that you enjoy doing. It goes back to that old saying, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
I joined Leighton initially as a Senior Software Engineer, but I’m also a Community Lead for the Front-End Community. Each day at Leighton is different, but generally I run the community and support colleagues by focusing on how we can help them improve their front-end skills and create learning pathways to help them out on that journey. With my software engineer hat on, I’m also part of the software delivery team – Leighton's in-house scrum team offering ‘build as a service’ software delivery to customers. In this role, I do more typical software engineering work, specialising in front-end. As part of this, we do a lot of proof of concept (POC) work, where we take an idea from a customer and get something developed for them within a 12-week period. Across projects we generally use React and View and we build a lot of customer front-ends which includes things like creating components, all the way through to testing and the development lifecycle.
I’ve been at Leighton for two years now, joining at the start of 2023. Before joining, I’d been at another couple of businesses over a considerable amount of time and hadn’t necessarily felt like I was part of something bigger whilst I was working there. However, as soon as I joined Leighton, I just knew it was going to be the right fit for me. The varied work that Leighton offer, like Community Lead roles, as well as the longevity of the business was something that really stood out to me. Even throughout the interview process, it felt as though they were really trying to understand me as a person and how well I’d fit in here. Two years later and I’m still really loving my time here. I think the direction in which the business is going and the plans we have for the future have really cemented the reasoning as to why I first joined.
I received a games console called a Commadore 64 as a gift when I was 8 or 9, which I think first sparked my interest in computers and gaming. At that time, it was usually just a choice of kicking a ball about in the streets or using your games console. Throughout school I wasn’t the most academic. I wasn’t a straight A student by any means, but I knew I had my heart set on doing something with computers. I remember doing work experience at school - I spent some time at a place called Northern Electric which was an electricity supply company, and I remember seeing two huge hard disks which I thought looked pretty cool. From that point on, I knew that this was the sort of thing I wanted to pursue a career in. I went to college, and then on to university where I studied computer engineering, before moving down to Birmingham to work in web development for a start-up for five years which I loved.
As I work in more of a senior role, I think it’s important to have that approachable demeanour where people feel comfortable enough to be able to come and speak to you and ask questions, as well as having that availability where people can just reach out for you to be able to support them with what they need. Having spent a couple of years in this role now, I’ve grown to learn the importance of giving advice and maybe giving a different alternative or view point to someone on how they can approach certain scenarios. I think technical skills can be learnt, however I think building those softer skills are equally, if not more important.
When I first joined, I started as a Senior Software Engineer on a project with Atom Bank who were one of our long-standing customers at the time, so I was very much in a customer-facing role. However, this quickly changed when I was approached with the possibility of joining a project which was more internal, to which I jumped at the chance because it was an exciting opportunity to do something different and work with a different technology. I think it was very much a reflection on the way in which Leighton is moving, in terms of exploring other avenues for growth. As part of this, I’ve had the chance to work with back-end and full-stack developers. I see myself very much as a front-end developer, so working with other disciplines has been incredibly valuable.
We’ve recently done some very interesting work around AI, which was challenging because when we first started, we weren’t sure on how to actually utilise it. A few months down the line and we’ve built two applications using AI, which is a which is a really good reflection on the team and the hard work we’ve been doing. Outside of Leighton I’ve helped to build an iOS app for a housing authority in one of my previous roles, just after the first iPhone was released. This was particularly challenging as there were no real frameworks at the time, so I had to essentially build it by myself.
The variety. Although I’m mostly front-end, there are opportunities where I can enjoy getting involved in the full-stack side of things as well – I’m not just limited to one particular way of working. I also enjoy being able to work with the people on my team. We have really good working relationship here –we’re able to have a laugh, but we all share a really strong work ethic and don’t mind pulling each other up when something hasn’t gone quite right. So having that team dynamic where there’s an openness to challenge each other on different things is something that I enjoy being a part of.
The culture. I think there has been a lot of hard work put in over recent years to really create an environment that allows you to grow and improve. I feel fortunate enough to be able to work for a business that really encourages you to try new things and have a go at stuff you might have otherwise not have tried your hand at. From a company point of view, everyone is pulling in the right direction and really coming together to achieve our goals.
I was recently asked to present at one of Leighton’s TechNExt fringe events to deliver a presentation on one of our recent projects, so having that exposure and really showcasing what we’ve been working on was really cool. Having the chance to also speak at Leighton’s company days has been a great opportunity to show the wider Leighton community the things we’ve been working on from a software development perspective. Finally, winning the nurturing award at our last company day which reflects one of our Leighton values, really wasn’t something that I expected.
I’d love to get some more AWS accreditations under the belt, but finding the time to do this can sometimes be quite challenging given how busy we are with various projects. I’ve also, like a lot of people, set myself the challenge of moving up the career ladder into a more senior role. The way I look at it, if I can achieve this, it then gives other people the chance to step into my shoes who are also wanting to challenge themselves by progressing their careers.
Believe it or not I was actually an extra in a disaster TV show on ITV. As part of the role, I had to tread water in an industrial sized diving pool, fully clothed, dressed in a big woolly jumper and oversized trousers. As someone who isn’t exactly the strongest swimmer, you can only imagine how it looked on TV!
I’m a coach for my daughter’s football team that she’s been a part of for 6 years. We usually train on a Tuesday night and then we’ll have matches on a Saturday. We’ve got a squad of about 18, all of varying abilities, so it’s good fun and really rewarding being able to help train them to become future Lioness stars. Aside from football coaching, I also try to play cricket and golf when I can and love to take my Labrador, Poppy out on walks.
We do a lot of work to help colleagues improve technically, but that’s only part of our remit. Helping colleagues improve their soft skills is equally as important as learning the newest features of a framework or programming language. So, with this in mind, I’ve opened my diary for anyone to book time with myself to discuss things that they may require more information on, soft or technical skills, with an aim to ultimately help them achieve their goals by having regular check-ins and mentoring.
Don’t be afraid to try. I think that actually resonates with some of the girls I help to coach too. Often there are times where the barriers may come up, but it’s important to give things a go, even if they don’t necessarily turn out well the first-time round – it’s about the perseverance and not giving up.
Find something that you enjoy doing. It goes back to that old saying, if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
