We sat down with Principal Consultant Jackson Hughes to learn why he chose Nimble to grow his consulting career.
What attracted you to Nimble?
Before joining Nimble, I worked at a smaller consultancy that was doing really well and ended up being acquired by a larger firm. It was a great experience, but I realised I much prefer the feel of a smaller team – less corporate, more autonomy, more pragmatic, and just a good group of people working hard to get great results for clients. I joined Nimble to return to that kind of culture, and more than three years on, I’m still really enjoying it.
What’s an average day at Nimble for you?
The great part is that the answer changes, depending on what engagement I’m on and what the shape of my role is. Currently, I’m the tech lead on a project working with a social enterprise client, where we’re building them a mobile app and a back office system. In short, that means I’m responsible for ensuring that we’re building the right things, in the right way, and that the team has everything they need to do it. It’s great to be part of something that has real social impact and benefits the community.
I split my time between:
- Hands on technical work
- Collaborating with my team
- Engaging with clients, or prospective clients
- Communities of practice within Nimble (think small working groups formed around a particular specialism or interest)
- Internal activities, such as line management of other Nimblers, interviewing potential Nimblers, or supporting wider internal initiatives such as our cloud partnerships work
What’s your favourite thing about working for Nimble?
Variety. It’s one of the main reasons I enjoy consulting – every project brings a chance to learn something new and experience different challenges. That could be working with new technologies, tackling unique client or industry problems, or simply getting to collaborate with new people. Along the way, I’ve had the chance to work with some fantastic people, which has made the experience even more rewarding.
What’s your favourite benefit that we offer?
Flexible working. I’m based in Leeds but I actually live in the Scottish Highlands. It was a bit of a dream to “one day” move to rural Scotland, but I’ve been able to do that and the quality of life improvements have been profound. I live in a small but lovely community, and it’s definitely made me more active and healthier. Being in a rural, outdoorsy setting – and not having takeaways on my doorstep that deliver – has a way of doing that!
How has Nimble helped you grow in your career?
Being part of a smaller consultancy with big ambitions means there’s always plenty to get involved in. There’s no ‘stay in your lane’ attitudes here. If you’re interested in something, or passionate about something that you think will add value, there are opportunities to get stuck in.
Nimble is very people-focused – there’s a genuine sense that people care about each other and want each other to succeed. Being surrounded by high-performing colleagues makes it much easier to learn, develop, and grow.
That culture carries through into the day-to-day experience. Working at Nimble has a low-hierarchy feel, even though there’s enough structure in place to keep things running smoothly. I regularly interact with senior people across the business, which means I can learn from them, get feedback, and hear perspectives you might not get elsewhere. I’ve even paired with our CTO on a piece of work, which isn’t something you can say at many companies.
What advice would you give recent hires?
Get involved in stuff. It’s sometimes easy to fall into focusing exclusively on client work – which is important and what we’re here for – but taking the time to get to know your colleagues outside of that really makes a difference. Building those connections helps strengthen the sense of community and culture at Nimble, and I genuinely think your experience will be better for it.
It also benefits our clients. Nimble is full of talented people, and a big part of our value is being able to tap into that collective knowledge when you need it. That’s much easier to do when you already know who to reach out to.
What brings you joy outside work?
Being tech orientated, I’m often tinkering with personal projects. When I’m not staring at a screen, I enjoy being outside with my dogs Hallie & Lula (I’ve heard there was a secret chord). I love running, often with Hallie, which has a really positive effect on my disposition and helps me to regulate.
