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Tammy Dance

from Trainee Childcare Worker to Assistant Operations Manager
I work with trucks, trains, containers and lift machines every day to support a capital city port
Industry
Transport, Logistics and Warehousing
Company
Port of Brisbane
Job Level
Mid

Ask me about

  • My passion for my job
  • How I got to where I am today
  • What a day in my role looks like

About me

I had no idea I would be the Assistant Operation Manager at the Port of Brisbane. I would come out to the Port as a teenager and hang out with friends riding dirt bikes and playing loud music. I started my career in childcare and did work experience in Year 12 that led into a traineeship. I went to study my diploma in early education where I developed my career and became an Assistant Director of a center. I then opened my own family day care centre and travelled around NSW and QLD auditing other centres to ensure compliance was met.

After a few years, I then decided I wanted to join the Queensland Police. However, in that journey I became a Maritime Security Guard and developed skills in maritime. Through this journey I became the Security Coordinator for the company and was deployed to Goonyella Mines to lead a team of security personnel and first responders at an underground fire at a Coal Mine site. I then travelled back to Brisbane and coordinated a team of 30 security personnel during Covid while deploying first responders to mine sites across QLD. During my time as a Security Guard, I worked within locations including Brisbane City Council, City Hall, the Story Bridge and Port of Brisbane. I even worked as a paint-ball referee. I would not change anything. I grew, I developed, and I challenged myself in each of my career paths. I always say, “what’s next?”. It is ok not to know as long as you are learning, you are growing.

About my role

  • Calm
  • Confident
  • Imaginative
  • Logical
  • Resourceful

As the Assistant Operations Manager at the Brisbane Multimodal Terminal, is responsible for ensuring supplies that come in and out of the terminal is done in a safe and efficient manner. Freight comes into the terminal on trucks and trains, some of the freight goes overseas and some freight is domestic that travels to other states. The freight is carried in large 40ft or 20ft containers that are picked up and carried around using our large top lift container forklifts. These are also known as CHE's. Starting in the role as a CHE Operator helped me understand what it takes from each person in my team to make the day run. Without our CHE operators there would be no operation to manage. The Assistant Operations Manager ensures the freight is moved around the country and the world.

Education

  • High School Certificate
  • Childcare Traineeship
  • Diploma of Early Education

Subjects

  • Art
  • Business Studies
  • Dance
  • Drama
  • English
  • Food and Technology
  • Health and Human Development
  • History
  • Music
  • Physical Education
  • Specialist Mathematics (Maths C)

Hobbies

  • Camping
  • Dancing
  • Gym
  • Seeing family and friends
  • Travel

My career journey

Curious to know how I got here? Here’s a snapshot of my career pathway.
  1. Found high school hard
  2. Began work in childcare
  3. Transitioned to security
  4. Built my skills in maritime
  5. Found my role at Port of Brisbane

My typical day

My employer

Port of Brisbane is Queensland’s premier port and logistics hub. As the third largest container port and one of the most diverse multi-cargo ports in Australia, Port of Brisbane is an economic powerhouse driving Queensland and Australia’s trade growth.