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Job Spotlight - Peter Dunn, Contract Journal

Name: Peter Dunn
Job Title: Contracts manager
Company: Nobles Construction

Key qualifications: NEBOSH general certificate, site managers safety training, code for sustainable housing, scaffold inspection, fire marshall, facet safety net inspections and first aid.

What is the best thing about working at Nobles Construction?

Nobles is a very tight-knit company with only a few management tiers, meaning everyone from the lads on site through to the directors know each other's strengths and weaknesses and are willing to muck in. No one is unapproachable. Having the freedom to make key decisions without the bureaucracy and endless paper work means we can solve problems on site quickly and focus on our clients' needs.

And the worst?
In all honesty, I haven't found one yet.

What kind of person is best suited to this job?
A level-headed individual with the ability to react positively to criticism, think on their feet and be fair and unbiased in decision making. Being able to admit when you are wrong is vital, in addition to people skills and a good sense of humour.

What qualifications do you need?
There are a number of different routes through apprenticeships and college, but I found the best way is to start at the bottom and work your way up. This takes longer but you get a better understanding of how the industry works.

Do many women work in this sector?
Not enough. There seem to be more female surveyors and engineers but I have not encountered any female contract managers.

What is a typical day for you?
No two days are the same. I started today preparing tenders and then had a couple of site meetings. I have the freedom to spend more time on site and build up relationships with the guys at the coal face. I have worked at other companies which had more of a box-ticking attitude and I would be stuck in the office all day.

What was your favourite job?
I joined Nobles in April 2008, mid-way through the recently completed Cardinal Newman High School. There had been some minor problems on site that could lead to major fall outs if not sorted early enough. I worked closely with the site manager to turn it around and it is now a project that both Nobles and the client are proud of.

What is the typical starting salary for graduates?
A graduate would need to enter at assistant site manager level or assistant quantity surveyor and then work their way up. They would be looking at around £19,000.

What can you expect after 10 years?
The sky's the limit. Some people want to be at the top and running their own company, while some are content with staying at a quantity surveyor or site manager level. Not everyone wants to be a contracts manager. I have been in the industry for 28 years and it has taken a lot of hard work, enthusiasm for new challenges and a good bit of luck to get where I am.

 

What is a typical career path?
Most people take a similar path to me - starting off lower down the ladder and working their way through each management tier, from foreman, site manager, project manager to contracts manager.