Crown Sydney, The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Shanghai Tower in China, and One World Trade Centre in New York – none of these buildings would have made it beyond the design stage without a construction project manager leading the way.
Whether the building in question is a massive skyscraper or a small office block, a construction manager sees it through from start to finish, ensuring all goals are met on time and within budget.
the role of a construction project manager.
You’ll usually move from one project to the next, working on a particular building or structure until it’s finished, spending plenty of time on site. Liaising with architects and engineers is a daily part of the job. But negotiating with and ensuring a good deal from outside contractors is equally essential.
You’ll plan a project from start to finish, oversee the day-to-day running and progress report, develop contacts with senior staff for each project, and ensure health and safety standards are met. The job is varied but can involve long hours, particularly as deadlines loom, or a project nears completion.
qualifications and experience needed.
The role is multi-faceted, and you will need a degree in a related area, such as civil engineering, building science, construction management, or construction science. Equally important, though, is your construction industry experience – this isn’t an entry-level role.
You’ll need to have several years’ experience working in the industry, a strong understanding of project management, construction procedures and principles, and relevant knowledge of health and safety laws.
It is sometimes possible to enter via an apprenticeship and work your way up as you gain experience, but most people follow the degree route.
salary.
You can earn upwards of $110,000 a year as a qualified construction project manager.
skills.
You’ll need excellent time management and planning skills to succeed, but you’ll also need financial planning and budgeting skills. Communication is essential. You’ll be smoothing the way between site workers, architects, stakeholders, council planners, architects and engineers.
That’s a lot of interested parties to juggle, so your diplomacy skills need to be on point too.
personality.
Having an analytical mind and being highly organised are great traits to possess. But equally important are good problem-solving skills and an ability to keep the peace. Construction project managers deal with a considerable number of people almost daily, so being personable, approachable, and friendly will also make the job easier to carry out successfully.
opportunities within construction project manager jobs.
As a construction project manager, you’ve probably already got quite a lot of experience working in the building industry, but as you gain more you can move into contract management or consultancy.
With further training, you can specialise in areas such as health and safety or building regulations, not to mention the fact you could work on some of the most notable developments in the country.
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