What do you do for LST?
As a quantity surveyor, my role’s main focus is to look after and manage the financial aspects of each project, from the point when we’re awarded the project, right through to completion and final account. This involves negotiating with suppliers and sub-contractors, analysing project costings and ensuring we’re controlling costs effectively.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
It’s very rewarding when our team effort and hard work pays off and we see really good results coming out of a project. I enjoy working with the team here – we’re very mutually supportive. We often work on some really challenging projects, both technically and with tight timescales, and we always succeed no matter how complex they are. Each project is different and that’s what makes this job so rewarding.
What skills do you need to do your role?
To be a successful quantity surveyor, you need to have good interpersonal skills as it requires continuous negotiation with suppliers and sub-contractors throughout a project. A large part of my role is keeping an eye on numbers, so you also need to be on the ball in terms of financial management and commercial awareness to ensure the business keeps on target and everyone is getting value for money.
Can you describe a typical day?
There’s no such thing! Every day brings a new set of jobs and challenges. My day may consist of procuring sub-contractors for a project as well as managing the costs and budgets of all existing projects. When a project is complete, I handle the final accounts relating to the sub-contractors and make sure everything has been agreed and finished off.
Generally, my work is office based, but I also make sure I regularly visit our sites to check on progress. While I’m there, I also like to update myself on any unforeseen issues the site managers may have come across and meet with sub-contractors to make sure everything is running smoothly.
The job has a real sense of satisfaction too, because I get to watch our projects progress and evolve.
Why is LST a great place to work?
We have such a great team spirit here. The culture is very supportive and our corporate values of enthusiasm, consistency, on-time, accuracy, care and respect are embedded in everything we do.
Have you done anything in your career that you’re particularly proud of?
It’s difficult to pinpoint one particular thing, but it’s very rewarding at the end of a project, when we’ve completed what we set out to do, all the numbers add up, and the client is very happy with what we’ve done for them.
Tell us one thing most people don’t know about you?
I’m the senior drum major in a Scout and Guide band called the 14th Eastleigh Scout and Guide band ,The Spitfires, and also form part of the Corps of Drums. We do a lot of concert band engagements and I’m part of the percussion section.
