A day in the life of a Quantity Surveyor

Q&A with Jemma Williams, Graduate Quantity Surveyor, Glenveagh

What does a typical day look like for you as a graduate quantity surveyor?

A typical day starts with a visit to site, where I meet with the site manager to review progress and discuss priorities for the day. I then carry out a full site walk, iPad in hand, recording progress with each house on a tracker. This helps me stay on top of where each team is working and how much progress has been made.

Once the site checks are complete, I head back to head office to catch-up with the rest of the QS team. My day often involves preparing and sending out tenders, as well as processing payments for the subcontractors working on my site. So, it’s a nice balance of on-site work and office-based meetings to make sure our projects stay on schedule and on budget.

Which responsibilities and tasks do you handle most frequently?

Our work primarily involves managing the tender process - sending out tenders, comparing costs from various suppliers, carrying out detailed tender analyses, and presenting our recommendations to the board of Glenveagh. Once a tender is approved, we appoint the subcontractor for the job and handle their payments at the end of each month. Monthly valuations are also a key part of the role, along with regular coordination meetings to ensure everything runs smoothly and stays on track.

What kinds of projects are you currently involved with?

I’m currently overseeing the development of over 272 units between Rathgowan, Mullingar and Clonmagadden, Navan. In Mullingar, there are 181 units comprised of a mix of houses Maisonettes and Duplex Apartments. In our latest phase at Clonmagadden, there are 91 units, a mix of houses and bungalows. All of our units are all A Rated and with a mix of LGS, timber-frame and blockbuilt homes demonstrates that Glenveagh takes a diverse building approach. The timber-frame and LGS units are built in our bespoke factories in Carlow and Arklow, and are brought to site for final installation and assembly

Can you describe how you collaborate with other professionals on a construction site?

I just go in and chat to everyone! It’s important to have a presence on the site and talk to as many people as possible. Whenever I need support, the site team is always ready to help. There’s a real sense of teamwork at Glenveagh, everyone is approachable and willing to explain anything I need to know to help get the job done.

Are there particular skills you’ve found essential since starting your role?

As I said, teamwork is very important to us at Glenveagh. Having good communication skills. Being open to both asking and answering questions is important. Having good discussion with my colleagues is important so that we can each learn as much as possible about the projects we’re working on together. Learning to use the technology effective is also important. For example, we use Microsoft excel, so learning shortcuts to use on that is very handy.

How do you receive feedback and support from senior colleagues?

Glenveagh is a very collaborative and supportive environment, so if I’m ever unsure about anything, I can ask my senior colleagues for their opinions and help on certain aspects, and they always give a helping hand.

What aspects of the job do you find most rewarding?

I love seeing people move into their forever home that they worked hard for and we built for them - for me being a part of this process is very rewarding. Glenveagh builds to the highest standards, inside and out, and it gives me great satisfaction to see a finished project and imagine them full of people and families building their own lives.

How do you see your career progressing over the next few years?

I would hopefully like to become a Senior Project QS and know the industry inside out. Becoming a chartered QS is also something I would aspire to, and I know that Glenveagh will support my career ambitions.

What advice would you give to students who are interested in becoming quantity surveyors?

Definitely study hard and learn as much as you can about the basics of construction. That will give you a strong head start and then my advice is simply to go for it! For women in particular quantity surveying is still a male-dominated profession. But with Glenveagh hiring more women every day, there’s never been a better time to get involved. It’s a challenging but very rewarding career, offering the chance to meet a wide range of people and be part of an exciting, fast-moving industry.

What opportunities for learning and development are available to new graduates at Glenveagh?

There are plenty of opportunities for developing your career at Glenveagh and upskilling once onboarded. The Grad programme is probably one of the main ones, with over 40 grads been taken on most years across all areas of the business.

Anything that has surprised you since working for Glenveagh?

Glenveagh runs their own timber-frame and LGS (light-gauge steel) factories to produce their own units ensuring we meet our required units per annum to help tackle any supply chain issues. It’s very innovative and forward thinking and helps greatly to streamline the construction process.