Its fair to say that Newcastle’s construction industry is booming. All this action makes for amazing opportunities. Below I’ve listed 4 of the hottest roles in construction for 2017, the salary range you can expect and the skills sets employers want.
Site managers and supervisors
Role summary:
Responsible to oversee day-to-day site operations, to ensure work is completed safety, on time, within budget and to the right quality standards.
Skills in demand:
Site managers and foreman are needed for both commercial and residential projects in Newcastle and surrounding areas. Experience in commercial fit outs and multistorey is very desirable right now, as is having crane and tower work skills.
Employers are seeking strong communicators who can effectively manage sub-contractors, trades and labourers. They want professionals with an eye for detail, focused on getting things done on time and to budget without compromising quality.
Salary expectations: $120-160K
Experience: employers are seeking site managers and supervisors with a minimum of 5 – 15 years onsite experience, depending on the project.
Education: Trade certificate, Certificate IV in Building and Construction or similar
Project managers and engineers
Role summary:
Project managers (PMs)/Project Engineers (PE’s) manage the planning, execution, and delivery of a project in both an onsite and administrative capacity. They oversee contract administration, scheduling, cost control and risk management.
Skills in demand:
High value skills include commercial fit-out and high-rise experience, as well as crane and tower work experience. As with site managers, PMs and PEs who can manage sub-contractors are in demand.
PM’s/PE’s with experience in commercial projects are also needed to manage some of the large projects currently underway in Newcastle and the Hunter.
Employers are looking for project managers and engineers with the right soft skills to complement their experience including strong communication and an ability to develop effective relationships. They must be able to handle pressure and deadlines to deliver projects on time and to budget.
Salary expectations: $120-180K
Experience: employers are seeking PMs/PEs with a minimum of 5 – 20 years’ experience, depending on the project.
Education: Bachelor of Construction or similar
Contract administrators
Role summary:
Contract administrators (CA’s) work with stakeholders to ensure the terms, conditions, rights and obligations of the contract are met. They plan, direct or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers and related workers involved in purchasing materials, products and services.
Skills in demand:
CA’s are always hard to find, but with the current building boom, they are even more demand now.
Employers are looking for CA’s with strong financial acumen who understand pricing in a high level of detail. They also need contract management skills, including the ability to break a contract down into actionable tasks to keep the project on time and to schedule.
As contract compliance is highly important, making a point of your strong understanding of Australian legislation relating to each project and contract will give you an edge in an interview.
Salary expectations: $80-130K
Experience: employers are seeking CA’s with a minimum of 2 – 8 years’ experience, depending on the project.
Education: Bachelor of Construction
Estimators
Role summary:
An estimator is responsible for estimating the cost of a project, product or service and providing it to a potential client. Their skills entail studying proposals, summarising information, detecting current trends, updating cost databases and working to get the best price in a bid.
Skills in demand:
In today’s competitive environment estimators need to be agile and think on their feet so tender opportunities aren’t missed.
Employers are looking for professionals who are team players, that will problem solve and seek advice to find better ways of pricing. Client liaison skills are important, given the role involves some client facing time.
An estimator needs to budget for everything down to each screw or they may compromise the whole project. So using examples where you can demonstrate you’re eye for detail is important if you’re in an interview.
Salary expectations: $80-150K
Experience: employers are seeking estimators with a minimum of 2 – 8 years’ experience, depending on the project.
Education: Bachelor of Construction or similar
If you’re in the construction industry and want to know more about potential opportunities, or how you can sharpen up your skills give me a shout on 0402 772 072 or email [email protected]
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