Contracts Manager - Mercia

Within the Construction environment, think about buying materials, managing big projects, ensuring health and safety and customer service. At any given time, you’ll find us working on some circa 400 developments in both towns and rural areas across the UK, and every one poses unique challenges. Some are from scratch on brownfield sites; others see us adapting existing buildings, like old factories or disused hospitals.

We need people who can bring us fresh ideas and imagination on one hand, and the commercial ability to manage people, budgets and costs on the other. It is testament to the professionalism of our construction teams that for an unprecedented thirteenth year, Site Managers have won more NHBC Pride in the Job Awards than any other housebuilder.

Reporting to the Construction Director, to oversee the week-to-week management of a number of sites, supporting site management and maintaining a flow of information between all Divisional departments and site. Key focus should be on achieving targets in health and safety, quality, customers care and cost, including all associated pre and post housebuilding works.

You will be expected to:

• Ensure compliance at all times to at least the company health and safety standards and processes and any further laws or legislation
• Assist in the re-commencement work with other Divisional departments in preparing the CDM pack and the various site strategies and plans
• Assist in compiling a suitable tender list of contractors, monitoring their performance and feeding back to the Commercial department
• Ensure adequate and suitable resources are available for an effective site start
• Monitor all plots performance against the build programme and address any issues that are delaying plots
• Provide dates to support sales/build meetings to ensure all Legal Completions are programmed accurately and achieved in a timely manner
• Monitor costs on site in relation to labour, materials, customer care and replacement materials
• Ensure that all plots are built to the highest standard of quality, at a minimum, comply with the NHBC Standards and Building Regulations
• Undertake company directed quality control procedures and inspections at the correct timings and managing the correcting of any defects so as not to incur additional cost, time delays to the programme or reduction in the final quality
• Liaise proactively with other internal departments, externals suppliers and partners to ensure the build programme is achieved
• Provide professional support and coaching to site management to develop their skills and experience. This should take the form of regular PDR and development meetings but also informal and short-term site based learning
• Ensure that the on-site site management team is fully resourced and well-directed, with clear guidelines to their own job responsibilities, and are provided with full support in achieving these, in terms of communication, training and development, and the organisation of the site’s workload and resources
• Show a good behavioural example in all aspects of health and safety, organisation, conduct, quality of work and professionalism

To be successful in the role, we are looking for:

• Extensive experience of managing build programmes and managing key KPIs across a number of sites, particularly during busy periods of the year and with changing priorities
• Excellent communicator and team leader, able to deliver a variety of messages in a constructive manner
• Excellent assertive skills to ensure delivery of cost and build targets by the onsite labour force, managing a wide range of contractors and trades to bring about a controlled and timely delivery of monthly plot forecasts
• Ability to prioritise tasks to meet changing business needs, demonstrating a strong problem-solving ability
• A member of the Chartered Institute of Builders and/or qualified to NVQ level 5 in Construction Management or a time served tradesman with considerable experience of the full range of construction trades
• In-depth knowledge of all aspects of construction and housebuilding and the relevant legislative requirements e.g. health and safety, NHBC requirements and Building Regulations
• A thorough knowledge and well-rounded experience of dealing with customers and potential customers in all aspects, such as the giving of information and advice, resolving any customer issues, confirming company procedures etc.