Martin is based in our Aberdeen office and has been a Project Manager with Doig+Smith for 3 years. He studied Building Surveying at Robert Gordon University, and after graduating in 2013, he moved into Project Management role and has remained in this discipline ever since. This is a choice Martin is glad he made, as he finds the role of a PM much more diverse compared to that of a Building Surveyor. Interestingly, very few of Martin’s contemporaries actually pursued a career in Building Surveying, instead favouring jobs in the Oil & Gas sector which was experiencing a boom at the time of graduating.
What do you consider your greatest strength as a project manager?
I am very passionate about my job and I pride myself on ensuring that all information submitted to our Clients is of the highest quality – this includes the level of detail provided in the information, presentation and so on.
I also consider my background in building surveying to be an asset. I am a very detailed individual and I can take credit from building surveying when it comes to discussing the technical aspects of building design & construction. I always find myself ‘surveying’ every building I go into thinking that is poor design, that needs fixed, that finish is poor etc!
What do you enjoy most about the job?
Though I’ve been a Project Manager for nearly 8 years, I find that every day brings new challenges, especially on my current project (Aberdeen Harbour Expansion Project) which is very diverse.
I am responsible for resolving potential design issues and administrating the contract, reviewing the contractor’s programmes and chairing weekly construction update meetings amongst a host of other tasks. You very rarely get a minute to sit and think and it always keeps you on your toes!
What is the biggest challenge you face in this role?
Ensuring that all parties communicate and resolve any ‘issues’ that may arise for the benefit of all parties and ultimately the project! This can take many forms, from sending a simple email clarification, to scheduling Design Team Meetings to discuss and hopefully resolve any issues. It is also important to ensure that the solution agreed upon, complies with the contract requirements.
What has been the highlight of your career highlight to date, and why?
Tough question! It’s difficult to choose between two particular high points experienced while working on the Aberdeen Harbour Expansion project. Back in 2018 I was fortunate to get a tour on-board the Goliath Blackhoe Dredger operated by Van Oord, the world’s largest mechanical dredging crane! The bucket on this piece of equipment can hold an impressive 40m2 of material!
Later on that year, I had another opportunity to get on board a dredging vessel, this time the Costa Verde operated by Van Oord which is a Trailer Suction Hopper Dredger. I got to see how the vessel operates and disposes of material offshore. These experiences were particularly special since it is not very often that specialist plants of this size are used on UK Marine Construction projects.