Development Manager
Name: Lucy Shannon
Career stage: Senior - 10+ years' experience
Working: Office
High School Subjects: Extension Maths, physics, English, religion, art
Favourite: Art - I’ve always enjoyed doing creative projects, always carry a sketch book. Creating art is challenging but taking an idea through development and executing a vision is so satisfying and much harder than it looks, but so satisfying!
Further study: University
where and what: University of Canberra - bachelor of Architecture, UNSW - Masters of Architecture, Macquarie Business School - MBA
"We are literally changing the way people live, work and play. Everybody bounces off each other and works a bit harder to innovate - suddenly the impossible feels possible - it’s a real buzz that makes you jump out of bed to get to work each day!"
the inside scoop…
What does a Development Manager actually do? After trying a bunch of different roles in the industry I am now a Development Manager and get to lead the development of property. My role involves taking a site with opportunity through a long but exciting process to design and build inspiring residential apartments and communities for future occupants that improve people’s lives. I love developing the project vision with Architects and Engineers, getting the design through planning approval, managing the costs and profitability while collaborating with builders to construct the project. Seeing a project you’ve worked on when it’s finally built is one of the most satisfying parts of being in the construction industry! We are literally changing the way people live, work and play. Exceptional urban environments can impact human life for the better - we can inspire exercise, connection, creativity and more, just through good design and that makes me feel good about my job every day!
What does a day in your life at work look like? Flying to Melbourne on a 7am flight, visiting site to inspect progress on one of our tower projects in construction, touring some other built projects to see what’s been successful, chatting to residents of apartments to hear feedback about the building, stopping for lunch in a laneway cafe, catching up with the Architects to workshop the latest design drawings, inspecting material samples, before heading back to the airport to fly back to Sydney! It’s a big day and I’m grateful to listen to a podcast and make it home to tuck my kids into bed! Lucky I don’t travel every week so it always feels exciting when I do!
What's the best part of your job? Collaborating on big projects and helping inspire and innovate the vision! I love the energy and vibe of a great project team who are keen to deliver something different! Everybody bounces off each other and works a bit harder to innovate - suddenly the impossible feels possible - it’s a real buzz that makes you jump out of bed to get to work each day!
What made you realise construction could be for you? I loved drawing and designing houses, schools, cities from about age 8 and announced I would become an Architect. Nobody I knew worked in the field, but it seemed like the perfect job for somebody creative with lots of ideas and an underlying desire to solve problems!
Do you have any advice for young women picking a career? There’s no wrong choice. I keep choosing, learning, evolving, and changing careers in construction and property. All the knowledge gained from different roles actually helps me in my current role! Most importantly, do what you love and what you’re good at.. you spend most of your life at work, might as well make the most of it!
Tell us about balancing work with your other interests, or family. Being a working mum is like trying to juggle ten balls at the same time and invariably dropping them on my head regularly. Most of the time my head hurts but I wouldn’t have it any other way! I want to show my daughters that both of their parents work the same hours and do 50/50 housework and cooking - we are raising the next generation to not accept gender bias! I love when my daughter says she wants to be like mummy and go to work and write lots of important emails. I feel very seen!!!!
Tell us about a favourite project you're working on. Designing and project managing the build of our own house. It took an epic 3 years to finish but it was hugely rewarding to start with nothing, problem-solve all the challenges of the tiny sloped block and then see my design get built. It’s very small but architecturally beautiful
Lucy is open to engaging further via: Speaking at a high school, Mentoring a student.
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