Client Side Project Manager
Name: Bonnie Butcher
Career stage: Senior - 10+ years' experience Senior - 10+ years' experience
Working: Office, Remote working Office
High School Subjects: Physics, Biology, Visual Art, 3 Unit Maths, Advanced English
Favourite: Visual Arts - I loved the break from all classroom subject and the chance to play with a creative medium (not that I was very good at it!)
Further study: University University
where and what: Bachelor Civil (Structural) Engineering at University of Sydney
"A few years ago I gave birth to my daughter in a hospital that I was part of building! That was a very cool experience."
the inside scoop…
What does a Client Side Project Manager actually do? Imagine I am sitting between the rich person (client) who can't speak construction and the builder - making sure they both play nice and treat each other properly. I take the client on the journey from "I want to build something" to handing them the keys to their new (or renovated) building. My job is to represent the client (eg a very wealthy individual, a hospital owner, a government body) who is wanting to build a new building. If required, we help them find a site, however often they already own the land. We run a tender to select the consultants (engineers, architects, town planners, cost managers) to develop the design. We manage the planning approvals to ensure the client has government approval to build what they want to build. We then run a tender for a builder, which is important to confirm the overall cost. And then we manage the builder throughout the construction process until the building is complete and ready to be handed over to the client.
What does a day in your life at work look like? My days have a lot of variety. Some days I am in my office in the CBD working with my team mates. I might have a design meeting where we sit down with the architect and the engineers and sketch up ideas for our project. This involves problem solving to make sure everyone's design fits together - for example the architect might have a beautiful feature facade on the building, however the fire engineer needs to put a fire hydrant booster on that street frontage - how can we massage the design to include this? After this meeting my team might grab a quick lunch together before going on site to another project to see how the construction is progressing. This might be a hospital refurbishment project where we are talking through a power shut down that the builder needs to do. We need to work with the builder and the hospital to understand how and when to best do the power shut down to ensure back up power is provided for essential life support equipment.
What's the best part of your job? The absolute variety of my day. I am involved in everything from ensuring the project remains within budget, to influencing the way a building looks. It is very cool to walk or drive past a building knowing that I was integral in the construction of it! A few years ago I gave birth to my daughter in a hospital that I was part of building! That was a very cool experience.
What made you realise construction could be for you? My Dad was a carpenter and growing up we always shared a passion for architecture. I always enjoyed maths and got a great sense of achievement from completing things (from baking a cake, lego, puzzles...).
What would you tell your high school self about working in construction? It is not a man's world anymore. Sure there is still an uneven representation of men in the senior management, but in the junior and mid level roles female representation is significantly increasing! In my client side PM company we have 60/40 females to males in the junior roles!!! As a woman I have always felt supported and sponsored by the leadership (often male), I have not felt I have been treated any differently than the boys.
Tell us about your journey starting a family whilst working in construction. I have 2 kids, they are 1 and 3yrs old and I work part time. My children attend day care on the days that I work and I am very lucky to be able to structure my work day to start early after drop off (8am), then finish up at 4pm, collect the kids and give them dinner / bath / bed, then finish off my work after they go to bed at night. This means I am able to spend time with them in the evenings after work and before they go to bed. My employer is very understanding when I need to take time off for sick kids or other things - most of them have kids and know what it is like.
Do you have any advice for young women picking a career? Go with your gut instinct! If you get it wrong it is so easy to move around into different fields until you find the one you love. Start your degree, don't be afraid to change your major, take that internship - it might be your first job after uni OR it might tell you what you don't want to do! Every experience is valuable.
Bonnie is open to engaging further via: Speaking at a high school
If you'd like to enquire further, please email hello@tomorrowswomeninconstruction.com.au with the subject: "Bonnie Butcher engagement enquiry" and we'll pass your message on.