As a continuation of the greater Christchurch rebuild, Lumley General Insurance set up an in-house PMO to manage the reinstatement and repair of its outstanding claims. Having been involved since its very inception, the constant change and developing processes were extremely challenging but through a great team environment and strong work ethic we became one of the top performing insurance companies in the rebuild programme.Our projects ranged in value between $200,000 and $5,000,000 and… Show more As a continuation of the greater Christchurch rebuild, Lumley General Insurance set up an in-house PMO to manage the reinstatement and repair of its outstanding claims. Having been involved since its very inception, the constant change and developing processes were extremely challenging but through a great team environment and strong work ethic we became one of the top performing insurance companies in the rebuild programme.Our projects ranged in value between $200,000 and $5,000,000 and consisted of complex repairs and rebuilds with a high level of engineering input as well as some architectural redesigns.My main duties included;>Conduct preliminary investigations to evaluate the extent of damage to a given property and assist in the appointment of suitable contractors to carry out remedial works. >Prepare repair vs rebuild reports to identify the most cost effective solution for remediation while accounting for different variables.>Manage over a 100 active claims at any given time, worth in excess of $50 million, from initial design phase through to construction and handover.>Identify commercial risks and develop mitigating strategies to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget. >Conduct one on one client facings to communicate processes and address any concerns they may have.>Draw from multidisciplinary teams to form a clear and concise strategy to deal with any issues that may arise throughout the design and construction process.>Attend and contribute to procurement committee meetings to distribute work amongst approved contractors, assess their individual work streams and monitor their ability to achieve targets. >Manage the construction phase of each project, determining effective solutions for issues that may arise while monitoring health and safety, construction programme and quality of workmanship throughout.>Manage the administration of each contract and provide high level cost reports for analysis by senior management. Show less

During my time at Fletchers, I gained some invaluable experience and worked through some challenging times following the earthquake of February 2011. In all, I was involved in over 400 individual residential projects totaling c. $15 million in some of the more difficult geographical locations of Christchurch (Port Hills Area). At all times I was consistent in my approach, prioritising workloads and managing day to day duties in a high stress atmosphere. My main duties… Show more During my time at Fletchers, I gained some invaluable experience and worked through some challenging times following the earthquake of February 2011. In all, I was involved in over 400 individual residential projects totaling c. $15 million in some of the more difficult geographical locations of Christchurch (Port Hills Area). At all times I was consistent in my approach, prioritising workloads and managing day to day duties in a high stress atmosphere. My main duties included:>Carrying out cost appraisals on contractors scopes. >Evaluating variations to quotes,liaising with EQC loss adjusters regarding variations, approving variations.>Entering payment claims to the PA database. Recommending payment of claims for work done.>Preparing reports about costs and similar matters, e.g explaining expenditures/variations.>Preparing cost estimates to assist the hub manager to determine the appropriate pricing methodology for large/complex contract works.>Providing advice to contract supervisors and/or other hub staff relating to area of responsibility.>Attending and contributing to meetings as required, e.g. hub staff meetings, meetings for EQR quantity surveyors.The shear volume and complexity of the work following the February earthquake was unprecedented any where else in the developed world and it was fulfilling to be part of the recovery process. Show less

In between my 3rd and 4th Year of college, I decided to further my understanding of the industry by spending some time with the Gleave Partnership in Dublin. I was introduced to the position through a friend which allowed me to compensate for the lack of formal work placements set out in my syllabus.The Gleave Partnership were tasked with the procurement and post contract management of commercial units ranging in size from 10,000 - 80,000 sq ft - for Tesco Ireland.As a Junior QS… Show more In between my 3rd and 4th Year of college, I decided to further my understanding of the industry by spending some time with the Gleave Partnership in Dublin. I was introduced to the position through a friend which allowed me to compensate for the lack of formal work placements set out in my syllabus.The Gleave Partnership were tasked with the procurement and post contract management of commercial units ranging in size from 10,000 - 80,000 sq ft - for Tesco Ireland.As a Junior QS my main duties included; >The taking off and quantification of materials for units which were to be newly constructed and the retro-fit of pre-existing commercial buildings.>Accompanying senior staff in consultation meetings with Engineers, Architects, Local Authorities and Contractors. >Compiling contracts>Reviewing tenders >Carrying out cost appraisals on materials from different suppliers.The highlight of my time spent at the Gleave Partnership was my involvement in the construction of the 80,000 sq ft retail unit in Naas, Co. Dublin. It was one of Ireland's biggest retail units at the time and gave me a good insight in to the day to day duties of a PQS. Show less