Lovell Q&A interview, QS, Jordan Bird

Lovell - Q&A Interview from Jordan Bird, Assistant Quantity Surveyor

Name: Jordan Bird          Age: 26

Job Title: Assistant Quantity Surveyor

What’s your career path/journey so far?

Jordan came to Lovell originally on a temporary contract, after her mother had heard about a local temporary role at our Whitefriars External Wall Insulation Contract in Coventry. This was shortly after Jordan passed her A Levels which included Business Studies. She had been to several interviews, without success, finding that the roles on offer weren’t sparking her interest.  

“I just felt so comfortable with the people when I went to my interview with Lovell, they put me at ease and gave me the opportunity to join a great local company. They were able to offer me the chance to learn lots of new skills and get stuck in.”

Jordan joined Lovell on a 10 week contract as Administrator. Jordan’s organisational skills and willingness to learn new tasks and responsibilities resulted in her then temporary contract being extended several times.

Keen to stay with Lovell, Jordan progressed to a permanent member of staff and took on administrative duties working across multiple contracts simultaneously. Jordan began to undertake additional tasks and responsibilities and became interested in the programming and commercial aspects of each contract.

Jordan’s willingness to learn and progress within Lovell was rewarded when she progressed into the role of Trainee Quantity Surveyor then onto Assistant Quantity Surveyor, reporting directly to our Managing Quantity Surveyor.

“I love my job, there’s something different every day. I was always interested in the commercial side of things and it’s been great to be able to move into that part of the contract and progress.”

Explain your role?

“I currently work as part of the Refurbishment Team within Lovell Midlands. I am responsible for a number of contracts including Kitchen & Bathroom and Voids Refurbishments Contract for Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council; Various Refurbs across Warwick District Council; Kitchen & Bathroom Refurbishments for Midland Heart Housing Group.

I am responsible for the day to day financial and cost control on each project, assisting the Commercial Team, ensuring it remains on budget. I liaise on a daily basis with the site management team, clients and sub-contractors to ensure everyone has the information they need when they need it. I oversee the sub-contractor orders, valuations of work carried out through to supplier and sub-contractor payments to keep each project on budget and on programme.”

Recently Lovell has employed another Assistant Quantity Surveyor, Bethany Castle, and Jordan has been tasked with showing Beth the Lovell way of working, providing an opportunity for Jordan to develop as a trainer and to share her knowledge with our new starter.

Jordan is developing the role, adding additional work areas including the commercial reporting of Lovell’s social value activities across the region, using Lovell’s SV measuring tool LM3 and Lovell’s bespoke Social Value Bank tool.

How do your colleagues see you?

“Working at Lovell has been great, I have been lucky that everyone has been very supportive, especially when I have expressed a desire to learn new skills and get involved in more and more aspects of the contract administration and planning. Every time I have expressed a desire to learn more and progress, Lovell has made it happen.”

What’s next?

As part of her role within Lovell, Jordan is currently studying part time at Wolverhampton University, for a degree in Quantity Surveying following successfully achieving her HND in Construction Management & Built Environment.

Lovell has been instrumental in encouraging Jordan to progress. Jordan commentated

“Lovell has been like a family, there are great examples of where senior management have started as a trainee and that gives me motivation to progress further. Lovell is so supportive and will encourage you to achieve your ambitions. It’s great to see other women in senior roles. And that gives you motivation to work towards that yourself.”

“You can be whatever you want to be. Lovell is a great place to work, with no restrictions on where your ambitions can take you. There is a great supportive environment and I don’t feel like my gender holds me back in any way. Lovell is a great supportive employer, they look to train up their staff rather than bring in new manager level employees, so you can see that the opportunity for progression is there if you want it. There is a great deal of mentorship and training available.”

Looking to the future, Jordan would like to complete her degree and continue working towards progressing her role to Quantity Surveyor, with longer term goals of Managing Quantity Surveyor and beyond with Lovell.

Carl Yale Regional Refurbishment Director, commented:

“I am very proud of Jordan, having taken her on as an admin temp back in 2011 and watched her develop is extremely satisfying. She has a great attitude and quickly demonstrated her ability, her role developed into project co-ordinator then into commercial. It is great as an employer when we can create employment opportunities for people, but they need to take these opportunities. Jordan has worked extremely hard, is very well respected by her colleagues, our supply chain and clients, she has a very bright future ahead of her.”