Posted 28 November 2019 by
Lizzie LeighThis week we talk to Miller Homes Midlands’ site manager, Dan O’Connor...
As a site manager for Miller Homes, what does a typical day look like for you?
The role of a site manager offers plenty of variety as there are so many elements to the construction process. Overseeing the building of a new development along with managing teams and maintaining quality on each property means no two days are ever quite the same.
I currently have responsibility for overseeing the construction of our Scholars Place development in Gloucester. This includes ensuring build progress stays on track through careful planning and also monitoring between 50 – 80 people on site on a day-to-day basis. The key to running a successful development is the planning stages; such as understanding which tradespeople are needed and when to help us adhere to the build programme and controlling the number of staff on site at any time for health and safety reasons.
As a site manager, it’s crucial you know when to allocate labour and how long certain tasks may take, for example, when a carpenter is fitting a doorframe or fitting a kitchen – we need to understand the technicalities of each job in order to manage it.
Fundamental to my job is also the pre-plaster meeting. This is where our customers get the opportunity to see just how much effort has gone into the construction of the house so far. The customers will get to see the house before the plasterboard is applied. Here, we explain how the build process is developing, show the positioning of cables and sockets, talk about the specific plot and the work gone into each room.
Finally, I am also involved in the handover process with the sales team. Not only is this a really exciting day for the customer, it’s also a very proud moment for site managers like myself as this is where we part ways from the project we have been working on for months and present the customers with the keys to their new home.
How do you think Miller Homes set themselves apart from the competition in terms of quality of build?
From top to bottom at Miller Homes, there is a great sense of dedication and a mindset of striving to build only the best homes and communities. Since my very first day on the team, I noticed the ‘Miller Difference’ that everyone talked about; an ethos where we put the customer at the heart of everything we do.
What I do as a site manager plays an important role in the entire customer journey – from watching the first brick being laid and handing over the keys, to supporting the individuals, couples and families that move into our homes, months down the line. Care and attention is our utmost priority, and a testament to that effort is our five star rating for customer satisfaction in the HBF National New Home Customer
Satisfaction survey. It’s my job to make sure standards are kept high on site through careful management of our subcontractors and suppliers, many of whom we have long established relationships with, and to provide ongoing support in conjunction with our customer care teams once the keys are handed over.
We hear there is a family connection for you, with your dad also working at Miller Homes; what’s the most important lesson he’s taught you?
From a young age, my dad – the regional managing director for the Midlands team – always encouraged me to ‘find a career, not a job’. I knew I wanted a career that was challenging yet rewarding, and I felt that the construction industry would be a good fit.
Initially I began manufacturing windows, but then an opportunity arose to become a trainee assistant site manager in the West Midlands at Miller Homes. In my first week on the job, the enthusiasm of the team and drive to produce high quality homes was evident and I knew this was the career path for me. Without realising, I also picked up some incredibly valuable skills on the job, including patience and organisation, time management and problem-solving.
Where do you see your career progressing with Miller Homes in the years to come?
There’s plenty of room for progression here at Miller Homes. From starting as a trainee and learning the ropes, I then moved up to assistant site manager level where I held the role for three years. I have recently been promoted to site manager of the Scholars Place development in Gloucester, where we are almost halfway through the development which consists of 90 plots.
Having worked side by side with some of Miller Homes’ senior site managers and learning a lot from their vast experience, I would like to follow in their footsteps and take on the role of senior site manager within the next five years.
How do you feel when you see a site transform?
Collectively over the last four and a half years, I’ve played a part in building many homes for families across the West Midlands. Each time a roof is tiled or front door fitted, as a site manager, you really get a sense of satisfaction from seeing the home come together.
Building a new development involves hundreds of hours, weeks of forward planning from site teams and months of intensive labour from tradespeople. Seeing the final result and families settle into the homes we have built is an incredible feeling.
How does Miller Homes ensure it supports the local communities where it builds new homes?
At Miller Homes, we strive to ensure that the homes we build blend in with each unique location. While we aim for our homes to feel contemporary, we also want each development to feel like an extension of the existing community.
From exterior brickwork and window frames, to interior style and textures, we take great care and attention to be sympathetic to the surrounding area in order to stand the test of time.
Whilst construction work is ongoing, we have a dedicated helpline, Miller Respect, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for anyone in the locality who has questions or concerns about work on site.
Our commitment doesn’t stop there. Whether we’re building schools or sports facilities, providing health and safety talks to local schoolchildren, supporting local charities, events and businesses, our teams don’t simply leave once the keys have been handed over. We’re eager to be a part of the communities we build, helping to establish a neighbourhood for residents and local businesses, now and in the future.