As a family-run business, our people are at the heart of our business. To celebrate our employees and showcase what the construction and M&E industries have to offer, we will be sharing our ‘A Day in the Life’ campaign, starting with Nathan Bond, one of our Project Engineers.
To kick off, we have asked Nathan a series of questions to get to know him a little better, his day-to-day tasks as a Project Engineer and the value he brings to Watkins.
Q – So Nathan, what is your role at Watkins?
A – I have been at Watkins for nearly 7 years. I started in the Estimating team and have since progressed to a Project Engineer.
Q – Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you entered the industry?
A – Believe it or not, I actually left school and installed windscreens for about a year and then started an apprenticeship to become an electrician.
After that, I worked on-site for a while, but shortly after I wanted a role where I had a mix of both on and off-site work. That’s when I applied to work at Watkins.
Q – What does your typical day look like as a Project Engineer?
A – The best thing about the role is that it is so varied, no day is the same. My typical responsibilities include:
- Project management of our M&E projects, mainly residential
- Arranging labour resources
- Allocating work to our sub-contractors and staff
- Managing the cost of a project
- Specification and design reviews and working closely with the design consultants
Q – Looking back at your time at Watkins, what has been your favourite project?
A – I would have to say Merrielands Crescent with Inland Homes. This project was a real challenge as we stepped in halfway through the project taking over from another M&E Contractor, but it was great to see the impact we made as a team.
Q – Would you recommend the construction industry to those starting to think about their careers?
A – Absolutely, there are so many different avenues that you can take and skills you can learn. Even in my current role, every day is different, whether I’m on-site or in the office.
Q – And to finish it up, can you tell me a fun or interesting fact about yourself?
A – Tough one! My grandad used to work here as an Estimator, which is actually how I heard about Watkins.
Thanks for your insight Nathan, it has been a real pleasure to get to know you and get a better insight into your life as a Project Engineer.
