Site Manager
The Site Manager, sometimes referred to as the Site Agent, is the person in charge of a site.
The site manager is responsible for supervising operations on site to ensure that they are completed safely, to programme and within budget.
A manager on a small site will have sole responsibility for the whole project, whereas on a larger site he or she will be in charge of one section and report to a senior manager or project manager.
Qualifications
To start as a trainee construction manager, you normally need to have or be studying for an HNC/HND or a degree. You may also be able to start as a trainee or assistant site manager after gaining experience, for example, as a technician or site supervisor.
As a trainee site manager, you may start on your employer’s own training programme. These are designed to give you experience in a number of work areas, such as estimating, planning, buying and assisting a site engineer. Once you have built up your experience, you would move into construction management and take on more responsibility.
You may be able to get sponsorship from an employer to help you with the cost of studying. You can contact companies directly to find out about sponsorship opportunities. Some construction companies with student career programmes include:
Further Training
The Chartered Institute of Building offers a qualifications framework for trainee and practising site managers. Progression is normally to contracts management or project management..
The CIOB, in partnership with the National House Building Council (NHBC), has information about work-related NVQs if you already work in the industry, such as:
Construction Project Management
Contact CIOB and the NHBC for more details about work-based training programmes.
