Architectural Project Coordinator

Do you want to work for the best of the best at what they do? This is an opportunity to join a Design and Construction company that consider themselves to have no competitors, due to their significantly high level of detail and quality design.

Focusing on high-end renovations and restorations of residential property and basements in Central London, this well established, small and friendly team of professionals are now seeking a Pre-Construction Planner/ Project Coordinator, to join their office in South West London. This prestigious design and construction company are a long standing provider of exceptional retrofit residential basements in super-prime areas of London including Belgravia, Kensington and Chelsea with project values from 600K to £3M. Their mission is to build a brand to be recognized as a leading industry name synonymous with quality and service of the highest levels.

The successful candidate will be a committed and enthusiastic individual, with the experience that will allow you to engage in engage in a wide portfolio of responsibilities. The role is focused upon preparing and managing the production of plans and achieving planning consents, liaising on engineering packages and all issues prior to construction. It will also involve creative work in fit out design and detailing. The role will provide first-hand experience of the lifecycle of project design and preparation at a very high domestic level.

• Liaising closely with sales team to receive briefings on new projects.
• Identifying, procuring and taking responsibility for delivery and coordination of all internal and external pre-construction requirements into an integrated project pipeline. Including:
• Briefing partner architects on new projects and overseeing their survey and plans production.
• Liaising with the design team on preparation of proposed schemes
• Drafting planning applications on the planning portal and commissioning supporting documentation including ground investigations, engineering schemes etc.
• Briefing partner engineers and liaising as required in full schemes and temporary works schemes.
• Liaising with our preferred list of independent Party Wall Surveyors for clients as required including overseeing further information required such as contractor’s method statements.
• Liaising on applications for Consent to Alter from Freeholders / Estates delivering information as requested.
• Ensuring communication is kept up between the third parties, to drive the project preparation process forward.
• Early identification and resolution of any potential causes of delay to all stages of project preparation.
• Making project team aware of risks, key issues and solutions within the pre-construction phase in a proactive manner.
• Attending office and site meetings as required, and managing client relationships during pre-construction works
• Working alongside the Design Team to highlight variations in order to make relevant amendments and incorporate changes to the programme when necessary.
• Tracking sign-off of key decisions and information request requirements.
• Coordinating the collation of contract documents and CDM files.
• Preparing site set up plans in accordance with company guidelines, building regulations and planning restrictions, and overseeing their installation.
• Liaising closely with construction administrators to ensure new sites open on time.
• Take a proactive role in updating and improving the process management documentation for controlling the various steps of the pre-construction management.

Essential:

• Excellent communication skills in fluent written and spoken English, with the ability to lead, influence and negotiate to meet deadlines.
• Ability to set own delivery targets and drive projects forwards with enthusiasm
• Natural instinct to plan defensively and act decisively to minimize any delay to project progression
• Good interpersonal skills to deal with clients to manage expectations and clearly communicate issues and service delivery
• Clear and concise communication skills with third party professionals (engineers, party wall surveyors etc.) to ensure maximum delivery
• Strong relationship building with team members and colleagues and a willingness to help other colleagues
• Ability to develop strong working relationships with consultants, sub-contractors and other external parties
• Commercial awareness and business smarts to take responsibility for delivering projects to site, on time, whilst maintaining profit margins for pre-construction work.
• A basic understanding of architectural and engineering plans
• Proficiency in Excel, Merlin or similar project management program

An advantage but not essential:

• Knowledge of the Statutory Planning system and online applications via the Planning Portal
• Knowledge of the Party Wall process
• Knowledge of the JCT contract
• Knowledge of Mac –based office packages and Adobe Creative Suite,
• Basic CAD skills for designing site set up would be a great advantage although not essential
• Experience in a service-led client-facing role
• Relevant qualifications (degree level) in construction management or similar relevant to the role
• Ability to work independently and think both strategically and defensively to ensure no delays to project commencement are incurred.
• Fantastic organization and attention to detail.
• Creativity, with the ability to think expansively with logic and analytic skills.
• Skill at making decisions, acting on own initiative and operating in a pro-active way.
• Strong report and application writing skills and ability to order and bring together complex planning application packages.