Meet the team: Jamie Inglis, Project Manager

We are delighted to welcome Jamie Inglis to the Harwood family. 

Jamie joined the team at the Canterbury head office as a Project Manager in July 2024, six years after starting his journey in the building control sector. He is looking to build on his knowledge within the sector and grow as part of a dedicated team. 

Here, Jamie talks a bit about his new job role at Harwood, his ambitions, and how he is settling into the team. 

Congratulations on your new role! Please tell us a little about your sector background and your new role at Harwood… 

Thank you. I’ve been working in building control for six years as another approved inspector in a similar sort of role to the one I will be doing at Harwood Building Control. I began my journey at a trainee level and worked towards completing all the relevant qualifications to become an Approved Building Control Inspector.   

One of the most significant differences in my new role is project management. I manage my own projects and take a much more hands-on approach, visiting sites and being in control of my own time.  

What attracted you to joining the Harwood team? 

I’m ambitious, so I was keen to build on my existing knowledge, in addition to having more autonomy on certain projects. However, one of the most significant deciding factors was the level of experience in the senior management team – quite a few are registered RBIs in some of the higher classes, 3s and 4s. I tend to pick things up faster from people than from reading from a book, and being able to tap into their knowledge is invaluable.  

There also seemed to be a very sociable culture, which I like. I think you need that because when you have people working from home or only in the office a couple of days a week, it’s important to get together and have that social interaction. In the summer, I attended the company event with my family at the Canterbury Rugby Club, which was good to be involved in and get to know everyone better. 

How have you found your first couple of months, and what projects have you been involved in? 

As I‘m registered in classes 2A and B, I have mostly worked on those types of projects. As my ambition is to work towards 2D, this will allow me to work on projects that include all building types (including residential) under 7.5m. The team knows that I want to be registered as Class 2D, so they have been assigning me these types of projects to help me prepare for the next class under the supervision of Vic Datlen (Senior Project Manager). 

 

How are you finding working with the rest of the team? 

The team has been so supportive during my first couple of months. Whether it is Darryl Meredith (Project Manager), Vic Datlen, or Shaun O’Neill (Senior Project Manager), there has been a lot of crossover with different people working on other jobs, and they have all been there to help me if I’ve needed it.  

 

What projects are you most looking forward to working on? 

Ultimately, I’d like to work on high-rise flats, schools, and hospital projects; types of projects I wasn’t very involved with in my previous job, but which I am keen to learn more about, and will be something I’m working towards. 

 

Any future aspirations? 

In terms of knowledge for building control, when you finish university, that’s just the start, the foundation to build on, if you like. There is still so much to learn, and I want to give myself goals. This time next year, I would like to be on the journey to being a chartered building control surveyor, and then in three years, I would like to have worked my way up through the classes to at least 2E classification and be recognised as a chartered member. 

Adam Dodd, Operations Director at Harwood, fully supports this ambition and will work with me to achieve it. Commenting on Jamie’s appointment, Adam says, “I’m thrilled to welcome Jamie to our team as a Project Manager.  

“Jamie brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in project management, which will be invaluable as we continue to grow and enhance our operations. His dedication, attention to detail, and ability to lead complex projects make him a perfect fit for our team. I’m confident that Jamie’s expertise will play a pivotal role in driving our projects forward and ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality across all of our initiatives.” 

 

Click here to connect with Jamie on LinkedIn.