My career in construction: Mitchell Hockin

First in a series of blogs asking construction professionals about their route into the construction sector and their early careers, we talk with Mitchell Hockin about how construction has taken him around the world.

• Name: Mitchell Hockin
• Position: Associate Director, Cost Commercial
• Company: AtkinsRealis
• Location: AlUla, Saudi Arabia
• Years in the industry: 15 years 

What is your current role?

I am currently an Associate Director of Cost Commercial for AtkinsRealis (formally Faithful + Gould), in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, as the client-side cost management lead for a large cost+ project. My job as part of the cost management and commercial department is to work with the client’s teams and the contractor to ensure that the cost and contractual elements of the main contract and consultancy agreements are being administered correctly. 

I manage a team of quantity surveyors (QS) that check every aspect of the payments for contractual compliance and correct recognised cost. We also manage the pre-commitment approvals for procurement where we benchmark all prices for a cost-plus contract, and we complete the assessment of variations under separate lump sum and consultancy contracts. As a member of the leadership team within this programme of work I also help manage the internal company processes, team HR, and ensure internal and external financial and reporting compliance.

What did you study at school to get a role in construction?

I believe that my practical ability and love of design technology (A-level) assisted my job application, however these original school studies were not strictly linked to my initial QS role or the construction industry.  Initially I wanted to go into bespoke furniture design and cabinet making but decided against going direct to university. After leaving school in early 2011 I was offered a job at a local civil engineering company as an apprentice quantity surveyor, after this role I joined Galliford Try’s management training programme (Trainee QS) where I gained an FdSc Construction from Plymouth University. After a few years with GT I joined Kier Construction Western & Wales where I gained critical experience and knowledge through mentorship from others within the business; within Kier I built a very solid foundation on which to further my career.  

In 2020 when I left the UK (and my position in Kier Construction Western & Wales), I learned firsthand how different it can be working abroad; I moved to the Caribbean in a role for a self-build developer for the construction and Facility Management of a totally self-sufficient superyacht marina, villas complex, and associated utility plants. My time in the Caribbean taught me about many areas of construction that I never even thought about in the UK, including the complexities of sourcing and importing all of your materials and equipment from overseas! 

After a fixed term in the Caribbean I moved to the Middle East where I worked on some larger claims, and then as the Contracts and Commercial Manager for a couple of large civils project in Qatar; in this role I was the commercial lead responsible for change management, claims, contract management, and managing a team of QS’s completing valuations, measurement, and estimating. 

While in Qatar I used my experience to gain chartership with CIOB and other bodies which further confirmed my professional experience and helped me move into my current role in Saudi Arabia. 

In all my roles I have also learned on the job, and I have learned something new in every role and with every experience, something that is critical to discuss in these roles and locations. 

What is the best thing about being in the construction industry?

In my opinion the best thing is the diversity of projects and multitude of varied experiences that you can have, as no day and no project is ever the same. I have worked in five countries on three continents and worked on hospitality, defence, infrastructure, civils, highways, healthcare, residential, education, leisure, power generation, water, FM, tunnelling, and heritage projects. 

This wide range of projects and locations always keeps work interesting and provides so many different opportunities to specialise or move to a new location. Working in construction also introduces you to many different people from many different backgrounds, and we all learn from and support each other to ensure that the projects (and each other) succeed.

What career advice would you give to your younger self?

I must keep this short because my answer has always been simple: do everything again the same way. Every good and bad experience I went through in my career has helped develop me into the person and into the role that I am in today.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I wake up at 0600, leave my house at 0645 and drive out to my office in the middle of the desert. Here we work Sunday to Thursday, 0800 to 1800. Upon arrival I check any remaining emails and plan any urgent work for the day, then I have morning meetings with the Project Management Consultancy (PMC), contractor and client to check if there are any new important issues that need my help to resolve. I always check in with my team to see if they are happy and if they have any items that require my help.

My team and I deal with procurement approvals for the main contractor and the certification of applications for payment for the main contractor and client consultants. We often come across issues that need to be resolved with payment certification and must take the lead to ensure that our actions expedite the processes to help mitigate delays. My days can also include several scheduled meetings depending on the day to review project risk, procurement, cost benchmarking, cost reporting, and progress. I normally arrive home between 1845 and 1900 each day. 

There are lots of different roles in the industry, how did you find the right role for you?

By accident! I needed a job when I left sixth form and was offered a position in a local civils business. They interviewed me and decided I would be a good fit for an apprentice QS role (I had never heard of a QS at this point!), the job sounded interesting, and I accepted. After starting work I found that I naturally enjoyed working as a QS because it involved some practical skills and knowledge but also appealed to my analytical side where I could be involved in contract and financial issues.  My role has generally focussed on quantity surveying and commercial/contract management, but I have also worked in claims, and in operations and coordination roles in the past.

I found that I have always gravitated back to commercial and contracts management and moved up through the roles past core quantity surveying (take-off, billing, valuations, etc.) and into an active management and client advisory role where I can use my experience, help guide and lead others to benefit their goals and projects. 

Where would you like your career to take you?

My career has already taken me to many different locations and across many construction industry sectors and projects, however in the immediate future I would like to deliver my current project and see the completion of this current phase. After this project phase I would like to look at a move to a higher corporate role looking into strategic management within the business, although I may like to take a short break to travel during this transition!

CIOB Aspire

CIOB Aspire is a new category aimed at inspiring and supporting individuals to take their first steps into the construction industry and towards becoming a CIOB member.

Development of this new digital space, consisting of a range of online resources aimed at students and influencers, is underway with a proposed launch later in the year. Watch this space for further details to come but if you do have any ideas or suggestions for this new category please do get in touch with Sophie Cox, Product Owner Tomorrow’s Leaders.