Sammy Brady, Quality Manager

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

An industry like no other, I find construction such an exciting environment with no two days the same.  I'm always thinking about tomorrow and the challenges ahead - that really drives me.  Other than that, my cats!

What are you currently working on?

I'm based between 21 Moorfields and Shepherdess Walk within the London Region.  Each project is complex and challenging in very different ways.  It's great to be a part of these project teams and I'm learning constantly.

How would you describe your job to someone outside the industry?

Without boring them about Assurance and Compliance, my role is about Assurance and Compliance!   I would say my role is mostly about ensuring we manage our risk and deliver a project on time, with zero defects and most importantly meet all of the client specification and legislative requirements.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your role? 

Apart from a general misconception within the industry about what Quality Assurance is, I think it's striking the balance between assuring our clients and ourselves that we can demonstrate compliance in everything we do, whilst using a pragmatic approach so we don't drown in paperwork.  I hear the phrase 'tick box exercise' frequently and to me that means a process is failing.

What do you like most about your role?

Building relationships with those around me and working together to find solutions to the issues I've described above.  It's real job satisfaction when a collaborative approach to problem solving makes things easier for everyone.  I'm also not from a technical background so working alongside the calibre of engineering minds we have at SRM means every day for me is a school day.

What is your personal mantra?

Plan, do , check, act.  It applies to everything you do.

Career highlight to date?

Standing on the scaffold around the original chimneys at Battersea Power Station before they were removed and rebuilt.  The view from there was incredible.  It's such an iconic building - everyone knows it as this giant brick façade but the internal décor is really stunning.

What advice would you give a new starter? 

Don't aspire to progress too quickly; there is a such a lot to learn and every project is different.  It's really key to build up a depth and breadth of experience before climbing up the ladder. 

I would also advise to attend as many CPD (internal or external) sessions as possible, not only is it important for development it also exposes you to new materials, techniques or innovations and can really broaden your thinking.

Who inspires you and why?

In one of my first jobs I was really lucky to have worked with some incredible women in senior positions and I definitely admired them.  I think their approach and work ethic really rubbed off on me and as a younger girl then, they gave me the confidence to pursue a career in construction. 

What is your guilty pleasure?

I put gravy on everything.