 |
|
José Luis, 36 - Site Manager for Fives FCB in Mexico
1. Background
José Luis graduated in 1997 as a Surveyor Engineer in Bogotà (Colombia). He started his career working on various construction projects before moving to Costa Rica between 2002 and 2004. He worked as a Mechanical Supervisor and then as a Quality Control Engineer, when he first heard of Fives FCB which was erecting the Holcim INCSA Cement plant. In 2005, he started his Fives career as a Mechanical Supervisor and Site Manager for Fives FCB on the Tula Greenfield cement plant. He then briefly left the group, working for 2 years in Equator as a Construction Site Manager for a 1,500 tpd cement production line, before returning to Fives FCB, whee he is currently working on the Holcim project in Hermosillo, Mexico. |
|
2. Could you say a few words about your role at Fives FCB as a Site Manager?
As a site Manager, I am Fives FCB’s on-site representative and the key contact for the customer. I am responsible for the execution of the project taking into account the safety, quality, schedule and costs. For the Hermosillo semi-turnkey project, I control the delivery of the engineering (drawings, erection, technical information manuals), equipment and materials necessary to build the plant, I also manage a team of ten people, four of whom are part of our local team. The others are from Fives FCB's main office. The team brings together specialists from area such as logistics, local purchasing, engineering assistance and mechanical supervision, civil, electrical, mechanical and process engineering, and accounting. I also manage the technical specialists who work for all the different suppliers of equipment for the plant. Up to 20 such experts work on site when required for their their technical assistance.
Furthermore, for a turnkey project, I am in charge of controlling the project’s execution schedule in order to avoid delays in the final delivery to the customer.
3. What are your main day-to-day responsibilities?
Every day on the site is different. I usually start with a morning briefing with the team after checking my emails and the actions I have planned, but according to the different topics of the day and problems that need my attention, I adjust my schedule. I also have frequent meetings with the client. I am also in charge of certain administrative duties such as the local purchase requests and approvals, as well as the technical management of the site. Lastly, I coordinate the different contractors’ activities according to the project’s needs.
4. Who are you in contact with?
I am often in contact with Fives FCB in France: daily with the Project Manager by email and at least twice a week by phone, frequently with the Engineering and Logistic departments according to the needs of the site. I have very close contacts with the customer’s two teams: the Project team which includes the Plant and Mechanical/Electrical managers, and supervisors, and the Operation team, with the Production and Maintenance managers and various operators.
I also interface with Fives FCB’s local subcontractors in Mexico for erection and fabrication.
5. What would you say is most attractive about your job?The dynamism! I am always on the move, identifying and anticipating the possible problems, making sure the technical information provided to the customer is clear enough, so that the project is executed as smoothly as possible.
What is very useful for me is that I am continuously learning about subjects I am not specialized in, and from people from various cultures with whom I interface.
I also like to be Fives FCB’s representative and as such, to put across a positive image of my company.
6. If you were asked to describe the Fives group in a few words, and encourage new people to join us, what would you say ?
I feel that the Fives group is more than a company. It is like a "Big family". My contact is not limited to my direct manager; I also get to exchange with the top management. There is a high level of confidence as well as professional and personal respect, which gives employees the chance to develop their ideas. We can receive the support needed at any moment and that is part of our continuous improvement.