For this year’s International Women’s Day, we caught up with two recent starters at Hartnell Taylor Cook. We begin with Sara Rahimi, Associate Director in Project Management, asking her to reflect on her professional journey and the start of her story here at Hartnell Taylor Cook.
Though only joining us three months ago, Sara’s experience in delivering projects across the private and public sector spans eight years, specialising in commercial and mixed-use project and development management. Her diverse clientele has seen her working on projects spanning the value range of £60 million to £1.2 billion – including Google’s new UK headquarters – and we’re delighted to have such a safe and sophisticated pair of hands on board.
Beginning and building a career
Sara studied interior architecture at undergraduate level and then proceeded to take on a project management masters, but she notes that her journey found its roots far earlier than her university years.
‘Growing up, my father was involved in property investment while also owning a sustainability business. His sense of leadership and genuine interest in property definitely influenced my academic and professional choices.’
‘This said, it was difficult to initially break into the industry, so I had to revise my plans and get strategic. Starting out in a project admin role for a design practice saw me moving onto consultancy firms and gaining increased responsibility in good time.’
More on the role
Juggling multiple projects at varying stages is second nature to Sara, but for many the process of ensuring efficiency and delivery is mystical at best; it’s a fine art to be honed.
‘My day-to-day tasks vary, depending on what stage my projects are at, but I always ensure we are meeting client expectations, budgets, and deadlines.
To give a flavour of what her day may involve, she shares a summary of the many duties her role encompasses:
- Project planning and coordination of tasks such as developing project brief timelines and budgets, which often involves coordinating with clients, architects, engineers, and contractors; and conducting feasibility studies and risk assessments.
- Client and stakeholder management, acting as the main point of contact for clients in many ways, such as issuing project updates and reports; managing stakeholder expectations and resolving conflicts; and chairing progress and client meetings and site visits.
- Financial management, usually achieved through developing and monitoring both the cost plan and expenses, as well as approving invoices and negotiating contracts.
- Site supervision and quality control through regular site inspections and ensuring work is progressing as planned. I may need to identify and resolve construction or design issues.
- Documentation: for example, managing contracts and legal documents; keeping records of project documents, expenses, and approvals.
- Problem solving and risk management: identifying potential risks and finding mitigation solutions. I am also involved in managing delays, budget overruns, or unexpected issues.
‘For aspiring project managers, my advice would be to not only start from an apprentice or graduate role, but also to ensure that you take those years seriously – after all, these learnings will be the foundation of your career.’
Navigating the field
When speaking to Sara, one point she returned to specifically was entering into and working in a field traditionally dominated by men.
‘It is certainly a breath of fresh air for such a male oriented field to incorporate a female perspective, but the challenge has been and remains getting this male-oriented world to take you seriously. To my mind and many others, the more female project managers there are on the scene, the better our chances of overcoming such hurdles.’
Sara’s job requires a remarkable level of time management, and so she’s the first person to know how to spend personal time wisely – whether it be salsa dancing, aspiring for a piloting license, or helping out young adult refugees. A truly dynamic individual, we look forward to hearing more about Sara’s next pursuits.
