Career Case Studies

Career
Case Studies

Our people are at the heart of what we do

We provide all of our employees with the opportunity to progress their career with us and as a result we have a very loyal and long-serving work force who are highly trained and experienced in the area of the business in which they work.

To find out more about a career at Princebuild click on the profiles below to see what you can expect in a variety of roles.






Amanda Green, Insurance Claims Manager

Amanda Green

Started working at Princebuild: September 1996

Starting Role: Technical Assistant

Current Role: Insurance Claims Manager

Role Development:

I began working for Princebuild as a Technical Assistant upon leaving school in 1996.

My role as technical assistant included carrying out general admin duties and assisting senior members of staff on the Cambridgeshire County Council Schools contract. This involved dealing with the reactive side of the contract and also dealing with the estimated works of larger projects. During this time I was also attending college on a day release programme to obtain my ONC in Building Studies.

I was promoted to Contracts Supervisor whilst working on the same contract and was then able to go to client meetings, discuss works required and provide detailed estimates for the works. I also maintained my involvement with the reactive side of the contract allowing me to develop an excellent relationship with the client and improve our delivery of the service. I continued my studies throughout this time and was attending college one day a week to obtain my HNC in Building Studies.

When the contract came to an end I was promoted to Contracts Manager and moved into the Small Works Department to deal with various works including renovations to private dwellings, insurance repairs and various commercial projects. I was involved in all aspects of these works from preparing estimates and tenders, through to client meetings, scheduling works and project management of ongoing works through to completion. At this time I was also undertaking an evening course at college to obtain my Site Manager’s Certificate.

My final promotion was to Insurance Claims Manager which is the role that I currently hold. I deal with the day to day running of the insurance claims department, liaising with policyholders, insurance companies, trades and sub-contractors.

A typical day:

On a typical day I will start by checking emails that have come in and dealing with any items that need an immediate response.

I will then check that all trades are on site and that there are no immediate issues that need to be resolved, updating each insurance company portal with an update to show the job is currently progressing.

I could then be dealing with anything from a new insurance job that needs to be booked in for a first visit, dealing with scheduling of new works, ordering materials, checking on job performance or attending meetings with insurance companies. Every day can be very different and every day presents a new challenge.

Your future with Princebuild:

My aim for the future with Princebuild is to continue to build on the success of the insurance department. I would like to obtain and grow new clients, whilst ensuring a high standard of works and keeping our customers happy.

Career highlights:

I am now coming up to achieving my long service award for 25 years’ service at Princebuild and over that time I have seen many changes. It has been fantastic to see Princebuild grow from two offices when I first joined to the nationwide company it is today.

Just getting the opportunity to work in the construction industry was a fantastic achievement for me, being female a career in construction wasn’t an obvious choice back in 1996. Thankfully as Princebuild is a forward thinking company, I have not only succeeded at work I have also been able to achieve an ONC, HNC and Site Supervisor’s Certificate and have achieved my ACIOB.

Perhaps my best highlight has been that as my life has changed over the years, becoming a wife and then a mother, I have been supported throughout by my work family at Princebuild.

Edward Duerden, Executive Manager (London)

Edward Duerden

Started working at Princebuild: July 2012

Starting Role: Trainee Project Manager

Current Role: Executive Manager (London)

Role Development:

I first started working at Princebuild as a part time labourer whilst studying at university. Following my graduation I began a full time role as a trainee project manager, assisting project managers with their workflow.

After six months I started working more on the commercial side of projects, mainly assisting Director Dale Asplin with tendering and estimating for the large works department. I progressed to Project Manager and in 2015 assisted with the opening of a new London branch. Initially I continued in my role as project manager, running the first project which we secured as well as assisting Dale with the tendering and estimating for larger projects.

As the branch grew and we increased our work stream, additional project managers were brought into the team and my role shifted to commercial management and project procurement, leading to my current role of Senior Commercial Manager. Now our team has grown to ten management staff and the department turnover has grown from £500,000 to £9,500,000. My current role is to oversee the procurement and delivery of all projects undertaken by the London branch.

Following my promotion to Project Manager I became more involved in the delivery of multiple projects and the organisation and operation of the department as a whole. During this time I was also supported in my desire to top up my degree to Masters level, which I did part time over a two year period.

A typical day:

Although every day is different depending on what projects we are working on, my main responsibilities of monitoring the progress of on-going projects and securing new projects dictate my day to day tasks.

This mainly includes liaising with the project management teams, discussing the progress of ongoing projects and assisting with any issues which may arise. I also maintain regular communication with clients to ensure works are progressing to their satisfaction.

Another large portion of my time is spent working on tenders and looking for future procurement opportunities.

Your future with Princebuild:

I am looking forward to developing my new role of Executive Manager and continuing to drive the growth of our London department.

Career highlights:

There have been many highlights over the last eight years and having the opportunity to develop my career with the company has definitely been one of them. Princebuild supported me to complete a master’s degree in Building Surveying which has allowed me to develop my skills and become more focussed on the commercial aspect of projects.

With regards to individual projects a particularly challenging retail extension at the London Designer Outlet in 2019 stands out. The logistics of the project were very complex but it was successfully delivered and further work secured with the client.

Another highlight has been the successful establishment of the London branch and its continued growth. It has been fantastic to be involved in this and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the London team.

Paul Baker, Director of Construction

Paul Baker

Started working at Princebuild: April 1998

Starting Role: Technical Assistant

Current Role: Director of Construction

Role Development:

From starting my career with Princebuild as a Technical Assistant, I progressed to Assistant Contract Manager in less than a year and then ten years later became an Executive Manager. In 2011 I became an Associate Director of the company and more recently have been promoted to the role of Director of Construction.

To achieve this progression I have always been driven and willing to learn; taking time to become familiar with all business areas and trying to achieve something every day. I continually look for ways to improve and have instigated change across the company, looking at new ways of doing things and moving into new sectors to assist with the ongoing growth of the company.

During my time at Princebuild I have been supported to complete an HNC in Construction and the Built Environment specialising in Construction Management and have also become accredited with the CIOB.

A typical day:

My role at Princebuild is both demanding and varied, no two days are the same and my schedule is very much dictated by the projects we have in progress.

My day normally starts first thing with contacting the night teams, checking on overnight progress and dealing with any issues which may have arisen. Then I check in with the on-site teams, making sure everything is in place for the day ahead.

Following on from this my day can include; site visits, meeting with clients, internal meetings and board meetings. A large part of my time is spent preparing tenders, attending tender interviews and completing site inspections prior to tendering, this ensures a good flow of new work for the business.

Another large percentage of my day is dedicated to reviewing current projects, ensuring any issues are dealt with and checking the progress both against time scale and budgets. Several Senior Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors report to me to assist with this.

In addition I also undertake regular site visits, performing health and safety checks, ensuring work is completed to the highest of standards and attending site handovers on completion of works.

Your future with Princebuild:

Looking to the future I aspire to continue my success within my role and aligning this with the success of the business.

There are new sectors which I would like to progress into as well as continuing to work with current clients, meeting and exceeding their expectations.

I look forward to developing staff and assisting with their mentoring and training to help the business develop and retain highly qualified and motivated teams.

Career highlights:

Over my time with Princebuild I have achieved many things that I am proud of so it is hard to pick just one highlight.

Recently completing 20 years’ service and being made a Director are definitely up near the top of the list.

Other highlights include the completion of the company’s first design and build project, the award and completion of the Sunset Walk project at centre:mk and the award of the largest ever project for Princebuild, the £10.5 million pound Primark Store development project also at centre:mk.

I am proud of what the company has achieved during my time here and also of the staff that help to achieve this success, seeing them progress within their roles and seeing their skills, abilities and achievements grow over time gives me a great sense of pride.

Tom Duerden, Associate Director

Tom Duerden

Started working at Princebuild: June 2012

Starting Role: Trainee Project Manager

Current Role: Associate Director

Role Development:

I joined Princebuild as my first full time job after completing a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. My first assignment was a large Morrisons store conversion project in Suffolk where I worked hard to learn as much as I could about delivering projects in the retail sector. Within a year of joining I progressed to the role of Assistant Project Manager and another year on I was promoted to the role of Project Manager, running my own projects and managing my own teams.

Following my promotion to Project Manager I became more involved in the delivery of multiple projects and the organisation and operation of the department as a whole. During this time I was also supported in my desire to top up my degree to Masters level, which I did part time over a two year period.

Following a lot of hard work and dedication, as well as the support of some experienced and knowledgeable people in the teams around me, in 2020 I was promoted to the role of Executive Manage and in 2021 became Associate Director.

As part of my role I really enjoy helping the other team members to develop and to constantly find ways to improve how we deliver our projects.

A typical day:

My role within the retail team means that no two days are the same, my schedule is very much dictated by the projects we currently have in progress.

I try to keep my schedule flexible so that I am able to provide support to the project and commercial teams with their day to day activities as required.

I am often visiting potential or existing projects, leading or attending internal meetings and liaising with subcontractors, suppliers and consultants to ensure that we are allowing everyone to work as efficiently as possible.

I am also heavily involved in the procurement of new work which requires my input into tender submissions as well as attending post tender interviews.

Your future with Princebuild:

As I progress in my new role of Associate Director I am looking forward to being involved in the wider company operational improvements and its future.

There are new sectors which I would like to progress into as well as continuing to work with current clients, meeting and exceeding their expectations.

I am also keen to continue to progress the retail projects department, creating working relationships with new clients as well as strengthening existing ones.

On a personal level I look forward to continuing my own progression and development within the company as well as supporting others to achieve their own career ambitions.

Career highlights:

I have taken great pleasure in being a part of the growth and development of the retail department during my time with Princebuild and also how that development has contributed to the overall success of the company.

It’s difficult to single out specific projects but I think the project which gave me the greatest sense of satisfaction was the new Morrisons Croydon store where we converted a previous Homebase to a brand new Morrisons. This was a large and complex project involving many disciplines but it was successfully delivered and the client was very pleased with the outcome. In 2022 I led and successfully handed over a Morrisons Project in Little Clacton worth over £14million. This involved providing a temporary store within the existing store car park to allow the existing store to be demolished and a new one built. The project was Morrisons first eco store so numerous energy initiatives were added post start which created a number of challenges which needed to be overcome.

Other highlights would definitely include winning a personal award from Morrisons for the Best Person from a Contractor for 2017 and then for Princebuild winning the award for Best Contractor in the following year.

I believe the culture of a family run business that has been maintained at Princebuild over the years makes it a pleasure to work here and it also helps in building and maintaining great relationships internally and externally too. This alongside the organic growth of Princebuild provides a great environment to progress and thrive and has certainly been integral to my personal progression.