Joe Burke is a Project Manager at Hawkins based in Tāmaki | Auckland. At this year’s NZ Building People Awards Joe took out the BCITO Emerging Leader Award and received a grant from the Institute’s Charitable Education Trust.
In his awards citation we heard about Joe’s thoughtful and collaborative leadership style, his enthusiasm and willingness to get his hands dirty, and his exception crisis management skills.
As his referee said, “Joe is one of the brightest young talents in the construction industry.”
We wanted to get to know this talented Institute member a little better, so we asked him a few questions.
What does a typical day in your job look like?
Looking ahead to the following phases of work and working through the planning, sequence and methodologies whilst monitoring the onsite progress against our programme.
What would you love to do in the coming years?
I’m currently working on the new Auckland Airport Domestic Jet Terminal which is an iconic and large-scale project. I’m looking forward to playing my part in this exciting project over the next few years.
What did your NZ Building People Awards win mean to you?
The award was recognition for all the unseen work that happens when no one is looking. The late nights to catch up on work once everyone has left for the day, and the weekend work to keep the project on schedule. I’m my own biggest critic so it was great to be able to look back and reflect on the things I have managed to achieve in my career so far.
Why did you enter the construction industry and what’s kept you there?
During my final year of high school my parents were building their house and we would visit a couple of times a week in the evening to see the progress. I remember being drawn in pretty quickly and really interested in the process. I also liked the idea of seeing your work come to life in something. This led me to start my Bachelor of Construction degree at Massey University after high school.
What is one change you would love to see made in the building industry in NZ?
I’m keen to see how technology can make things more efficient within the construction industry. There are some great tools currently being used but we still have a lot of manual processes and with complex projects a lot of admin. 4D planning is something I am looking forward to seeing more of to help with planning and coordination and to help everyone on site to understand how the project will come together.
Who inspires you in the Building Industry and why?
I’ve always been inspired by the Hawkins management team. They have all worked their way up within the industry and are all great examples of what you can achieve if you work hard and have commitment to succeed.
What construction project in NZ do you wish you could have worked on?
Working on the Sky Tower would’ve been an awesome project to be part of. Being so iconic to Auckland, I always wonder what it would’ve been like to be in the team that built it.
What’s something you do in your spare time?
I enjoy cooking in my spare time, particularly on Sunday afternoons. It’s only been in the past couple of years that I’ve picked it up but have really got into trying different styles and find it a good way to relax before the week kicks off again.
What are you reading/watching/listening to at the moment?
Formula 1 is the main thing I’m always watching in my free time, I’ll even listen to podcasts in the car about it.
