My working day: EC Harris QS Rachel Titley

I’m a team leader and senior cost consultant employed at EC Harris.

I’m 42 years old and work in the Midlands, based in Birmingham. After a career that started in the 90s recession and 17 years working I became chartered last year, which I’m very proud of!

I prefer to be involved in the pre-contract stage of projects, which I know is not to everyone’s taste, but I enjoy all the talking at that stage.

The latest project I’ve been involved with is a 200,000 ft2 commercial office building in Cardiff. As with all projects it has its own set of challenges: cost planning in the current market and working to ensure we deliver a BREEAM Excellent building.

I’m not an early bird by choice and pefer to spend time with my boys (5 and 7) over breakfast before getting into the office around 9am.

I work with a team that ranges from trainees to associates and I’m responsible for ensuring that they are all kept busy. Keeping abreast of what is going on within the projects within the team and carrying out technical checks on work is essential to the level of service that we provide.

I’m also part of the commercial sector and Cost and Commercial leadership teams so there are some internal meetings. I’m often inputting the teams experience into bids, reviewing appointments and liaising with clients.

This year I even performed the theme tune to Star Wars on the recorder at a Midlands charity event, The BRENDAs – not so typical!

I tend to work in the office until late before packing up for the day. Thankfully I have an employer and husband that are both flexible in their attitudes to my work pattern and that helps enormously in fitting everything in.

Rachel Titley is a QS at EC Harris in Birmingham.