Meet James – our contracts administrator

We caught up with James Atchison, our contracts administrator, to learn a bit more about him and what a typical day involves for James.

How long have you been working at Comdain Homes?

I’ve been with Comdain Homes for just over a year now.

What does your role as contracts administrator involve?

My primary role is liaising with our clients and our construction teams. I’m the ‘go to’ at head office should the building supervisor be unavailable to speak to a client, so I work pretty closely with all our building supervisors, and particularly Steve Firth, our construction manager. I meet clients when they sign their building contract and from there, one of my first jobs is to co-ordinate colour selections with our interior designer, Danni. One of my last jobs on a project is to assist with the issuing of the final occupancy permit. Another part of my job is to help the estimating department with the overflow of their workload.

Is this what you wanted to do when you were a kid?

I really wanted to be a world class snowboarder! I’ve got my Instructor’s Certificate, but didn’t quite make the Olympic team!!

What roles have you had in the industry and how did you learn the skills required to be a contractor administrator?

I studied Commerce at Monash University and prior to joining Comdain Homes, I was customer liaison officer for a small construction company and, more recently, I was a project administrator for large volume builder.

What’s your favourite part of your job?

I love supporting our clients to ensure their custom home is everything they expect it to be and more. Building your own home can be stressful, which I fully understand, so I’m here to make it easier for our clients by making sure all their questions are answered and helping each project run as smoothly as possible.

What interests do you have outside of the office?

I’m a diehard Blue Bagger – thankfully things are starting to look up for us Carlton supporters. And on the other side of the world, I follow another blue team, Chelsea, in the EPL. Along with snowboarding, I enjoy cycling, swimming and play water polo for Monash Uni. When not playing sports, I love to catch up with my family and friends. To relax, I like to get out into the garden and do some gardening.

How would you describe the difference working at Comdain Homes with other building companies you’ve worked at?

Being a family owned company, I find Comdain has a more collaborative working environment. Comdain has a greater flexibility and each home is truly custom built – we use and adopt different materials and products to meet each client’s requirements. In the past I experienced a very rigid set approach to what products and design a client could have, here at Comdain we go over and above to ensure each home really is uniquely yours.

If you were to build a house for yourself, what would you build?

When I get around to building a house for me, it will be a modern, contemporary style home. Two stories, with a flat roof and a balanced mix of external materials. A pool and spa is a must have.