Ross Gallacher has been a dedicated project manager since 2019, focusing on upgrades and improvements to buildings, managing health and safety risks, and delivering high-value projects. Before transitioning to this role, Ross was an engineering supervisor, managing a team of eight engineers and handling help desk tasks in the west of Scotland. His career began in 2007 as a mobile engineer. Recently, Ross has taken on the role of account manager for projects, overseeing project managers and working closely with clients to determine where to allocate funds for building improvements and remedial works. He also collaborates with the energy management team on sustainability projects.
Transition from Field to Office
Ross’s career has seen a significant transition from being an on-site engineer to a hybrid role as a supervisor and eventually to a project manager. This shift revealed the extensive administrative tasks involved in project management, such as job allocation, processing, billing, and invoicing. “The change from working in the field to working in the office was quite an eye-opener. You don’t realise how much goes on behind the scenes.”
Ross’s typical day now involves managing ongoing projects, coordinating with subcontractors and suppliers, and ensuring all administrative tasks are completed correctly. Despite the administrative load, he continues to engage in site visits, progress meetings, customer updates, and handover meetings to ensure customer satisfaction and project sign-off.
Geographic Coverage and Familiar Buildings
Throughout his career, Ross has worked in various locations, covering both central and remote sites in Scotland. He has been responsible for covering holidays and static sites, ensuring all buildings are maintained and supported as needed. Ross has a strong connection with Hamilton Sheriff Court, where he spent a significant amount of time during the COVID-19 lockdown period, performing maintenance and active tasks.
He enjoys the variety and geographic coverage of his role, which allows him to visit places he might not have seen otherwise. He appreciates the team dynamics and the positive working environment, which contributed to the success of the contract.
Memorable Moments and Challenges
A memorable moment for Ross was when OCS retained the SCTS and COPFS contract for the next seven years, ensuring stability and continuity for the team. He also recalls the successful completion of a fit-out project for the evidence by commission suite in Aberdeen, which involved multiple disciplines and contractors. “Being able to complete that work, from start to finish, and hand that over to the customer, for them to be delighted with the way that the job had been and happy with the standard of the work. That’s quite memorable as well.”
Ross often faces daily challenges, such as dealing with breakdowns in courtrooms or boiler houses, finding solutions that meet customer needs and minimise disruption, and ensuring building safety and long-term fixes.
Personal Investment and Pride
Ross feels personally invested in the contract, having worked on it for so long. He enjoys the variety of geographical locations and the historic nature of many buildings. Each site visit offers new discoveries, whether it’s architectural details or unique challenges. This variety and the sense of personal investment contribute to his long-term commitment to the company.
