Meet the team – Phil

Phil, our Senior Contract Manager, spills all on his day-to-day role in the Cobus office.

What is your name and role at Cobus?

I’m Phil McInnes, Senior Contract Manager at Cobus. My role involves being responsible for the design, specification and quoting for office refurbishment projects.

How long have you been working at Cobus?

I have been working at Cobus for 10 months now.

Tell us about your background, and how you got to where you are now.

I trained as a mechanical and electrical engineer at GCHQ, and after qualifying I diversified into undertaking infrastructure design for the on-site refurbishment programme. This involved understanding the cabling systems used across the site to allow relocation projects to be undertaken on a weekly basis.

In 2000, I left GCHQ and set up my own business which involved working on office refurbishments, project management and relocations. In 2008, the business merged with another company, in which it operated as a sub-division.

In 2018, I left to take up an opportunity with Cobus.

Tell us more about the day-to-day tasks that your role involves.

A typical day can involve meeting a client and taking a brief on re-designing their office spaces, which would include refurbishment work and the provision of new furniture. I would then survey the existing spaces before returning to the office to complete a CAD design for consideration. This stage requires liaising with our interior designer and sales account managers to specify the most suitable products before compiling and issuing a comprehensive quotation.

What are your favourite parts of the job?

Meeting the clients and listening to their requirements before providing a solution that transforms their office space for the better.

Tell us about your favourite project that you’ve worked on.

In my career, my favourite project involved undertaking all of the space planning, furniture installation and relocations for the MOD site in Corsham.

At Cobus, I am currently working on a design project for an existing client who are moving to a new building. My contribution has involved space planning their accommodation, capturing departmental requirements and assisting our estimator and designer.

Do you have any top tips for those looking to re-design their workspace?

I would recommend designing a flexible, innovative and inspiring environment in which staff enjoy coming to work.

Currently, what are the most popular design trends that you’ve been working on?

Collaborative working and meeting spaces are being requested on a regular basis now. Office space is often at a premium and meeting rooms may not exist – which limits flexibility for future changes. Installing collaborative spaces within the open-plan office can provide localised cost effective facilities, from which everyone can benefit.

What makes Cobus so unique?

We listen carefully to our clients, and are proactive and passionate about what we do whilst providing flexible and innovative solutions to all of our clients. As a company, we share a friendly and ambitious culture which creates a rewarding office environment.