From Cadet to Employee of the Year: How James Wootton is building a high-impact, sustainable career at Mainbrace
At Mainbrace, we believe a solid foundation is crucial to a successful career in construction. For James Wootton, that foundation began in his second year of university with our construction cadetship program. Always up for a challenge and determined to progress, James has since contributed to some of our largest, most complex retail projects in Queensland. Now, as a Project Manager, James is helping to give other young professionals the best start to their careers.
Rising to the challenge
For most people, a great day at work is when everything goes according to plan. No issues or problems to sort out – just smooth sailing. Thankfully for us at Mainbrace, James Wootton isn’t like most people!
James is in his element when there’s a challenge to overcome. And in the world of retail construction, there are plenty of those. But at Mainbrace, finding unique solutions to unique problems is what we do best – and from the day he joined our team as a cadet, James has learned from the best in the industry.
“As strange as it sounds, I enjoy it when there’s an issue on site,” says James, Project Manager with our Queensland team. “I enjoy brainstorming with our engineers to come up with solutions. I love a good challenge, and you definitely get that with retail”.
As a Project Manager, James oversees a wide range of retail projects, most undertaken in a live environment. He gets to collaborate closely with the various stakeholders to ensure tenants remain economically viable and competitive, and shoppers aren’t disrupted.
“Each project is different, which is one of the biggest drawcards of the construction industry for me. There are always so many moving parts. It’s a lot of work, so it’s a really proud moment when we’ve successfully delivered a project.”
Each year, James helps to deliver many impactful projects that benefit our clients and communities. Yet, his proudest moment so far at Mainbrace was during our 2024 Annual Awards Dinner, when he was named Queensland Employee of the Year.
“That would be without a doubt one of my biggest achievements in the company,” James says. “It’s a peer-voted system, so to be recognised like that means a lot. I know I’m one of the most dedicated guys in our office. I’m one of the first in each day and one of the last to leave – not because that’s expected at Mainbrace, but it’s because I live and breathe the industry.”
Opportunities and ownership
James has consistently proved his mettle at Mainbrace, seizing challenges and opportunities to learn, grow and build his career.
Initially interested in a career as an Estimator, James was in the second year of his quantity surveying and cost engineering degree when he successfully applied for Mainbrace’s cadet program. Between 2017 and 2019, James gained a wealth of experience in rotations across Pre-Construction/Estimating, Contract Administration and Site Administration.
“Getting that exposure before graduating meant I knew this was where I wanted to be. I made a lot of mistakes in that cadet year, but at Mainbrace, they sit you down, talk you through it, and you get to learn. You’re never made to feel like you’re in trouble for making errors. It’s the kind of culture you want in an organisation.”
After graduating, James decided to switch his career focus from Estimating to Contract Administration and Site Administration. Over three years, he honed his skills while working on a variety of innovative retail projects, such as Coles Local Woolloongabba, Bunnings Hervey Bay and Woolworths Metro Belmont.
The opportunity to work onsite full-time at Yamanto Central Shopping Centre – our largest and most complex project in Queensland to date – was a huge step forward in his career and helped pave the way for his promotion to Project Manager in 2024.
“I have a five-year career plan that fully details where I want to go, and part of that plan was to become a Project Manager. Rather than just putting me in that role and saying, ‘There you go,’ Mainbrace gave me opportunities to do that kind of work beforehand. I’ve been able to succeed in the role because I had that prior experience.”
A team you can count on
It’s no surprise that James is also kicking goals outside of work: he and his partner recently became engaged, and he’s studying for his Master of Construction Management. Balancing work and study isn’t easy, yet James says the support he gets at Mainbrace makes all the difference. Enjoying some well-deserved R&R with the Supermarket Refurbishment team helps, too.
“Mainbrace gives us an end-of-job function allowance, so each year, our team goes on a camping trip. It’s a lot of fun, and it really embodies the close-knit culture at Mainbrace. The fact the guys are willing to give up a weekend with friends and family to spend it with colleagues – I feel like that’s something you wouldn’t get with other companies.”
For now, James is eager to get stuck into more high-profile, complex retail projects as he strives towards his career goals. He also looks forward to helping our new cadets build the same solid foundation he did all those years ago.
“I’ve got my own cadet now. Having him on board means I get to guide him and help him shape his career. He’s loving it at Mainbrace, so I definitely enjoy being able to have that positive impact.”
Searching for a great place to build your career?