From Spreadsheets to Forklifts: Labour and Materials Administrators Keep Gas Construction Flowing
While SaskEnergy has administrative positions in different areas across the company, only one of these roles has duties that include driving a forklift or operating a crane!
Our Labour and Materials Administrators handle everything from scheduling work to ordering and organizing materials to coordinating the maintenance, repair and calibration of the tools for SaskEnergy’s Construction teams.
“I’ve been in this role for three years, and what surprises me most continues to be just how many different tasks a single position can have,” says Cody Picot, Labour and Materials Administrator in Saskatoon.
As the name implies, there are two sides to the job — labour and materials — with three areas of focus: inventory administration, work scheduling, and construction support.
“You really need to be comfortable multitasking and shifting focus quickly,” explains Kyle Donaldson, Labour and Materials Administrator in Regina. “I might be processing inventory transfers or backorders, and then a truck shows up with materials to be unloaded, or someone needs some parts and pipe put together for pickup.”
Responsibilities include processing new work requests and permits, assigning projects, developing weekly schedules for jobs, ordering materials and pipe and tracking inventory.
“My previous experience in the oil and gas sector has definitely been beneficial. It showed me firsthand the scope of work that goes into projects and the importance of developing accurate schedules for both crews and customers,” says Labour and Materials Administrator Nathan Uhrich.
While their backgrounds vary, Cody, Nathan and Kyle share a history of experience in the oil and gas industry. Cody drove semi in the oilfield, Nathan worked in heavy haul trucking and hoisting and rigging, and Kyle was previously an Equipment Operator with SaskEnergy. All of this experience comes in especially handy on those days where the forklift is needed.
Labour and Materials Administrators are in charge of unloading and organizing materials, upkeep of the construction yards, and arranging for the maintenance and repair of tools and instruments.
They also must be computer savvy, as they need to provide technical and administrative support for software programs, contribute to process and program improvement initiatives, and work with vendors on a regular basis.
“I enjoy the challenge! It keeps things interesting and makes the days go by fast. It’s also a great way to learn about how everything works at SaskEnergy and get to know people in other departments,” Kyle says. “I’m also fortunate that I’m part of a great team, which makes work enjoyable, and we get to share a lot of laughs.”
No matter the task, or area, Cody, Kyle and Nathan all agree that to be successful as a Labour and Materials Administrator, you need good collaboration across departments and strong communication skills.
“Communication is a fundamental part of this role,” says Nathan. “I came across some guidance years ago that has stuck with me and really applies to this role: ensure that the right information (or materials!) comes from the right source in the right format, distributed by the right method to the right people at the right time!”