Get to know our awesome January Member of the Month, Jess Knott!
Tell us about yourself and your role!
I’m a Development Manager delivering townhouse and apartment projects in the Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions. I’m based on the beautiful Sunshine Coast with my young family and can confirm – this is the best place to live in the world!
I work for Coast2Bay Housing Group, a regional Community Housing Provider. We’re a not-for-profit and our primary mission is transform lives – by supplying homes for people with a pathway to affordable living. We provide safe and secure housing choices for some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Demand for social and affordable housing is increasing exponentially due to market factors like low rental vacancy rates and increased cost of living pressures. Homelessness is an issue that is not going away and it’s our role to educate and garner support from government, industry and our communities.
How long have you been in the industry and what drew you to a career in construction?
I have been delivering residential communities in QLD and WA for over 15 years, working across public and private sectors. I started in the industry quite young, winning an undergraduate scholarship to work with one of Australia’s largest property groups. The role of a Development Manager is very diverse, covering not just construction management but design, feasibility, marketing and a whole range of other disciplines to make projects a success.
The appeal of the construction industry for me is seeing projects come to life after years of planning. Creating new communities leaves behind a lasting legacy to be proud of in your career. Revisiting projects years after completion can be incredibly satisfying, to see the end user experience and how the community matures over time.
What has been your biggest career achievement so far?
Shifting my focus to not be as strongly driven for personal achievement or financial gain, but to use my skills to make a difference and a real contribution to the development industry and the housing sector.
Making a change in 2021 from working for a large, ASX listed property group to a small not-for-profit, Community Housing Provider supporting vulnerable people in our regional community has been eye opening and very fulfilling. I am able to use my technical skills and experience to make a difference in the housing and
homelessness sector.
What are your professional goals for 2023?
Our team at Coast2Bay have ambitious growth goals for 2023 – we will be transforming our business to see a significant increase in critical community housing stock across our regions. My role will be instrumental in unlocking a pipeline of new development projects.
This year I hope to further embed myself in the community housing sector by understanding the challenges and opportunities we face and advocating for positive change.
Our monthly member spotlight is just one of the ways AWIC supports the professional growth and careers of our awesome women in construction! We’ll share your spotlight across our socials and monthly newsletters and feature your profile on our AWIC Blog! So show off, plug your business, and tell us how awesome you are!
To be featured, click here to fill out our AWIC Member of the Month Q&A!
