As part of our campaign ‘Meet Our Design Team’, we’d like to introduce Marcus Francis, our Design Lead.

Marcus leads a multidisciplinary design team from appointment to completion of a project, and is responsible for the designs technical and commercial success. Guiding the design team to produce a coordinated design solution with due regard to both design and construction programmes and budgetary requirements, he provides technical expertise and innovation through all stages of the project including Concept, Basic and Detailed design and ensures compliance with regulatory standards.

In delivering projects for major Blue Chip Clients Marcus has been praised for his innovative approach and attention to detail.

In his interview, Marcus talks about his approach to design of pharmaceutical and healthcare sophisticated environments and explains why he enjoys working in the industry. 

Tell us about your role?
My official title is Design Lead. This makes me responsible for delivering all the design aspects for the project I am working on. Design Lead is a fairly new role within the company, established to gain more control of the different design disciplines and allow for better, more structured communication with the construction/engineering team.

What attracted you to BES?
Initially, the company status. BES is a well-known company in the Pharma industry and was definitely one of the first places I came to when looking at progressing my career in the pharma sector. After meeting with Darren (Design Director) and Steve (Managing Director) my initial attraction of BES was backed up by the personalities and ethos of both men. I instantly knew that BES would be a good fit for me and the way I wanted to shape my career.

What’s a regular day like for you now?
I spend the majority of my time checking the design information is being produced correctly and has been coordinated. Liaising with the construction team and our clients to ensure that we are all on the same page. It is quite easy to produce a design and send it out of the door, but I believe it is vital to gain the understanding and buy-in from the construction team and also from our clients so they can fully understand what we are providing and why we are doing something a certain way. 

What excites you about working in the industry?
It’s a challenge. Pharma is probably the most challenging sector I have personally worked in. The regulations which need to be abided are many. I am also making my own challenges by trying to introduce a more contemporary and modern feel to clean rooms, rather than the usual white boxes that are commonly produced. “Function and Form” not “Function over Form”!

What are you working on at the moment?
I am just coming to the end of a £50 million 3 year project which was a refurbishment of a big warehouse to create a new packing and logistics centre.

What do you like the most about your job?
I really enjoy working with the people here. We spend a lot of time with work colleagues and it always helps if you can get along with people. Whether it’s coincidental or deliberate, the recruitment policy is good as we keep recruiting very similar, likeminded people. As I mentioned above, the work is good and challenging which keeps the day to day aspect interesting. 

What would you say are the biggest challenges for you at the moment?
My biggest challenge is make sure i continue to develop. On a personal note, I do not want to stand still. The industry and regulations are always evolving and as such we need to do so also.

What would you say are the qualities you need to be successful in your role?
Like anything in life….Drive. Without being driven to succeed you will never be as successful as you could be. Also having the ability to listen to others regarding ideas and concepts. Willing to take on board other people’s ideas and perhaps most importantly be a good communicator. A lot of my role is spent in discussions. Discussions with the client and relaying information to and from the design and construction teams.