Margot Eeckhout: Site Manager Environment / Civil Techniques
Since March 2025, Margot Eeckhout has been working as site manager environment / civil techniques at Mourik. With a degree in biotechnology but looking increasingly towards the construction world, Margot consciously chose a completely different path. "Above all, I wanted a job that is challenging and where no two days are the same."
The road to site manager
"After my studies, it took some puzzling to get everything done with the renovation, but in the meantime I really did start looking for something that really suited me," Margot says. "By having lots of conversations with people in the field, I discovered the role of site manager. It's a good mix between administration, planning and, above all, working together a lot with people on and around the site."
For Margot, the technical aspect of the job was a leap into the unknown. "That part was completely new to me," she says. "But precisely because of that, I am learning a huge amount. Every day I come into contact with techniques and installations I didn't know yet. That makes the work challenging and fascinating."
As site manager, Margot is the point of contact when problems arise on site. "I am the one who says, 'Look, this strikes me, how do we tackle this together?' It's important to understand that I don't have the experience of a crane operator with 20 years on the clock. But by communicating well and being open to the expertise of others, we arrive at the best solutions together."
A job with heart and soul
Flexibility, structure, communication and stress resistance are indispensable for a site manager, according to Margot. "At busy times, you have to keep a cool head. Taking decisions head-on can lead to accidents. You have to work in a structured way amidst the chaos and communicate openly with everyone on the site."
What Margot also emphasises is that the job of site manager is much broader than just technical work and planning. "It's not just about the organisation of the site; if necessary, I clean the site hut. You have to get satisfaction from the little things, like a clean yard and preparing coffee for the team. In short, you have to love all sides of this work."
You must derive satisfaction from the little things, such as a clean yard and preparing coffee for the team.
After work hours, she rarely sits still. "I am self-employed in a secondary capacity and tutor maths and science. I tutor young people from primary school up to even adults". And as if that were not enough, Margot is also renovating her own house "I started in 2023. Everything had to go: kitchen, bathroom, heating, electricity...". Fortunately, the biggest works are now behind her and she can now enjoy a cup of coffee on her brand new terrace every now and then - among singing birds.
Margot's advice to people considering becoming a site manager: "Only do this work if you really feel like it. You have to dare to bang your head against the wall and want to learn from this. Falling down and getting up is just part of your job."
