Associate/Associate Principal | Programme and Project Management

Arup; Gold Coast City; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working policy

Parental leave (16 weeks primary)

Birthday leave

Annual leave loading

International mobility opportunities

Life & income protection insurance

Novated car lease

Financial wellness programs

Job summary

Arup on the Gold Coast invites an Associate/Associate Principal to lead Programme and Project Management, driving governance, commercial oversight and delivery excellence.

You’ll mentor multidisciplinary teams, optimise PMO frameworks, and advise clients on governance, business cases and investment priorities across major infrastructure and transformation initiatives.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of industry experience in commercial management, portfolio management, and project or programme delivery in an advisory/consulting environment.
• Experience delivering complex programmes/portfolios in dynamic environments.
• Public sector or infrastructure advisory experience with collaborative delivery models.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, MSP, or PRINCE2 preferred.
• Strong ability to build and influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide commercial and risk management oversight across complex programmes and portfolios, including procurement planning and forecasting.
• Oversee delivery of complex, integrated programmes ensuring scope, schedule, cost and quality meet outcomes.
• Lead strategic workforce planning and resource allocation across multidisciplinary teams.
• Develop and optimise PMO and portfolio governance, reporting, and change management processes.
• Act as trusted advisor to clients, guiding programme delivery and investment prioritisation.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Governance

Stakeholder management

Portfolio management

Education

Tertiary qualifications in engineering / project management / business

Tools

MS Project

PRINCE2

Job description

Associate/Associate Principal | Programme and Project Management

Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach have set us apart for 80 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

Join our growing Gold Coast team and be part of an extraordinary collective where diverse perspectives, shared ambition and collaboration drive remarkable outcomes. Working alongside some of the industry's brightest minds, you'll contribute to transformative projects that strengthen communities, shape more sustainable places and improve lives. Backed by Arup's global network and the power of Total Design, you'll have the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines, tackle complex challenges and make an impact locally, nationally and internationally, all while enjoying the unique lifestyle the Gold Coast has to offer.

The Opportunity

This role provides strategic leadership across complex projects and programmes, ensuring effective governance, commercial oversight, and successful delivery outcomes. It supports informed decision-making through data-driven insights while establishing and optimising PMO and governance frameworks. The role also drives the planning, prioritisation, and delivery of major infrastructure and transformation initiatives.

This role is based in Gold Coast.

• Provide commercial and risk management oversight across complex programmes and portfolios, including procurement planning, project financial management, forecasting, governance, performance reporting, risk mitigation, and delivery assurance to support successful outcomes.
• Manage and oversee the delivery of complex, integrated programmes and projects, ensuring successful outcomes across scope, schedule, cost and quality, while coordinating multidisciplinary teams, mentoring junior staff, and supporting capability development within the Project and Programme Management practice.
• Lead strategic workforce planning and resource allocation across multidisciplinary teams, ensuring capability, capacity, succession planning, and optimal utilisation to support successful programme delivery and commercial outcomes.
• Develop and optimise PMO and portfolio management frameworks, establishing effective governance, controls, reporting, performance monitoring, and change management processes while driving continuous improvement and the application of lessons learned across programmes and portfolios.
• Act as a trusted advisor to clients, providing strategic guidance on programme delivery, governance, commercial models, business cases, and investment priorities while leading senior stakeholder engagement.

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas.

You will have the opportunity do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.

Is this role right for you?

• Recognised tertiary qualifications in engineering, project management, business, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of relevant industry experience in commercial management, portfolio management, and project or programme delivery within an advisory or consulting environment.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage and optimise complex programmes, portfolios, and workstreams in dynamic environments.
• Experience in public sector or infrastructure advisory, collaborative delivery models, and asset management, supported by relevant professional certifications such as PMP, MSP, or PRINCE2.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships, providing strategic advice and influencing decision-making at senior levels.

What we offer you

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

• Hybrid working policy and flexible working hours.
• Paid parental leave for the primary carer of 16 weeks or 32 weeks at half pay and as well as generous unpaid leave benefits.
• Paid parental leave for the support carer of 4 weeks plus the opportunity to access extra paid and unpaid leave if you later become the primary carer.
• Birthday leave
• Annual leave loading
• Ability to purchase additional leave of up to 20 days for permanent employees.
• International mobility opportunities
• Insurances (life & income protection)
• Interest free solar energy and bicycle loans
• Novated car lease
• Ovasaver including discounts, vouchers, cashback, and exclusive offers on more than 300 retailers.

Different people, shared values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact Sabena Foo to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

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