Capital Projects Advisor

Gough Recruitment; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Gough Recruitment is partnering with a well-established Queensland organisation to appoint a Capital Program Advisor with strong construction cost management expertise.

You will review estimates and tender submissions, assess cost risks, align expenditures with grant funding and provide technical and commercial advice to internal stakeholders and project representatives across Queensland.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant technical experience in construction cost management, estimating, quantity surveying or a related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of construction rates, pricing structures and tender evaluation.
• Understanding of construction methodologies, project scopes, variations and commercial risk.
• Excellent written communication and reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing construction estimates, cost plans, rates, tender submissions and project budgets to assess accuracy, reasonableness and value for money.
• Evaluating project scopes, drawings and specifications to identify potential cost risks, discrepancies and opportunities.
• Assessing proposed expenditure and tender documentation to ensure alignment with approved grant funding and project scope.
• Working collaboratively with the team to assess projects, prepare grant applications and monitor funding requirements.
• Providing technical and commercial advice to internal stakeholders, consultants and project representatives.
• Preparing written recommendations, financial assessments and reports for committees, finance stakeholders and board consideration.
• Visiting project locations across Queensland to understand site-specific requirements, project complexities and stakeholder needs.

Skills

Construction cost management

Estimating

Quantity surveying

Tender evaluation

Stakeholder engagement

Written reporting

Education

Tertiary qualification (or equivalent experience)

Job description

Are you a construction cost specialist who enjoys getting into the detail, challenging project estimates and influencing smarter investment decisions?This is an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day pressures of construction delivery and apply your technical knowledge to assessing project costs, reviewing tenders and ensuring funding delivers genuine value.

Gough Recruitment is partnering with a well-established, purpose-driven Queensland organisation to appoint a Capital Program Advisor with strong construction cost management expertise.

Our client is an established Queensland organisation with a strong commitment to governance, innovation and delivering positive outcomes for the communities it supports.

You will join a supportive environment where people are encouraged to contribute ideas, take ownership of their work and collaborate across disciplines.

The Opportunity:

Working closely with a Senior Advisor and the broader Capital Programs team, you'll provide specialist advice on construction costs, tender assessments and the financial oversight of funded projects.

This is not a traditional capital works or construction project management role.

Instead, your focus will be on understanding the complexities of construction, critically evaluating project costs and ensuring proposed expenditure aligns with approved funding scopes.

What You'll Be Doing

• Reviewing construction estimates, cost plans, rates, tender submissions and project budgets to assess accuracy, reasonableness and value for money.
• Evaluating project scopes, drawings and specifications to identify potential cost risks, discrepancies and opportunities.
• Assessing proposed expenditure and tender documentation to ensure alignment with approved grant funding and project scope.
• Working collaboratively with the team to assess projects, prepare grant applications and monitor funding requirements.
• Providing technical and commercial advice to internal stakeholders, consultants and project representatives.
• Preparing written recommendations, financial assessments and reports for committees, finance stakeholders and board consideration.
• Visiting project locations across Queensland to understand site-specific requirements, project complexities and stakeholder needs.

About You:

You may come from a Quantity Surveying, Construction Estimating, Contract Administration or construction commercial background.

What matters most is your ability to understand construction costs, interrogate estimates and tenders, and confidently assess whether proposed expenditure is appropriate.

Ideally, you'll bring:

• Approximately five years or more of relevant technical experience in construction cost management, estimating, quantity surveying or a related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of construction rates, pricing structures, cost assessments and tender evaluation.
• An understanding of construction methodologies, project scopes, variations and commercial risk.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the confidence to question assumptions and communicate technical recommendations.
• Excellent written communication and reporting skills.
• The initiative to work autonomously while contributing effectively to a collaborative team.
• A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent industry experience.

We're looking for someone with genuine construction cost expertise, sound commercial judgement and the curiosity to ask the questions others might overlook.

Ready for a Different Kind of Construction Career? If you're commercially minded, technically capable and looking for an opportunity to use your construction knowledge in a more advisory capacity, we'd welcome a confidential conversation.

We welcome applications from professionals with transferable construction experience who are ready to bring their technical expertise into a collaborative, purpose-driven environment.