Construction Technical Manager

SA Water; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Cutting-edge technology

Mentorship opportunities

EAP

Purchasing Leave

Job summary

SA Water is seeking an experienced Construction Leader to oversee the delivery of major infrastructure assets. You will provide expert guidance across construction, commissioning and completion phases, supporting contractors and project teams to achieve safety, quality, time, and cost objectives.

Ideal candidates will have a track record in complex projects, with strong qualifications in engineering, contract management, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring regulatory compliance and continuous

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Engineering or equivalent industry experience.
• Knowledge of construction delivery within complex infrastructure environments.
• Technical expertise in water, wastewater, and recycled water infrastructure.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective stakeholder relationships.
• Strong project and contract management capabilities including scheduling, budgeting, risk management, reporting, and the use of project management tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex technical evaluations and foster collaboration to deliver projects safely and on time.
• Oversee safety, regulatory compliance, and quality across multiple projects.
• Manage contracts, budgeting, forecasting, and commercial performance throughout the lifecycle.
• Plan, monitor schedules, resolve issues, and achieve time, cost, and quality objectives.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with contractors, consultants, and authorities.

Skills

Project management

Scheduling

Budgeting

Risk management

Reporting

Power BI

Spreadsheets

Field-based apps

Education

Engineering degree or equivalent

Tools

Power BI

Excel

Job description

SA Water is a successful, modern water utility wholly owned by the Government of South Australia. We employ more than 1,700 people across a broad range of disciplines who operate more than $14 billion worth of infrastructure to deliver essential water and sewerage services to more than 1.8 million South Australians.

With operations and offices across the state, our strength and expertise have been shaped by our history. For more than 165 years, South Australians have depended on us to innovate and deliver efficient and sustainable water services. With nationally and internationally recognised industry expertise, we’re focused on understanding and meeting our customers’ expectations.

As well as safely delivering smart and reliable services for our customers of today, we innovate to shape the water solutions of the future that will support thriving economies and healthy communities.

We are driven by our values; we value our people, we do work that matters, we keep it real, we know that our work has impact, and we are future focussed. Staying true to our values ensures that we consistently deliver positive outcomes for all South Australians.

About the job

Reporting to the Construction Lead, you will play a key leadership role in ensuring new and upgraded infrastructure assets are delivered safely, efficiently, and to the highest standards of quality, cost, and schedule performance.

You will provide expert technical guidance throughout construction, commissioning, and completion phases while supporting contractors, project teams, and key stakeholders to achieve successful project outcomes.

About you

You are an experienced construction leader with a proven track record in delivering complex infrastructure projects, ideally within the wastewater sector, and a passion for driving project excellence, innovation, and high-performing teams.

You will:

• Support strategic objectives, leading complex technical evaluations, solving construction challenges, and fostering a culture of collaboration and service excellence.
• Ensure all construction activities are undertaken in accordance with WHS requirements, safety procedures, and environmental obligations, while promoting a strong safety-first culture.
• Ensure compliance and quality assurance across all projects by overseeing adherence to regulatory requirements, standards, design specifications, contract obligations, and quality management processes.
• Lead the successful delivery of construction projects through effective planning, contract management, risk management, commissioning support, schedule monitoring, issue resolution, and the achievement of project time, cost, quality, and performance objectives.
• Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships by working collaboratively with project teams, contractors, suppliers, consultants, government authorities, and internal stakeholders to support successful project outcomes.
• Manage construction contracts and commercial performance including tender development and evaluation, contractor engagement, budget monitoring, expenditure forecasting, and contract administration throughout the project lifecycle.
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation, and risk management by identifying opportunities to improve constructability, construction delivery, efficiency, and project outcomes while proactively identifying and mitigating project risks.

Your success in this role will come from:

• Tertiary qualifications in Engineering or equivalent industry experience, with a strong understanding of construction delivery within complex infrastructure environments.
• Demonstrated knowledge and application of construction management, health and safety, environmental compliance, and quality assurance practices, ensuring projects are delivered safely and in accordance with regulatory and organisational requirements.
• Technical expertise in water, wastewater, and recycled water infrastructure, including treatment, disinfection, distribution systems, and asset lifecycle considerations across design, operations, maintenance, and construction phases.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective stakeholder relationships, working collaboratively with contractors, consultants, suppliers, government authorities, and internal business units to achieve project outcomes.
• Strong project and contract management capability, including scheduling, budgeting, risk management, reporting, and the use of project management tools, Power BI, spreadsheets, and field-based applications.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and decision-making skills, with the ability to resolve complex technical and construction issues, manage risks, and exercise sound judgement under limited supervision.
• Experience delivering construction and commissioning activities on major infrastructure projects, including quality assurance, program reviews, cost and time estimating, and the successful management of multiple concurrent projects to achieve deadlines and performance objectives.

Benefits you will get in return:

This is a rare opportunity to play a critical management role within one of South Australia's largest infrastructure delivery programs. You'll have the ability to influence major commercial outcomes, shape industry partnerships, and contribute to projects that deliver lasting benefits for communities across the state.

Join a purpose-motivated organisation committed to innovation, collaboration, safety, and creating sustainable outcomes for South Australia.

• Work with cutting edge technology on a variety of assets and diverse projects
• Mentorship and opportunities to build up the technical knowledge in engineering to shape the future of the organisation
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Option to extend your holidays by Purchasing Leave

Applications close 5pm, 22nd of September.

A great customer experience is best achieved by having a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the community we serve. Applications are encouraged from everyone, including people living with disability, job seekers of all ages, members of the LGBTIQA+ community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Our Industry is like no other. Dive into the wonderful world of water and explore the boundless opportunities. Learn more about the water industry at careersinwater.com.au.