Deputy Program Director - Water & Mining Infrastructure

AECOM; Western Australia; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work options

6 weeks annual leave

Volunteer leave

Flex public holidays

Job summary

AECOM is seeking a Deputy Program Manager to lead the successful delivery of complex mining and water infrastructure programs in Australia. You will work with the Program Manager to oversee multiple projects, ensuring alignment with scope, cost, schedule, safety and stakeholder expectations.

You’ll drive program strategy, governance and performance across design, procurement, construction and commissioning, coordinating across engineering, commercial, and operations teams with a focus on

Qualifications

• 15 years' experience in project management, program management or major project delivery.
• Demonstrated experience delivering or overseeing projects across mining and water infrastructure.
• Experience working in both client-side and contractor-side environments.
• Strong understanding of major program management environments and multi-project portfolios.
• Proven capability coordinating multidisciplinary teams across engineering, procurement, commercial, project controls and construction.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing contractor performance, including progress, productivity, safety and contractual compliance.
• Strong program and project controls capability, including cost management, scheduling, forecasting, risk and change management.
• Experience with procurement, contract administration, variations, claims and commercial negotiations.
• Experience overseeing projects through design, construction, commissioning and operational handover.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of complex infrastructure programs across multiple projects and work packages.
• Establish program delivery strategies, execution plans, budgets, schedules and governance.
• Monitor performance, milestones and objectives with Project Managers.
• Oversee contractor performance for safety, productivity, quality and compliance.
• Manage procurement strategies, contracts, variations, claims and negotiations.
• Provide reporting and insights on cost, schedule, risk and progress for leadership.
• Drive risk management and governance across the program.
• Coordinate interfaces and dependencies across projects and maintain design integrity.

Skills

Project management

Program management

Mining

Water infrastructure

Client-side experience

Contract administration

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Cost control

Leadership

Education

Engineering degree

Construction Management degree

PM qualification

Job description

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

What you'll be doing

As a Deputy Program Manager , you'll play a key leadership role in supporting the successful delivery of complex mining and water infrastructure programs. Working closely with the Program Manager, you'll provide oversight across multiple projects and work packages, ensuring effective coordination of scope, cost, schedule, quality, risk, safety and stakeholder expectations.

You'll operate across the broader program, working with Project Managers, technical specialists, contractors and clients to drive delivery performance, manage interfaces and ensure individual projects remain aligned with overall program objectives.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Support the Program Manager in leading the overall delivery of complex infrastructure programs, providing direction, coordination and oversight across multiple projects and work packages.
• Support the establishment and implementation of program delivery strategies, execution plans, budgets, schedules, resources and governance arrangements.
• Monitor the performance of individual projects, working closely with Project Managers to ensure delivery commitments, milestones and objectives are achieved.
• Provide oversight of contractor performance across safety, productivity, quality, resourcing, progress and contractual compliance, identifying and addressing underperformance.
• Oversee program-level commercial performance, including procurement strategies, contract administration, variations, claims, cost forecasting and commercial negotiations.
• Maintain oversight of program performance across cost, schedule, risk, change and progress, ensuring accurate reporting and meaningful insights for clients and senior leadership.
• Drive program risk management, assurance, change control and governance processes, ensuring emerging issues, dependencies and opportunities are proactively managed.
• Work with engineering and technical leaders to maintain design integrity, constructability, quality and compliance across project delivery.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, contractors, consultants, regulators and operational stakeholders, supporting effective communication and decision-making.
• Coordinate project interfaces, dependencies, shared resources and delivery priorities, ensuring alignment across the broader program.
• Champion a strong safety culture across the program, ensuring appropriate controls are embedded throughout design, procurement, construction and commissioning.
• Provide leadership, guidance and support to Project Managers and multidisciplinary delivery teams, fostering accountability, collaboration and consistent delivery standards.

Qualifications

You're an established project or program delivery professional who combines strong technical and commercial capability with the confidence to lead multidisciplinary teams, influence stakeholders and oversee complex infrastructure delivery environments.

You’ll ideally bring:

• 15 years' experience in project management, program management or major project delivery.
• Demonstrated experience delivering or overseeing projects across mining and water infrastructure.
• Experience working in both client-side and contractor-side environments.
• A strong understanding of major program management environments and multi-project portfolios.
• Proven capability coordinating multidisciplinary teams across engineering, procurement, commercial, project controls and construction.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing contractor performance, including progress, productivity, safety, quality and contractual compliance.
• Strong program and project controls capability, including cost management, scheduling, forecasting, risk and change management.
• Experience with procurement, contract administration, variations, claims and commercial negotiations.
• Experience overseeing projects through design, construction, commissioning and operational handover.
• The ability to manage complex interfaces, dependencies, competing priorities and delivery risks across multiple projects.
• Exposure to brownfield or operational environments will be highly regarded.
• A relevant tertiary qualification in Engineering, Project Management, Construction Management or a related discipline.

You also bring a practical, delivery focused mindset, strong stakeholder management skills and the confidence to influence decision-making, challenge performance and support the Program Manager in driving successful outcomes across complex infrastructure programs.

Additional Information

Why You’ll Love Working with Us

• Flexible work arrangements, including alternative start/finish times, job-sharing, and hybrid work options.
• Purchase up to 6 weeks of additional annual leave per year.
• Volunteer and representation leave.
• Flex public holidays - swap Easter or other holidays for those that suit you better.

Ready to Push the Limits of What’s Possible?

We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those with disabilities, additional health or mental health needs, and/or neurodiverse conditions. If you require any adjustments during the hiring process, please let us know.

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About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion – a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation and benefits programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We also provide a robust global well‑being program. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry‑leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

ReqID: J10160723

Business Line: PgM & R+I

Business Group: DCS

Strategic Business Unit: ANZ

Career Area: Program & Project Management

Work Location Model: Hybrid