Design Manager

Symal; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Symal is seeking an experienced Engineering & Design Manager to lead the engineering and design delivery for a circa $800M Solar and BESS project in Victoria, Australia. You will manage a multidisciplinary team (civil, structural, electrical) and coordinate internal and external engineering firms from early design through construction-ready issuance.

Reporting to the Project Director, you will ensure technical compliance, drive value engineering within fixed-price constraints, and work with the

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in renewable energy and project delivery, especially utility-scale solar farm delivery.
• Experience with BESS is highly valued.
• Experience delivering HV projects in Australia.
• Strong people leadership and the ability to present to senior management.

Responsibilities

• IFC package delivery with multidisciplinary drawings aligned to schedule.
• Hybrid Control & EMS strategy collaboration with SCADA and OEMs.
• Value engineering to reduce material and labour costs.
• Procurement interface to BOM specifications.
• RFI management with the Senior Project Manager.
• Thermal & safety engineering oversight.
• Commissioning and as-built documentation planning.

Skills

Leadership

Project delivery

Stakeholder management

Renewable energy

BESS

HV projects

Team leadership

Executive presentation

Job description

Symal is a trusted partner in the building and construction industry.

We’re an evolving and cohesive group of businesses offering fully integrated civil solutions across diverse sectors. Our group capabilities include self-performing civil infrastructure on large multi-million projects, plant and equipment hire, an Indigenous contractor, a waste resource and recovery business, and commercial, industrial and retail property development.

Together, we believe in fostering partnerships today to create a better tomorrow.

Make it yours

Experience taking a major project leadership role to deliver one of the nation’s largest hybrid projects and develop your career in a diverse and ever evolving company, leading a team of people you will assist in selecting to deliver a project of major significance.

Who we are

The Symal Group is an ASX Listed business and through our subsidiary business we are a self-performing, multi-disciplinary civil & electrical contractor delivering projects throughout the energy and infrastructure sectors.

The role

The Symal Group have entered a Joint Venture Partnership with an intent to deliver a circa $800M Solar and BESS project in Victoria, and we are seeking an experienced Engineering & Design Manager to represent the Symal Group and lead the delivery of this project.

Reporting directly to the Project Director and at times, the JV Steering Committee, you will take ownership of the engineering and design function of the project and will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team (civil, structural, electrical) and drive both inhouse and external engineering firms to develop early-stage design through to construction-ready issuance.

You will operate under tight fixed price D&C Contract constraints, driving value engineering to protect margins while ensuring absolute technical compliance with strict client specifications and network connection agreements.

This is a unique opportunity to join and help further develop a highly capable and collaborative team where your technical expertise, insight, and knowledge to directly influence the project success.

Key Responsibilities

• IFC Package Delivery: Manage specialized engineering consultancies to deliver detailed, multidisciplinary IFC drawings (civil, structural, DC/MV/HV electrical) strictly aligned with the construction schedule.
• Hybrid Control & EMS Strategy: Collaborate closely with SCADA and key OEM Systems to embed advanced control algorithms. Optimize the system whilst strictly complying with PPR requirements to ensure systems operate in accordance with technical specification requirements.
• Value Engineering: Identify and execute design optimizations (e.g., optimizing DC/AC ratios, reducing trenching yards, consolidating inverter blocks) to strip out unnecessary material and labour costs.
• Procurement Interface: Translate technical designs into precise Bill of Materials (BOM) specifications for procurement teams.
• Constructability & RFI Management: Work in lockstep with the site-based Senior Project Manager to resolve Request for Information (RFI) queries, structural anomalies, or soil variances discovered during piling.
• Thermal & Safety Engineering: Oversee rigorous safety design pathways including fire protection, thermal management and noise control.
• Commissioning & As-Built Documentation: Structure the technical testing procedures for the physical DC coupling stages, bridging the gap between site construction and commissioning teams and support R1/R2.

Who are you?

You will bring strong project delivery leadership, commercial discipline and the ability to manage multiple complex stakeholder relationships. Ideally you will have;

• Extensive experience in renewable energy and a project delivery environment, with a particular focus on utility scale Solar Farm delivery.
• Experience with BESS is also highly valued, and even moreso any experience with DC Coupled BESS
• Experience in delivering HV projects in Australia

• Strong people leadership capability, with experience guiding teams and supporting team development
• The ability to present to senior management and larger groups
• Contractor-side experience will be highly regarded, although client-side experience will also be considered

A career with us

At Symal, we know that people and performance make amazing things happen. Work like ours needs problem solvers, bold thinkers and genuinely good people. If you’re looking for a passionate team and a pathway to career success, now’s the time to make it yours.

There are plenty of good reasons to dig into a career at Symal.

• Forge pathways: We open doors to diverse, challenging and future-shaping construction projects to expand your experience and develop your career.
• Get ahead: From early career support and specialised learning to leadership development, we back you with tailored development programs to help you reach your goals. Success is defined by your direction and progress.
• Keep well: A healthy and happy workplace builds a brighter future. With wellness benefits, discounted health insurance, a perks and rewards platform and an industry-leading employee assistance program, we’re here to support you when you need it.
• Stay social: People are the core of Symal. Our leading-edge work and breakout spaces stocked with snacks bring the best out of our teams and keep them fuelled for their next challenge, while our social calendar is stacked with events to connect, celebrate and reward our people.

Diversity of thought fuels our progress

Our inclusion offerings are designed to open doors for individuals who may not see a traditional entry point into the construction industry. We’re empowering women to thrive in construction through Shine, championing veteran career transitions through Resolve and building meaningful careers for Aboriginal people with Wamarra - helping you build a future where you belong.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, veterans and individuals from diverse cultural and life experiences are encouraged to apply.