Director - Nuclear Submarines & Infrastructure

Coras; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Parental leave

Professional development leave

Annual conference

Coaching support

Consulting skills program

EAP access

Job summary

Coras in Canberra seeks a Director to shape its Nuclear capability, partnering with government and industry on high-security, high-stakes programs. You will lead complex advisory, governance, safety and assurance work, develop senior consultants, and help drive growth across Coras’ strategic agenda.

You must have experience guiding consulting engagements in high-assurance environments, plus immunity to navigate Australia’s naval nuclear contexts and regulatory demands.

Qualifications

• Experience leading consulting engagements or complex program delivery in Maritime, Defence or high-assurance environments.
• Exposure to Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program, nuclear governance, safety or supporting infrastructure.
• Credibility to engage senior technical, operational and executive stakeholders.
• Willingness to learn from subject-matter experts and navigate nuclear regulatory environments.
• Strong track record of building and sustaining client relationships.
• Ability to translate market insights into sustainable growth.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the delivery of complex advisory, governance, safety and assurance projects.
• Identify, shape and pursue opportunities aligned to long-term nuclear and infrastructure priorities.
• Champion a high-reliability "nuclear mindset" — including integrity, procedural discipline, high standards and a questioning attitude.
• Develop and mentor senior consultants, building depth and resilience in the team.
• Contribute to broader Coras strategy, sharing insights and opportunities across the business.

Skills

Leadership

Strategy

Client relations

Communication

Business development

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

At Coras, we fuse expertise with humanity, rigor with creativity and innovation with curiosity. At the core of our business is the belief that a diversity of perspectives is the key to new thinking. That’s why our team brings together deep industry experience with some of the brightest young minds in Australia. Our values are more than just words on an email signature; we’re driven by an ethos that inspires and governs everything we do.

The Role:

Based in Canberra, we are looking for a Director to play a defining role in shaping Coras’ Nuclear capability at a critical time for Australia’s Defence future. You’ll partner with senior leaders across Government and industry who are delivering complex, high-security, high-stakes capability — where disciplined thinking, credibility and certainty of execution truly matter. Not just what we do, but how we do it.

You’ll be responsible to:

• Oversee the delivery of complex advisory, governance, safety and assurance projects
• Identify, shape and pursue opportunities aligned to long-term nuclear and infrastructure priorities
• Champion a high-reliability “nuclear mindset” — including integrity, procedural discipline, high standards and a questioning attitude
• Develop and mentor senior consultants, building depth and resilience in the team
• Contribute to broader Coras strategy, sharing insights and opportunities across the business

Our Ideal Candidate:

You’re an experienced consulting leader who understands what it really means to operate at Director level. You can balance growth, delivery excellence and people leadership — without losing sight of quality or integrity.

You will bring:

• Experience leading consulting engagements or complex program delivery in Maritime, Defence or similarly high-assurance environments
• Exposure to or an understanding of Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program, nuclear governance, nuclear safety and assurance or supporting physical infrastructure
• The credibility and confidence to engage senior technical, operational and executive stakeholders
• Willingness to learn from subject‑matter experts and engage deeply with complex technical and regulatory environments, including those relevant to nuclear submarines.
• A strong track record of building and sustaining client relationships
• Demonstrated ability to develop a pipeline and translate market insights into sustainable growth
• Strategic thinking combined with sound commercial judgement
• Clear, confident communication and influencing skills
• A leadership style that connects, motivates and builds trust
• A disciplined approach suited to high-risk, high-consequence environments

Having these other abilities would also be awesome (but not mandatory):

• Civil or naval nuclear experience and qualifications from Australian, UK or the US

As Coras is an Australian Defence consultancy, you must be an Australian citizen and have the ability to obtain and maintain an AGSVA security clearance.

Coras prides itself on being a management consultancy with a difference. Underpinned by our core values, we are trailblazers for innovative consulting models and strategic solutions. As a result, we have built a culture that has our people’s aspirations, development and wellbeing front and centre.

Some of our employee benefits include:

• Well defined pathway for advancement
• Access to SME coaches to support your development
• Paid parental leave provisions
• Access to external and internal training, including a consulting skills program
• An additional 5 days per year of professional development leave
• Whole of company annual conference
• The opportunity to work with like-minded people on exciting projects
• Access to our Employee Assistance Provider

We believe great work happens when people from all walks of life are in the room. We welcome applications from everyone, and we support flexible and hybrid working arrangements where we can.