Manager, Project Delivery

State Government of Victoria, Australia; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of Education, Victoria invites applications for a senior infrastructure delivery leader to drive large-scale education projects across Victoria. You will lead program delivery across complex portfolios, manage multidisciplinary teams and oversee governance, risk and commercial outcomes to deliver high-value education infrastructure.

You will partner with schools, contractors and government stakeholders, ensuring robust controls, strategic advisory support and continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex capital infrastructure projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary project teams and manage performance.
• Strong project controls and financial management across scope, schedule, budget, forecasting and cash flow.
• Commercial capability across procurement, contracting and vendor performance.
• Understanding of infrastructure delivery governance, assurance and compliance.
• Strong stakeholder leadership and negotiation capability.
• Ability to use project/portfolio data to identify risks and drive corrective action.
• Ability to provide concise, evidence-based advice to senior leaders.
• Commitment to building team capability and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of significant projects, programs or portfolios with clear strategy and priorities.
• Develop and lead project delivery teams, setting expectations and coaching.
• Establish robust planning and control frameworks; manage scope, schedule and milestones.
• Integrate technical, operational and whole-life asset considerations into decisions.
• Lead procurement strategy and contracting with early risk identification.
• Oversee project financial performance including budgets and cash flow.
• Lead risk, governance and internal control responses to mitigate delivery impact.
• Manage complex stakeholder interfaces and negotiations across agencies and partners.
• Provide data-driven insights to identify trends, risks and interventions.
• Drive continuous improvement and share lessons across teams and organisation.

Skills

Capital infrastructure leadership

Program/portfolio leadership

Project controls & finance

Procurement & contracting

Governance & compliance

Stakeholder leadership

Data-driven risk identification

Strategic advisory to leaders

Team capability & improvement

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification in PM/Engineering/Construction/Architecture/Quantity Surveying

Job description

Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs

Reference: VG/DE/VSBA/1948147

Deliver one of Victoria’s largest school infrastructure programs, creating great learning environments that support better outcomes for students, teachers and communities.

About the Department

The department provides a wide range of learning and development support and services.

The department provides policy leadership, plans for the future of education in Victoria and leads key cross-sector collaboration. The department plays an important system steward role by providing support, guidance, oversight and assurance across early childhood and school education systems, as well as directly providing school education and 50 new early learning centres.

About the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA)

The Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) is part of the Department of Education. Established in 2016, it oversees Victoria's largest school building program since the state introduced free public education in the 1870s.

The VSBA upgrades and expands existing schools and plans, designs and builds new schools to meet enrolment demand. We also support schools to maintain their buildings and grounds by offering expert advice and coordinating maintenance programs and grants.

With Victoria progressively introducing two years of funded kindergarten, the VSBA is also working with the early childhood sector on a significant kindergarten and Early Learning Centre construction program.

About the Division

The Project Delivery Division is responsible for delivering one of Victoria's largest school infrastructure programs, creating great learning environments that support better outcomes for students, teachers and communities.

Our teams deliver school upgrades, early childhood infrastructure and a range of minor capital improvement programs across the State. Working in partnerships with schools, early childhood service providers, contractors, consultants and government stakeholders, we manage projects through every stage of the project life-cycle- from planning and design through to construction and completion.

We are committed to delivering projects safely, efficiently and transparently while continually improving the way we work. Our focus is on proactive project management, strong governance, great communication and collaborative relationships that built confidence with our stakeholders,

As part of our team you will contribute to a division that values accountability, continuous improvement, teamwork and delivering outcomes that lake a lasting difference for Victorian communities.

About the Role

This is an opportunity to lead significant education infrastructure delivery across Victoria, with accountability for complex projects, programs or portfolio work streams.

Reporting to a Director within the Project Delivery Division, the Manager - Program Delivery provides leadership across project planning, readiness and delivery, establishes the controls and governance required for successful outcomes, and ensures emerging delivery, commercial and stakeholder risks are actively managed.

The role leaders and develops multidisciplinary project delivery and enablement teams and works closely with schools and early childhood providers, consultants, contractors and stakeholders across VSBA, the Department and government.

In this role you will:

• Lead the delivery of significant project, programs or portfolio work streams, setting delivery strategy, priorities, sequencing and accountabilities, balancing competing demands and intervening where required to achieve program and organisational outcomes
• Lead and develop project delivery teams, setting clear expectations, managing performance, coaching staff and strengthening capability across the function
• Establish and oversee effective project planning and control frameworks, ensuring scope, schedules, dependencies, milestones, change and delivery performance are actively managed;
• Use strong infrastructure and project lifecycle knowledge to integrate technical, operational and whole-of-life-asset consideration into delivery decisions;
• Lead complex procurement and contracting strategies, including market engagement and the oversight of contracts, ensuring commercial issues are identified and managed early
• Oversee project and program financial performance, including budgets, forecasts, cash flow, contingency and financial exposure, using this information to inform delivery decisions, trade-offs and corrective action
• Lead project risk, assurance, governance and internal control responses, identifying emerging and systemic risks and ensuring appropriate action is taken before they affect delivery outcomes;
• Lead the management of complex stakeholder interfaces and negotiations, including sensitive cross agency, commercial, school/ early childhood and community matters, to resolve issues and maintain confidence in delivery.
• Establish clear project information, data and performance requirements, promote consistent use of organisational systems and use portfolio information to identify trends, emerging risks and areas requiring intervention
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to strengthen delivery practices, sharing lessons across teams and contributing to broader Project Delivery capability and organisational improvement.

The role operates in a complex and highly visible environment. You will be expected to exercise sound judgement, work confidently with ambiguity and identify emerging issues early.

You will work collaboratively across organisational boundaries and create clarity where responsibilities, priorities or delivery pathways are complex. Success in the role requires the ability to balance project outcomes with broader organisational, government and community considerations.

All VSBA staff have a shared responsibility to meet the same service standards outlined in the VSBA Customer Service Charter. Our goal is to make every interaction with the VSBA a positive one for our customers, colleagues and key partners regardless of our individual role or team.

About you

You are an experienced infrastructure delivery leader who combines strong project management capability with commercial awareness, sound judgement and the ability to lead people through complex delivery environments. You understand the broader government, departmental and community context in which infrastructure is delivered and use this understanding to exercise sound judgement, navigate competing priorities and provide clear advice on delivery options and trade-offs.

You are comfortable moving between the detail of project performance and the broader strategic context. You use evidence to challenge performance, identify emerging issues early and intervene before risks materially affect delivery outcomes.

Your experience will include:

• Demonstrated experience leading complex capital infrastructure projects, programs or portfolios in a complex multi-stakeholder environment.
• Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary project teams, setting clear accountabilities and managing performance to achieve delivery outcomes.
• Strong project controls and financial management capability across scope, schedule, budget, forecasting, cash flow, risk , dependencies and change
• Demonstrated commercial capability across procurement strategy, contracting, contractor performance and complex commercial issues.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure delivery governance, assurance, regulatory and compliance frameworks and the ability to apply sound judgement within them.
• Strong stakeholder leadership and negotiation capability, including resolving complex or sensitive issues across organisational and external boundaries.
• Demonstrated ability to use project and portfol io information to identify emerging risks, challenge performance and initiative corrective action.
• Demonstrated ability to provide concise, evidence-based advice to senior leaders, clearly articulating delivery options, risks, trade-offs and recommendations.
• Demonstrated commitment to building team capability, improving delivery practices and contributing to continuous improvement across the organisation.

Qualifications and Experience

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Project Management, Engineering, Construction, Architecture, Quantity Surveying or related discipline is highly desirable.
• Significant demonstrated experience in infrastructure project, program or portfolio delivery is required.
• Experience working in a government or similarly complex delivery environment will be highly regarded.

Further Information

For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page

Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.

Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au .

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact Gaynor Mcarthur, Director, Project Delivery East Branch via [phone] or [e-mail] or Stephanie Wood, Director, Project Delivery West Branch via [phone]or [e-mail].

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.