Marine & Mechanical Project Lead – Defence

Sofraco Engineering; Sydney; On-site; AUD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Sofraco Engineering is seeking a skilled engineering leader to drive marine and mechanical projects from our Garden Island base, with Sydney-region activity and at our Alexandria head office. You will guide the operations team, coordinate technicians, and manage safety, quality, and project delivery across live environments, with occasional offshore testing trips.

The role requires a proactive, technically capable individual with a background in heavy industry, strong leadership, and the ability

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of project management or engineering supervisory experience within heavy industry.
• Ex-Tradesperson or Engineering background (both mechanical trades and engineering degrees are highly valued).
• Marine or Offshore industry experience (highly desirable).
• Strong leadership, communication, and people management skills to effectively guide site teams.
• Strong initiative and motivation characteristics
• Intermediate IT skills, particularly with MS Office programs (Word, Excel) and Adobe Acrobat.
• Strong safety mindset with hands-on experience managing JSEAs, Permits to Work, and Isolations.
• Experience developing scopes of work, project schedules, budgets, and engineering quotes.
• Proficient in interpreting engineering design drawings, technical specifications, and schematics.
• Must be Australian Citizens or Permanent Residents for security requirements
• Willingness to obtain a National Police Certificate for security access.
• Willingness to complete drug, alcohol, and medical testing for basic health, mobility, and fitness.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute marine/mechanical engineering & maintenance projects from our site office.
• Manage scheduling and resource allocation of technicians for routine and breakdown maintenance.
• Coordinate logistics, ensuring spares, tooling, and materials are organized well in advance.
• Ensure project compliance, delivering tasks on time, within budget, and to customer satisfaction.
• Manage safety, quality, and environment by completing JSEA's, Permits to Work, Isolations, and Risk Analysis.
• Provide systems approach troubleshooting for repair/replacement of shipboard components.
• Offer technical advice and mentorship to support the operations team and trades on-site.
• Produce high-quality documentation, including written, detailed reports of completed tasks.
• Liaise with clients, including scoping out requirements and quoting on new work packages.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and operational efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

People management

Problem-solving

Project management

Team mentorship

Education

Engineering degree or trades background

Tools

MS Project

MS Office

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Sofraco Engineering is seeking a skilled engineering leader to drive marine and mechanical projects from our Garden Island base, with Sydney-region activity and at our Alexandria head office. You will guide the operations team, coordinate technicians, and manage safety, quality, and project delivery across live environments, with occasional offshore testing trips.

The role requires a proactive, technically capable individual with a background in heavy industry, strong leadership, and the ability