Pre-Construction Project Manager

Louise Clinton; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Louise Clinton is seeking a Pre-Construction Project Manager to join their Northern Beaches team in Sydney, NSW. The role focuses on early involvement, analysing plans, site suitability, and coordinating Development Applications and Construction Certificates.

The successful candidate will bring on-site commercial build experience, strong buildability knowledge, and proven ability to manage stakeholder relationships, budgets, and contracts in a fast-paced pre-construction environment.

Qualifications

• Analytical thinker with ability to see big picture and dive into detail.
• Strong construction/buildability knowledge and practical construction know-how.
• Proven on-site exposure to commercial new build projects.
• Experience engaging stakeholders and coordinating with multiple parties to optimise design and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Develop and plan projects, interpret client plans, assess site suitability, identify key contractual points, and prepare Development Applications and Construction Certificates.
• Interpret building plans, ensure compliance with specifications, regulations, and codes of practice; input into design and buildability assessments.
• Assess buildability concerns, identify risks, and analyse budgets while negotiating with authorities for timely approvals.
• Manage contracts including variations, procurements, and scope definitions; ensure compliance with payment and securities requirements.
• Maintain a strong client relationship from initial meeting through construction and aftercare; foster a lessons-learnt culture.
• Advise on early contractor involvement and front-end value while contributing to the pre-construction strategy.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Buildability knowledge

On-site construction experience

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management or Engineering

Job description

Pre-Construction Project Manager Louise Clinton Northern Beaches Sydney, NSW, AU

Rare opportunity to join established building contractor assisting the Pre-Construction Director to analyse potential ECI Projects and clients.

• You are an analytical thinker who sees the big picture and dives into the detail.
• Show case the fact you have really strong construction & buildability know how.

This is a genuinely exciting opportunity for someone looking to develop and sharpen their skills in the critical pre-construction phase. You would be joining an extraordinarily successful pre-construction team that was established six years ago in response to the industry’s growing emphasis on Early Contractor Involvement (ECI). This was a strategic shift that was also recognised as a key priority within the company's broader business plans.

The impact of that decision has been significant. The team has played a vital role in helping the organisation grow and outsmart their competitors. Most tellingly, not a single member of the original team has left. It is a team that has built a strong culture, enjoys what they do, and has developed a genuinely successful way of working.

You have always understood that the first 5% is the most crucial part of the process – it does not matter how skilled the delivery team is if the job is not set up correctly to begin with. To succeed in this role, you need to be an analytical thinker, one of those rare people who can see the big picture but knows exactly when to dive into the detail.

On a day-to-day basis you will be working on the following:

Project development and planning including interpretation of client plans, analysing site suitability, identifying key contractual points, working up Development Applications, and obtaining Construction Certificate.

You will be tasked with interpreting building plans, ensuring compliance, specifications, regulations, and codes of practice are adhered to. You will have a key input into design, assessing buildability concerns, identifying risks, dissecting the budget while negotiating with authorities to obtain approvals in a timely manner.

Duties will also include financial management; preparing head contract claims, administering contracts including variations, developing scope, procurement, consultant, subcontractor, and supplier agreements, letting packages and scope of works and ensuring compliance with the securities of payment act.

Client satisfaction will be of premium importance and you will be available to the client from the first meeting, through construction and during aftercare and follow up. You will ensure a 'lessons learnt culture' as you lead others to strive for improvement.

The most highly sought after applicant for this role would be someone with qualifications in Construction Management or Engineering who has worked through the stages of being a building cadet, a contract administrator, a project coordinator or site engineer and is now either a Senior Project Engineer or perhaps a Design Manager. Maybe you have built a couple of new build projects as a delivery Project Manager which you do not mind but you just know that you could add way more value at the front end.

The critical thing is that you must have had on site exposure to commercial new build construction projects, that you genuinely understand nuts and bolts buildability issues, programming, design, the importance of stakeholder relationships and most importantly how to build!