Pre- Operations Construction Manager

TalentConnect Pty Ltd trading as TalentConnection; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

TalentConnect Pty Ltd trading as TalentConnection in Melbourne is seeking a Pre-Operations Manager to lead pre-construction and ensure projects are set up for success. You will manage a team of Detailers and a Building Inspector, oversee contracts, scheduling, cost accuracy, procurement risk, and client experience.

Reporting to the COO, you will identify risks early, balance pipeline to protect revenue, and drive performance.

Qualifications

• Certificate IV, Diploma or tertiary qualification in Construction Management, Building, Civil Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Trade certificate or equivalent practical qualification.
• Cabinet-making experience and strong cabinetry and joinery knowledge.
• A White Card and valid driver's licence.
• Seven to ten years of construction management experience, ideally within residential or commercial renovations.
• Experience managing multi-trade projects, subcontractors, and suppliers.
• Demonstrated success in scheduling, procurement planning, risk mitigation, and programme management.
• Strong experience managing client relationships and resolving issues.
• Experience reporting to senior leadership and contributing to operational planning.
• Confidence using construction project management, scheduling, and tracking systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Detailing team and Building Inspector.
• Ensure contracts are accurate, finalised, and signed at least four weeks before each project starts.
• Own the job start calendar and maintain a balanced pipeline aligned with capacity and revenue targets.
• Keep monthly calendar slippage below 5% by identifying risks and implementing recovery plans.
• Review project scopes, building details, specifications, and estimates before contract sign-off.
• Protect project profitability by identifying pricing gaps, scope omissions, and cost risks.
• Ensure contracted gross profit remains within 1-2% of the original estimate.
• Identify long lead-time materials, permits, engineering requirements, access constraints, and construction risks early.
• Maintain project procurement risk registers and escalate unresolved issues when necessary.
• Apply strong cabinetry and joinery knowledge to improve detailing, manufacturing, and installation outcomes.
• Review proposed construction and finishing methods to prevent avoidable rework and cost.
• Track recurring design, estimating, detailing, and inspection errors and implement process improvements.
• Provide weekly reporting on calendar status and monthly reporting on team performance, risks, and cost outcomes.
• Deliver a clear, proactive client experience that supports a high Net Promoter Score.

Skills

Construction management

Scheduling

Procurement planning

Risk mitigation

Client relationships

Leadership

Cabinetry & joinery

Team coaching

Contract review

Education

Certificate IV in Construction

Diploma in Construction Management

Trade certificate

Related tertiary qualification

Job description

TalentConnect Pty Ltd trading as TalentConnection - Melbourne VIC

This organisation for over twenty years has defined excellence in Australia's luxury renovation sector. They have transformed thousands of homes, earning an unmatched reputation for design innovation and meticulous execution. They are now seeking to appoint a Pre-Operations Manager to lead their pre-construction function and team and ensure every project is set up for success. This role represents a unique opportunity for an ambitious professional seeking to build lasting value while driving organisational growth.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will lead a team of Detailers and a Building Inspector while managing contracts, project scheduling, cost accuracy, procurement risk, and the client experience. You will be the person who proactively identifies issues before they become delays, variations, or costly surprises during construction.

You and your team will take ownership of each project from contracting through to construction handover, including building details, specifications, estimates, permits, engineering requirements, materials, and ensuring site logistics are accurate and resolved before work begins. You will also manage the job start calendar, balancing the pipeline to protect revenue and provide Construction Operations with a steady, achievable flow of work and ensuing any potential delays or cancellations are identified and addressed early.

A major part of the role is building a strong, accountable Pre-Operations team. You will establish clear performance expectations, improve individual output, distribute work fairly, and ensure the team is structured appropriately for the volume of work.

You will also work closely with the CEO, COO, Sales and Design teams, Project Managers, Finance, Detailers and externally, you will build productive relationships with customers, contractors and suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Detailing team and Building Inspector.
• Ensure contracts are accurate, finalised, and signed at least four weeks before each project starts.
• Own the job start calendar and maintain a balanced pipeline aligned with capacity and revenue targets.
• Keep monthly calendar slippage below 5% by identifying risks and implementing recovery plans.
• Review project scopes, building details, specifications, and estimates before contract sign-off.
• Protect project profitability by identifying pricing gaps, scope omissions, and cost risks.
• Ensure contracted gross profit remains within 1-2% of the original estimate.
• Identify long lead-time materials, permits, engineering requirements, access constraints, and construction risks early.
• Maintain project procurement risk registers and escalate unresolved issues when necessary.
• Apply strong cabinetry and joinery knowledge to improve detailing, manufacturing, and installation outcomes.
• Review proposed construction and finishing methods to prevent avoidable rework and cost.
• Track recurring design, estimating, detailing, and inspection errors and implement process improvements.
• Provide weekly reporting on calendar status and monthly reporting on team performance, risks, and cost outcomes.
• Deliver a clear, proactive client experience that supports an NPS of 90+ and a contract cancellation rate below 1%.

About You

You are an experienced Construction leader who understands that the best time to solve a problem is before the project reaches site. You bring practical building knowledge with strong commercial judgement and can confidently challenge incomplete scopes, inaccurate estimates, or unsuitable construction methods and do this whilst remaining calm and focused on the overall objectives.

You are comfortable holding people accountable, improving team performance, and making difficult decisions when needed. Just as importantly, you know how to communicate and partner with customers in the high-end premium housing sector. You set clear expectations, explain constraints without creating unnecessary friction, and offer practical alternatives when necessary.

Strong cabinetry, joinery, or cabinet-making knowledge is essential as well understanding how design and detailing decisions affect procurement, production, installation, cost, and the final result. You will be an exceptional people person both as leader, coach and mentor and team player within a business.

To succeed in this role, you will bring:

• A relevant Certificate IV, Diploma, or tertiary qualification in Construction Management, Building, Civil Engineering, or a related discipline.
• A trade certificate or equivalent practical qualification.
• Cabinet-making experience and strong cabinetry and joinery knowledge.
• A current White Card and valid driver's licence.
• Seven to ten years of construction management experience, ideally within residential or commercial renovations.
• Experience managing multi-trade projects, subcontractors, and suppliers.
• Demonstrated success in scheduling, procurement planning, risk mitigation, and programme management.
• Strong experience managing client relationships and resolving issues.
• Experience reporting to senior leadership and contributing to operational planning.
• Confidence using construction project management, scheduling, and tracking systems.

You will have strong capability in construction estimating, cost planning, contract review, procurement, building permits, engineering requirements, and site risk assessment. You will also be an effective leader who can improve performance without losing the trust of the team and enjoy collaboration and partnering with all areas of the business.

With excellent communication skills, you stay calm when plans change, and make sound decisions under pressure and above all, take ownership.