Principal Contaminated Land Team Lead – Newcastle

Alra | Australia'S Leading Recruitment Agency; Newcastle; On-site; AUD 135,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

ALRA | Australia's Leading Recruitment Agency seeks a Principal CLM Team Leader in Newcastle. You will lead a five-person contaminated land team delivering work across mining, road infrastructure and resource recovery facilities in Newcastle and surrounding regions.

You’ll grow the team toward eight people, shape development, manage projects end-to-end and coach graduates in field methodology. Senior technical support remains readily available.

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years in contaminated land consulting.
• Strong field grounding across soil, groundwater and ideally vapour/gas investigations.
• Experience independently project managing CLM projects and reviewing consultant work.
• Genuine interest in leading people, managing clients and building a Newcastle-based team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day workload, resourcing and development of the Newcastle CLM team.
• Project manage contaminated land investigations from scoping through delivery.
• Complete first-cut reviews of junior and consultant reporting before senior technical review.
• Coach graduates and consultants in field methodology across soil, groundwater, vapour and gas investigations.
• Stay close enough to field delivery to help younger staff become better consultants.
• Manage client relationships across established mining, infrastructure and resource recovery portfolios.
• Work alongside a locally based National Technical Senior Principal for complex technical matters and final technical support.
• Spend relatively little time in the field yourself as leadership and PM responsibilities grow.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Client management

Mentoring juniors

Team development

Field methodology

Job description

• $135,000 – $170,000 + super, depending on experience.
• Run a capable five-person Newcastle CLM team with strong technical backup.
• Step from Senior/Associate PM into genuine people and operational leadership.

As a Principal CLM Team Leader in Newcastle, this is the move for someone who has spent years learning contaminated land from the ground up and now wants the chance to lead the people doing it.

You won’t be expected to be the office’s technical oracle. A highly regarded National Technical Senior Principal already sits locally and provides that depth. Your job is different: keep the team moving, develop the juniors, manage projects properly, review their work and become the person people naturally turn to day-to-day.

It’s a leadership role without needing to suddenly become a salesperson.

The Role

You’ll run a five-person Contaminated Land team delivering work across mining, road infrastructure and resource recovery facilities throughout Newcastle and the surrounding region.

The aim is to grow the team toward around eight people, giving you room to shape how it develops and potentially bring a trusted colleague with you.

You’ll:

• Lead the day-to-day workload, resourcing and development of the Newcastle CLM team.
• Project manage contaminated land investigations from scoping through delivery.
• Complete first-cut reviews of junior and consultant reporting before senior technical review.
• Coach graduates and consultants in field methodology across soil, groundwater, vapour and gas investigations.
• Stay close enough to field delivery to help younger staff become better consultants.
• Manage client relationships across established mining, infrastructure and resource recovery portfolios.
• Work alongside a locally based National Technical Senior Principal for complex technical matters and final technical support.
• Spend relatively little time in the field yourself as leadership and PM responsibilities grow.

The Team

This sits within a 150+ person East Coast environmental consultancy spanning Contaminated Land, Occupational Hygiene, Hazardous Materials and Geotechnical services.

The Newcastle team is deliberately small and capable. You’re not walking into a struggling office needing rescue; you’re taking a functioning group and giving it stronger day-to-day leadership.

The sweet spot is someone who actually enjoys developing people. If managing juniors feels like an interruption to your “real work”, this probably isn’t it. If watching a graduate become genuinely competent because you taught them properly sounds satisfying, that’s much closer.

Experience

• Around 8–12+ years in contaminated land consulting.
• Strong field grounding across soil, groundwater and ideally vapour/gas investigations.
• Experience independently project managing CLM projects and reviewing consultant work.
• Genuine interest in leading people, managing clients and building a Newcastle-based team.

$135,000 – $170,000 + super depending on experience and whether you join around Senior Associate or Principal level.