Project Controller - Rail + Metro

SMEC (an SJ Group company); Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Parental leave (18 weeks)

Great benefits

Job summary

SMEC, a global consultancy, seeks a Project Controller for its Rail team in Brisbane. You will lead project controls, drive data‑led decisions, and develop advanced Power BI dashboards to support major rail infrastructure programs.

You will collaborate with senior stakeholders to influence outcomes and deliverables, while maintaining SMEC’s standards. You will manage multiple projects, present performance insights to clients, and contribute to continuous improvement through automation and data

Qualifications

• 8+ years of project controls experience.
• Advanced Power BI dashboard development experience.
• Experience creating Power BI reporting solutions for rail/infrastructure projects.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and client management skills.
• Advanced Excel with large datasets, Power Query, and complex formulas.
• Ability to present project performance to stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Ensure project control processes, scheduling and resource planning meet client requirements and SMEC standards.
• Develop and maintain Power BI dashboards providing actionable insights for project leadership.
• Collaborate with project teams to ensure quality, timeliness and coordination of deliverables.
• Compile rationale behind project performance metrics and recommendations.
• Support successful project outcomes and commercial success of rail projects.
• Drive reporting automation and data visualization improvements.

Skills

Project controls

Power BI

Dashboard development

Stakeholder engagement

Advanced Excel

Data visualization

Multi-project management

Commercial awareness

Tools

Primavera P6

Job description

• Global consultancy with iconic infrastructure projects
• Strong career development and growth opportunities
• Collaborative team culture with flexible work and great benefits

About SMEC

SMEC provides unique opportunities to work on iconic industry projects with experienced colleagues and leadership teams. We support and empower employees to drive innovation initiatives within a well-established and growing organisation.

With over 16,500 employees working out of 120 offices in 40+ countries throughout Australasia, Asia, the Middle East, UK, Africa, North and South America, we partner with our parent company Surbana Jurong and sister company Robert Bird Group (RBG) to deliver integrated Infrastructure, Urban Development and Management Services expertise to our clients worldwide.

The Role

We are seeking a talented Project Controller to join our Rail team in either North Sydney or Brisbane.

This is a great opportunity for a Project Controls professional ready to step into a more senior role, driving project performance, commercial outcomes and data‑led decision‑making across major rail infrastructure projects.

You’ll thrive in a fast‑paced environment, working closely with senior stakeholders, influencing key decisions and turning complex project data into meaningful insights that support successful project delivery.

Key accountabilities include:

• Ensuring project control processes, scheduling and resource planning activities meet both client requirements and SMEC's technical standards.
• Developing and maintain advanced Power BI reporting solutions and dashboards that provide accurate and actionable insights to project and business leaders.
• Collaborating with project teams, contributors and stakeholders to maintain quality, timeliness and coordination of deliverables.
• Work closely with project teams to compile reasoning and justification behind project performance metrics.
• Managing project deliverables and supporting successful project outcomes.
• Contributing to the commercial success of projects and the broader Rail team.
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives through reporting automation, data visualisation and process efficiencies.

About You

• 8+ years of project controls experience.
• Advanced Power BI expertise, including dashboard development is a must.
• Proven experience developing and implementing Power BI reporting solutions in a project or infrastructure environment.
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• High‑level consulting, stakeholder engagement and client management skills.
• Ability to present to internal and external stakeholders on project performance and training on the use of developed Power BI solutions.
• Advanced Excel skills, including experience working with large data sets, Power Query, pivot tables and complex formulas.
• Strong administration and organisational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships across multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience with Primavera P6 is a bonus

SMEC is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and gender‑equitable workforce and encourages applications from people of all backgrounds across engineering and technical disciplines. We provide a supportive and flexible working environment that recognises individual contribution, supports career progression, and enables our people to balance work and life at all stages of their career.

As a family‑friendly employer, we offer flexible working arrangements and benefits including 18 weeks of universal paid parental leave. We are proud to foster an inclusive culture that supports gender equity, LGBTI+ inclusion and First Nations representation, with access to strong professional networks, role models, and mentoring and sponsorship programs.