Project Director

Laing O'Rourke group; Adelaide; Hybrid; AUD 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Job summary

Laing O’Rourke group seeks a Project Director to lead the delivery of Australia’s defence infrastructure program, including the ANI/NPSCY yard. You will manage safety, quality, cost and schedule, aligning with government and client objectives, while guiding a large multidisciplinary team.

You will engage senior stakeholders, shape delivery strategies, and ensure governance compliance in a highly regulated environment. Australian citizenship and NV1 clearance are required.

Qualifications

• Degree qualifications in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or related discipline.
• Experience delivering major infrastructure and defence projects.
• Proven ability to lead large multidisciplinary teams and complex governance environments.
• Strong commercial acumen with budgets, contracts, risk and financial performance.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and executive-level relationship management.
• Leadership and track record of developing high-performing teams.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation and decision-making in regulated environments.
• Australian citizenship with ability to obtain NV1 clearance.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for successful delivery of the project, ensuring safety, quality, programme, commercial and client objectives.
• Develop and execute project delivery strategies for safe, efficient, profitable delivery from design through commissioning and handover.
• Lead a multidisciplinary project leadership team fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Drive project performance through management of programme, cost, risk, resources and delivery activities.
• Build and maintain relationships with clients, JV partners, government stakeholders and supply chain partners.
• Ensure compliance with contractual, regulatory and governance requirements with high safety/quality standards.
• Identify and manage project risks and opportunities with proactive mitigation strategies.
• Act as senior project representative, engaging with client executives and stakeholders on strategic matters.
• Champion safety, inclusion, wellbeing and high performance across teams.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Communication

Negotiation

Decision making

Commercial acumen

Team development

Education

Degree in Engineering, Construction Management or related discipline

Job description

Benefits

At the heart of Laing O’Rourke is our commitment to helping our people do their best work and grow meaningful, fulfilling careers. Through exceptional development opportunities, wellbeing support, and employee benefits, we empower our teams to succeed.

We celebrate diversity and welcome applications from First Nations Peoples and candidates from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Our industry-leading benefits include:

• In-house training programs and on-the-job skill development.
• Industry-leading parental leave giving all employees access to six months paid parental leave at full pay.
• Additional purchased leave options, and access to volunteering leave.
• Exclusive discounts and savings across hundreds of retailers across Australia.

Head to our benefits page here - Benefits & Rewards

About the Project

At Laing O’Rourke, youwon’tjust build projects,you’llhelp shape the future. As a $6 billion privately owned global engineeringand manufacturing-led constructionleader, we deliver some of the nation’s most complex infrastructure, from transport networks to defence and utilities.

Be part ofAustralia’s largest-ever defence infrastructure program

Laing O’Rourke, with joint venture partner Amentum Australia, will playa central rolein supportingAustralianNaval Infrastructure (ANI)to develop and deliver theNuclear-PoweredSubmarineConstructionYard(NPSCY)project at Osborne, South Australia. We will provide program and construction management services of nuclear related civil infrastructure,site‑widenuclear licensee developmentexpertise, and nuclear safety leadership. We are currently seeking a Project Director to join our AUKUS team. Ifyou’reready to domeaningfulandcareer-defining work apply today.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the successful delivery of the project, ensuring performance across safety, quality, programme, commercial and client objectives.
• Develop and execute project delivery strategies that support the safe, efficient and profitable delivery of project outcomes from design through to commissioning and handover.
• Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary project leadership team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Drive project performance through effective management of programme, cost, risk, resources and operational delivery activities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, Joint Venture partners, government stakeholders, supply chain partners and industry representatives.
• Ensure project delivery complies with contractual, statutory, regulatory and governance requirements while maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality.
• Lead the identification and management of project risks and opportunities, ensuring proactive mitigation strategies are implemented to support successful delivery outcomes.
• Act as the senior representative for the project, leading engagement with client executives and key stakeholders on strategic delivery matters.
• Champion a culture of safety, inclusion, wellbeing and high performance across all project teams.

About You

• Degree qualified in Engineering, Construction Management, Project Management or a related discipline.
• Extensive experience leading the delivery of major infrastructure, defence, transport, energy, resources or complex construction projects.
• Demonstrated success in leading large multidisciplinary teams and delivering projects within complex stakeholder and governance environments.
• Proven ability to develop and execute project delivery strategies that achieve safety, commercial, programme and client outcomes.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing large project budgets, contracts, risk, opportunities and financial performance.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate at executive level.
• Strong leadership capability with a track record of building, mentoring and developing high-performing teams.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation and decision-making skills, with the ability to lead confidently in a fast-paced and highly regulated environment.
• Experience delivering projects within Defence, Nuclear, Utilities or other highly regulated sectors will be highly regarded.
• Applicants must be Australian citizens and hold or be able to obtain an Australian Defence Security Clearance to NV1 level.