Project Director

Hickory; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-Life Balance

Parental leave

Novated leases

H-Perks

Employee Wellbeing

Diverse opportunities

Job summary

Hickory in Melbourne leads a landmark $600M+ residential development, seeking a Project Director to set vision, lead multi-disciplinary teams and deliver exceptional client outcomes. You will drive delivery strategy, manage commercial performance, and maintain strong client and stakeholder relationships across pre-construction to handover.

The role requires 10+ years in commercial construction, strong leadership, and deep experience with residential delivery, design management, and risk control.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in construction-related field.
• 10+ years' experience in commercial construction.
• Experience with large-scale residential projects.
• Strong understanding of delivery methodologies and buildability.
• Proven leadership of multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent commercial acumen in budgets and profitability.

Responsibilities

• Lead all phases of a $600M+ residential development.
• Develop and implement delivery strategies.
• Manage client relationships with stakeholders.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting, cash flow and reporting.
• Negotiate and administer major contracts.
• Oversee design management and buildability reviews.
• Implement project controls and performance metrics.
• Direct on-site construction activities and safety.
• Allocate personnel, plant and subcontractors efficiently.
• Maintain rigorous cost controls and profitability.
• Communicate progress and risks to executives and clients.
• Champion quality assurance and safety culture.
• Manage risks and industrial relations with unions.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiation

Financial management

Risk management

Education

Construction Management

Engineering

Architecture

Property Development

Job description

At Hickory, we don't believe in standing still, for over three decades we have continually invested in researching and developing systems and products to improve the way we build. Our philosophy is 'MADE for LIFE' - it's a commitment we honour, each day. Everything we do and everything we build is 'MADE for LIFE.' Whether it's refining our patented, prefabricated building products, developing more efficient and sustainable construction practices, or bringing expertise inhouse to supply critical components, we always believe there is a better way. As a result, Hickory have become one of the most diverse property companies in Australia.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Project Director will lead the delivery of a landmark $600M+ residential development in Melbourne's CBD, providing strategic leadership across all phases of the project lifecycle from pre-construction through to completion and handover. Drawing on extensive experience delivering large-scale residential, mixed-use or high-rise apartment developments, the Project Director will be responsible for setting the project vision, leading high-performing delivery teams, and ensuring exceptional outcomes for clients, stakeholders, and Hickory.

WHAT HICKORY CAN OFFER

• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy a balanced work-life schedule with a standard 5-day work week.
• Family-Friendly Policies: Receive paid parental leave to support your family needs.
• Novated Leases: Take advantage of novated leasing options to maximize your salary and enjoy tax savings on vehicle expenses.
• H-Perks Employee Rewards: Access exclusive discounts, cashback and everyday savings through our internal benefits platform.
• Employee Wellbeing: Access our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for valuable support and resources.
• Diverse Opportunities: Gain exposure to a wide range of roles and industry leaders in our leading market company.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Project Leadership: Provide leadership across all phases of a $600M+ residential development, from pre-construction and procurement through to completion.
• Delivery Strategy: Develop and implement project delivery strategies that achieve programme, commercial, quality and client objectives.
• Client Relationship Management: Establish and maintain strong relationships with clients, consultants, authorities and key stakeholders, acting as the senior project representative throughout the lifecycle of the project.
• Commercial Management: Maintain overall accountability for project profitability, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, procurement, variations and financial reporting.
• Contract Management: Lead the negotiation and administration of major contracts and subcontract agreements, ensuring commercial risks are effectively managed.
• Design Management: Oversee design development, value engineering and buildability reviews to ensure design outcomes align with programme, budget and construction requirements.
• Project Governance: Implement robust project controls, reporting frameworks and performance metrics to monitor and drive project outcomes.
• Construction Oversight: Provide leadership and oversight across all onsite activities, ensuring works are delivered safely, efficiently and in accordance with project milestones.
• Resource Management: Direct the allocation and management of personnel, plant, materials and subcontractors to maximise project performance and productivity.
• Financial Control: Ensure rigorous financial management practices are maintained, including forecasting, cost control, risk management and profit maximisation initiatives.
• Stakeholder Communication: Communicate project progress, risks, opportunities and key milestones to executive leadership, clients and project stakeholders.
• Quality Assurance: Champion a culture of quality excellence, ensuring all works are delivered in accordance with project specifications, contractual requirements and client expectations.
• Health & Safety Leadership: Drive a proactive safety culture and ensure compliance with all legislative, regulatory and company health and safety requirements.
• Risk Management: Identify, assess and mitigate project risks across commercial, operational, programme, safety and stakeholder management functions.
• Industrial Relations Management: Maintain effective relationships with unions, subcontractors and the project workforce while ensuring compliance with industrial agreements and employment legislation.

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE ROLE

• Tertiary qualifications in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Property Development or a related discipline.
• 10+ years' experience within the commercial construction industry, including extensive exposure to large-scale residential projects.
• Strong understanding of residential delivery methodologies, design management, authority approvals, façade systems, buildability, programme management and stakeholder coordination.
• Proven ability to lead large multidisciplinary project teams and manage multiple senior stakeholders.
• Exceptional commercial acumen with demonstrated success managing project budgets, forecasting, cashflow and profitability.
• Extensive experience negotiating and managing major construction contracts and subcontractor relationships.
• Strong client-facing skills with the ability to influence outcomes and build trusted long-term partnerships.
• Demonstrated leadership capability with a track record of developing high-performing project teams.
• Thorough understanding of construction risk management, quality systems, industrial relations and safety leadership.

Please note that we are managing this search internally and are not partnering with recruitment agencies for these positions. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.