PROJECT ENGINEER– Piling / Ground Engineering

DARA Contractors Pty LTD; Sydney; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Laptop and mobile provided

Vehicle or vehicle allowance

Structured progression to Project/PM

Training and chartership support

Job summary

Dara Piling Pty Ltd in Sydney seeks a Project Engineer to lead piling and ground engineering packages across NSW. You will own the project from tender handover through to completion, including engineering, programme, crews and client relations.

This is a full-time role with a structured path to Project Manager. You will work between the office and active sites across Sydney metro and regional NSW, with access to senior management and a clear development plan.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Geotechnical Engineering from an Australian university.
• Approximately 3–7 years' experience as a Project Engineer or Site Engineer with piling/ground civil contractor.
• Reading and interrogating structural drawings; understanding geotechnical reports.
• Knowledge of Australian Standards and WHS; able to work autonomously with multiple priorities.
• Current NSW driver's licence and right to work in Australia.

Responsibilities

• Own piling packages from tender handover through to completion: engineering, programme, crews, client relations and commercial outcomes.
• On-site safety leadership; identify hazards and enforce WHS standards.
• Plan work from geotechnical data to buildable, costed programmes including resources and budget.
• Interpret borehole logs and select appropriate piling method; oversee design integration.
• Supervise piling operations, monitor production, and resolve issues before they affect the programme.
• Manage procurement, cost reporting and project commercial administration.
• Maintain clear communication with clients, designers, authorities and subcontractors.

Skills

Geotechnical engineering

Piling/ground engineering

Project management

Reading structural drawings

Autonomous work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Geotechnical Engineering

Job description

PROJECT ENGINEER– Piling / Ground Engineering

Piling & Ground Engineering | Structured pathway to Project Manager

Dara Piling Pty Ltd

Head office Five Dock, NSW

• Projects across Sydney metro and regional NSW
• Full time, permanent
• Attractive package, negotiable on experience

We are looking for one person: a capable, motivated engineer who wants to run projects.

If you read a borehole log and immediately start thinking about rig selection, cycle times and what you will do if the ground does not match the report — we should talk.

About Us

We are a specialist piling and ground engineering contractor, delivering in‑ground solutions across industrial, rail, road, civil, mining and major infrastructure projects.

We are a technically driven business where decisions are made quickly and good work is recognised. You will have genuine scope, real accountability, and direct access to Senior managers and Director.

The Opportunity

This is a Project Engineer position with a structured, mapped progression to Project Manager. We are hiring the person we want running our major projects in two to three years, and we will invest in getting you there.

You will take ownership of piling packages from tender handover through to completion — the engineering, the programme, the crews, the client relationship and the commercial outcome.

What You Will Own

• Safety first. Set the standard on site. Identify hazards and risks early, engineer them out where you can, and hold the line on WHS. This comes before programme and before cost, every time. Includes environmental compliance, sediment and erosion control and waste management.
• Plan the work. Translate geotechnical data, site constraints and client specifications into a buildable, costed, sequenced plan — programme, resources, plant and budget.
• Solve the ground. Interpret borehole logs, laboratory results and groundwater data. Select and validate the right methodology — CFA, bored, cased, displacement— for the ground you are actually in.
• Engineer the solution. Work alongside geotechnical and structural designers to develop piling and shoring and piling solutions that are safe, compliant with AS 2159, AS 3600, AS 5100 and project specifications, and efficient to build. Contribute value engineering that saves the client time or money without compromising the design intent.
• Deliver on site. Supervise piling operations, set and monitor production rates, track progress against programme, and resolve technical issues early — before they affect the programme or the client.
• Manage the commercials. Manage procurement of materials, plant and subcontractors. Maintain accurate cost reporting, forecasting and commercial administration so the project position is always known and never a surprise — to us or to the client.
• Manage stakeholders. Be the person the client trusts. Clear, honest, timely communication with clients, designers, authorities, subcontractors and the community. Accurate records and well‑written reports.
• Improve continuously. Debrief every job. Capture what worked, address what did not, and bring better methods, plant and technology into the business.

Your Pathway to Project Manager

We will be specific about this, because most ads are not:

• Years 1–2: Structured mentoring from our Senior Project Managers and Director, with a documented development plan reviewed every six months.
• Years 2–3: Progressive handover of full project responsibility — your own package, your own crews, your own commercial position, your own client relationship.
• From there: Project Manager, with the track record and technical depth to back it.

Supported with training we fund, chartership and NER / NSW registration pathway support, professional memberships, and exposure to estimating and tendering so you understand how work is won, not only how it is built.

Who We Are Looking For

Technical ability is the entry ticket. What actually gets you the job:

• Passion for the work. You are genuinely interested in ground engineering. You read about it and you have views on it.
• Applied intelligence. You solve the problem in front of you rather than escalating it, and you think about the second and third consequence of a decision.
• Productivity. You plan properly, prioritise well and keep several fronts moving at once. Efficiency in this industry comes from good planning, not from long hours.
• Reliability. You do what you said you would do, by when you said you would do it, without being chased.
• Ambition. You want to lead, and you are already thinking about how you would run the job.

Essential Criteria

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Geotechnical Engineering — from an Australian university, or a qualification assessed as equivalent by Engineers Australia.
• Approximately 3–7 years' experience as a Project Engineer or Site Engineer with a piling, ground engineering or civil contractor.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of geotechnical engineering, together with structural and civil engineering fundamentals — you can read and interrogate a structural drawing, not only a geotechnical report.
• Practical experience on large or complex projects, ideally infrastructure, rail or road.
• Sound understanding of Australian Standards, WHS obligations and the regulatory environment applicable to piling works.
• Excellent written and verbal communication — you can write a technical letter and hold your position in a site meeting.
• Ability to work autonomously, prioritise competing demands and manage several fronts at once.
• Current driver's licence valid in NSW, and ongoing right to work in Australia.

Highly Regarded

• Master's degree in Geotechnical Engineering.
• Experience in piling estimating or tendering.
• Hands‑on experience with CFA, bored pile, cased piles.
• Working knowledge of geotechnical analysis and design software.
• White Card, Rail Industry Worker (RIW) card, or similar inductions and tickets.
• Experience delivering as a subcontractor to a Tier 1 or Tier 2 principal contractor.

What We Offer

• Attractive salary package, negotiated on your experience and reviewed annually.
• Discretionary performance and business development incentives may be available, subject to eligibility, applicable Company policy and Director approval.
• Tools of trade provided — laptop and mobile phone. Vehicle or vehicle allowance depending on the requirements of the role.
• A structured, documented pathway to Project Manager.
• Technically challenging work across industrial, rail, road, civil, mining and infrastructure.
• Direct access to senior managers and the Director and real influence over how the business operates.
• Training and professional development funded by us, including support toward chartership.
• A stable, growing specialist contractor with a strong forward pipeline.

Hours and Location

This is a full‑time salaried position of 38 ordinary hours per week, generally Monday to Friday. Piling is site-based work with early starts, and some additional hours or weekend work will be required from time to time to meet project requirements. Our head office is in Five Dock; you will be based between the office and active sites across Sydney metro and regional NSW, and occasional interstate travel may be required.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We select on merit and welcome applications from all suitably qualified people, including women in construction and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. If you need an adjustment to participate in our recruitment process, let us know and we will arrange it.