Project Manager

Aestra PTY LTD; Canberra; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Aestra PTY LTD is seeking a highly motivated Project Manager to lead multiple projects across environmental approvals and governance. The role is permanent, with a preference for full-time, and Canberra-based work with some regional flexibility.

Candidates may be mid-level (3–5 years) or senior (5+ years) with experience in defence, transport, construction, energy, waste, resources, or environment sectors. The successful candidate will drive project delivery across scope, schedule, budgets, risk

Qualifications

• Experience delivering multiple concurrent projects across infrastructure or environment sectors.
• Ability to tailor project controls to evolving environments.
• Qualifications in project management, engineering, or environmental science.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate multiple concurrent small to medium projects.
• Support delivery across environmental approvals and governance frameworks.
• Manage scope, schedule, budgets, risk, and reporting.
• Engage stakeholders and provide tailored communication.
• Mentor junior staff and share knowledge across teams.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Governance

Cross-disciplinary coordination

Environmental policy

Education

Project management qualification

Engineering degree

Environmental science degree

Job description

Role: Project Manager (Open to Mid or Senior Level)

Position type: This role is a permanent position. Full-time is highly preferred; part-time subject to negotiation.

Location: Canberra preferred; other locations subject to negotiation.

This role requires Australian Citizenship and ability to hold a Baseline Security Clearance. We are seeking a highly motivated and self-driven Project Manager. We are seeking the right candidate to join our team. This could be a high-performing mid-level Project Manager with approximately 3-5 years of demonstrated relevant experience, or a senior Project Manager with 5+ years of demonstrated relevant experience. Candidates with experience supporting approvals for complex multi-disciplinary infrastructure and/or reform projects is desired, and subject matter expertise in environmental safeguarding and approvals under the EPBC Act will be considered favourably.

Your experience may have been gained in sectors such as defence, transport, construction, energy, waste, resources or environment, across roles in industry and/or government agencies.

You will have a proven drive to work across projects, with a passion for creating meaningful change in response to the most pressing environmental and social impact challenges of our time. You will bring a passion for supporting high performing teams, fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration.

You will have demonstrated experience in project delivery managing scope, schedule, budgets, risk management, governance, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to tailor project controls to evolving environments, with qualifications in a relevant discipline such as project management, engineering, and/or environmental science. Certifications in project management will be considered favourably (e.g. PMP, CPPM).

You will have a demonstrated passion and a proactive and pragmatic nature toward environmental and community matters and hold a desire to further embody this in the practical outcomes of your career.

Aestra culture and team fit

As a small-medium enterprise, we are also looking for the person who is the right fit for our team. We want people who share our company values. We value respect, diversity and inclusivity; we are a LGBTIQ+ and disability inclusive workplace; we value science-based decision making and personal commitment to professional integrity; and we are committed to promoting work-life balance. We are looking for people who share and promote these values.

• Are you a team player who enjoys working collaboratively?
• Are you conscientious and organised?
• Do you have a willingness to be curious, learn and take on new challenges?
• Do you take pride in your work, have an eye for detail, have excellent communication skills?
• Are you committed to fostering a culture of respect and inclusivity?

Key responsibilities

This role of Project Manager is responsible for leading, and coordinating multiple concurrent small to medium projects, and as required supporting delivery across all of Aestra’s portfolio including our large complex projects through Aestra’s Project Management Office. The role will support delivery of our projects, which occur in fields as diverse as environmental approvals for major infrastructure, policy advice for environmental reforms, establishing governance frameworks within complex statutory contexts and in-field nature restoration activities.

We use the SFIA skills framework as a guide for defining the responsibilities of our roles. Based on the selected applicant’s skills and experience, this role will be based on a Level 4 Project Manager (PRMG-level 4) or Level 5 Project Manager (PRMG-level 5).

At both levels the role provides delivery planning, stakeholder engagement, project governance establishment and coordination, progress reporting, risk identification and management, commercial administration, and operational coordination to ensure successful delivery of client and business outcomes. A PRMG-level 5 role will be expected to manage larger and more complex projects with minimal support, advise and influence delivery strategy and provide authoritative advice to internal leadership and clients.

The following responsibilities are intended to provide an indication of the types of responsibilities that this role may include, however, exact responsibilities and tasks may vary based on business need. A PRMG-level 4 role is expected to enable the delivery against these responsibilities, where as a PRMG-level 5 role is expected to ensure delivery against these responsibilities.

• Outcome Delivery: Manage stakeholder expectations and risk awareness, and ensure activities align with client's intended outcomes and organisational goals and provides business value and benefit.
• Adaptive Management: Leverage and tailor project management methods and tools to project needs, facilitating effective and efficient monitoring and control of project budgets, resources, and delivery schedules.
• Client Focused: Provide clear and informative advice to internal leadership, external clients and partner organisations through tailored communication styles to consider different individuals, situations, and audiences. Focus on empowering client involvement in successful project delivery, through trusted and transparent reporting and advice.
• Robust Tendering: Support development of, and validation of, business proposals, tenders and business cases to ensure Aestra's commitments are executable; cost, schedule and performance estimates are accurate; and risks and identified and mitigated for delivery.
• Executive Support: Support other Project Managers and Aestra’s Executive Leadership Team to prepare strategic advice to clients, including government and industry sectors.
• Technical Competency: Provide advice, both internally and externally, to a level aligned with the SFIA framework and relevant professional standards (e.g. PMP, CPPM). Hold and maintain an intermediate domain knowledge; to be a trusted technical specialist with expertise in Project Management and building proficiency in Program Management.
• Collaboration and corporate knowledge transfer: Nurture strong and open collaboration through actively sharing skills and experiences with staff across the organisation.
• Market Presence and Corporate Image: Hold and maintain Aestra's distinctive and respected brand in the market through diligent assurance of product quality, corporate image, and value for our clients.
• Commercial Acumen: Strong commercial capabilities. Capable of identifying and managing commercial risks and opportunities, with a particular emphasis on escalation of high-risk or sensitive items with sound judgment and strategic recommendations.
• Problem Solving: Proactively identify project challenges and emerging risks to delivery and develop and implement management approaches for low to medium-risk challenges, exercising sound judgment and escalating where required.
• Sustained Quality Outcomes: Attention to detail and proactive delivery. Strong quality standards and ability to lead the development of high-quality reports, documents and deliverables that meet Aestra’s standards. Technically sound quality assurance to internal management.

Additional responsibilities for PRMG-level 5 role:

• Team Leadership: Mentor and build capability with relevant colleagues in Project Management basics while working with multi-disciplinary teams within Aestra's workstreams.
• Complex Problem Solving: Support resolution of high-risk, politically sensitive, or ambiguous challenges with sound judgment and strategic insight.
• Business Development: Promote and grow Aestra’s reputation as a preferred, trusted, and reliable delivery partner through all client interactions, public presentation and corporate social engagements.

Working arrangements

We primarily work remotely, so it is essential that you have a dedicated workspace where you can comfortably work from home.

Whilst we maintain a core presence in Canberra, our staff and our clients are spread all over Australia, as such occasional travel may be required as part of this role.

About You

Joining our growing highly skilled team you will have the opportunity to apply your skills in a team environment to support the delivery polished products that support client advice across environmental issues. This ranges from assessing and mitigating impacts of development to designing and implementing conservation and restoration programs, regulatory reform and associated topics.

About Us

At Aestra, we exist to help protect Australia’s most special places and enact change to address the most pressing environmental and social challenges of our time. We solve the problems that matter most, the ones that are hard to navigate.

What we do

Aestra are a female-founded, Australian-owned leader in environmental advisory services. We work where regulation, science, policy and delivery intersect; and we take responsibility for helping our clients make evidence-based, defensible decisions to make positive, lasting change.

How we do it

We integrate expertise across regulation, policy, impact assessment, ecology, GIS, project management, and other niche disciplines, to deliver high-quality, tailored strategic advice. We stay engaged beyond strategy, supporting implementation to ensure success. We offer a level of service and care that is unparalleled in our industry.

We are outcomes driven. We do not produce work for its own sake, and we do not hide behind process. Our role is to understand the real problem, test it rigorously, and deliver advice that stands up in the places where decisions are actually made. We believe clarity is powerful. Turning complexity into digestible, validated advice is not about presentation for its own sake, it is about trust, usability, and impact. What we produce is accurate, considered and fit for purpose, every time.

Our clients include Australian Government Departments, State and Territory Government, and private industry. We also support not-for-profit and charity organisations through our low- and pro-bono work. Our business is growing with new clients and projects, providing a diverse and agile work environment.

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