Project Manager

Downer Group; South Australia; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare discounts

Retail and car purchase savings

Employee Assistance Program

Training and development opportunities

Job summary

Downer Group in South Australia is seeking a Project Manager to join our Health and Education team, delivering facilities, refurbishment and capital works across the SA Schools PPP portfolio. You will manage projects from scoping through construction, commissioning, and handover, balancing safety, quality, and stakeholder needs.

You'll lead procurement, cost control, and reporting, coordinating schools, clients, and contractors in live environments while maintaining minimal disruption to

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience delivering facilities, building services, refurbishment or capital works projects from scoping through to handover.
• Proven capability managing minor works and larger capital projects in live operational environments.
• Experience managing procurement, RFQ and tender processes, tender evaluation, contractor appointment and contract administration.
• Strong project planning, scheduling, cost control, risk management, commercial and stakeholder engagement capability.

Responsibilities

• Manage a mixed portfolio of minor works, lifecycle, modification and higher-value capital projects from scope development through to operational handover.
• Develop project briefs, scopes, budgets, schedules, risk registers, delivery strategies and reporting requirements.
• Lead RFQ and tender processes, including documentation, market engagement, evaluation, recommendations and contractor appointment.
• Control project costs, forecasts, progress claims, variations, commitments and commercial correspondence.
• Coordinate schools, clients, operational teams, consultants and contractors while maintaining safety, quality, compliance and minimal disruption to school operations.

Skills

Facilities management

Capital projects delivery

Live environment experience

Procurement & tender

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Tertiary qualification (bachelor level or trade)

Job description

We currently have an opportunity for a Project Manager. Join our Health and Education team and play a key role in safely delivering facilities, refurbishment and capital works projects across the SA Schools PPP portfolio.

Reporting to the Asset Manager, you’ll manage projects from early scoping and procurement through construction, commissioning, financial close-out and handover. Working across live school environments, you’ll balance safety, quality, commercial requirements and stakeholder needs to deliver successful project outcomes.

What You'll Do

This role offers a broad scope, with key responsibilities including:

• Manage a mixed portfolio of minor works, lifecycle, modification and higher-value capital projects from scope development through to operational handover.
• Develop project briefs, scopes, budgets, schedules, risk registers, delivery strategies and reporting requirements.
• Lead RFQ and tender processes, including documentation, market engagement, evaluation, recommendations and contractor appointment.
• Control project costs, forecasts, progress claims, variations, commitments and commercial correspondence.
• Coordinate schools, clients, operational teams, consultants and contractors while maintaining safety, quality, compliance and minimal disruption to school operations.

What You'll Bring

• Demonstrated experience delivering facilities, building services, refurbishment or capital works projects from scoping through to handover.
• Proven capability managing minor works and larger capital projects in live operational environments.
• Experience managing procurement, RFQ and tender processes, tender evaluation, contractor appointment and contract administration.
• Strong project planning, scheduling, cost control, risk management, commercial and stakeholder engagement capability.
• A relevant tertiary, vocational or trade qualification. An HVAC or electrical trade background will be highly regarded.

Experience within education, health, public infrastructure, PPP or integrated facilities management environments will be highly regarded. A formal project management qualification such as PRINCE2 or PMP is desirable. You’ll also require a current construction industry White Card and unrestricted driver licence, or the capacity to obtain these before commencing site duties.

More than anything, you’ll bring a strong work ethic, a positive attitude and a commitment to delivering high-quality outcomes for our clients.

Why Downer?

Downer plans, creates and sustains essential public services across Australia and New Zealand. From hospitals to data centres and defence partnerships, we manage critical infrastructure that keeps communities thriving.

What it means to belong at Downer

We’re proud of our high-performance culture and commitment to diversity, offering:

• Training and development to support and diversify your career.
• With 30% of vacancies filled internally, you’ll find real opportunities to advance your career.
• Perks@Downer, including healthcare discounts and savings on retail and car purchases.
• Employee Assistance Program providing professional support for you and your family when you need it most.

You want your work to matter and so do we. With over 26,000 people across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, our team is made up of individuals with unique perspectives, backgrounds and ideas.

We know that diversity makes us stronger and we actively celebrate it through our commitment to inclusion and belonging.

We’re committed to building a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve and welcome people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, cultures, abilities and lived experiences. We especially encourage applications from those whose voices have traditionally been underrepresented in our industry, including women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Māori and Pasifika Peoples, veterans, people with disability and neurodivergent individuals. Even if your experience doesn’t align perfectly with this role, we’d still like to hear from you.

As a WORK180 Endorsed Employer, we support flexibility that works for your life, inclusive leadership that values your voice and equitable access to opportunity so you can do your best work and bring your whole self to it.

If you need support or adjustments through the recruitment process, just let us know. We’re here to help you put your best foot forward.