Project Manager / Joinery

Creador Joinery; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Creador Joinery in Melbourne seeks an experienced Joinery Project Manager to own projects from design through production, installation and completion. You will typically manage 5–6 projects valued between $750k and $1.5m, supported by Project Coordination and Site Management resources.

You will drive design approvals, production alignment and timely claims, variations and delivery. This role requires proactive problem solving, strong client and builder communication, and leadership of

Qualifications

• 7+ years’ Project Management experience.
• Strong joinery, fit-out or construction experience.
• Ability to read and challenge shop drawings and construction documentation.
• Strong client and builder communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Owns projects from design through production, installation and final completion.
• Manage 5–6 projects valued between $750k and $1.5m each, with Coordination and Site Management support.
• Drive program, design, budget, claims, variations, production, logistics and installation to keep projects on schedule.
• Ensure defects are resolved with clear ownership, dates and closure plans.
• Proactive, commercially aware, organized, and able to have difficult conversations when required.

Skills

Project Management

Stakeholder communication

Leadership

Shop drawings review

Job description

We are looking for a Project Manager who gets things closed.

Creador delivers high-quality joinery packages for major apartment and commercial projects across Melbourne and Sydney, with manufacturing through our factory in Vietnam.

We are growing and are looking for an experienced Joinery Project Manager who can take genuine ownership of projects from design through production, installation and final completion.

This is not a role for someone who simply identifies problems and passes them up the line.

We want someone who sees problems coming, takes ownership, drives the solution and gets the issue closed.

OWN IT. DRIVE IT. CLOSE IT.

What You Will Own

You will typically manage 5–6 projects, generally valued between $750k and $1.5m each, supported by Project Coordination and Site Management or leading hand installer resources.

You will have overall responsibility for:

PROGRAM – Zero unmanaged slippage. Know what is coming and act before dates are missed.

DESIGN – Drive shop drawings through approval and into production. Target Rev 1 approval and intervene immediately when design starts cycling.

BUDGET – Know the financial position of every project and protect the forecast margin.

CLAIMS – Ensure progress claims and subcontractor claims are accurate, submitted and managed on time.

VARIATIONS – Capture, price, submit, approve and claim all variations.

PRODUCTION – Ensure design, procurement and factory production remain aligned with the project program.

LOGISTICS – Coordinate shipping and delivery so materials arrive when the project requires them.

INSTALLATION – Work with Site Managers to ensure labour, materials, access and sequencing are ready ahead of time.

DEFECTS – Drive progressive closure rather than allowing defects to accumulate.

ACTIONS – Every issue has an owner, a due date and a closure plan.

Must Understand SOPA claims

What We Expect

We don’t expect projects to be problem‑free. Construction always has problems.

What we expect is a Project Manager who does not allow those problems to become surprises.

When you identify an issue, we expect you to come forward with:

What happened → What is the impact → What is the solution → Who owns it → When will it be closed.

We want someone who is proactive, commercially aware, organised, persistent and comfortable having difficult conversations when required.

You should be the person who follows an issue through until it is genuinely closed — not someone who considers their job finished because an email has been sent.

What Success Looks Like

Your projects are:

On program.
Design approved and released.
Commercially controlled.
Variations captured.
Production ahead of installation requirements.
Clients informed before they need to ask.
Problems escalated with solutions.
Actions closed.

Most importantly, the Directors should have confidence that when you own a project, it is under control.

About You

You will ideally have:

7+ years’ Project Management experience.

Strong joinery, fit‑out or construction experience.

Strong understanding of construction programs and sequencing.

Commercial understanding of budgets, claims and variations.

Ability to read and challenge shop drawings and construction documentation.

Strong client and builder communication skills.

A high level of personal accountability.

The ability to lead Project Coordinators and Site Managers.

A genuine drive to finish things, not simply manage activity.

Joinery experience is highly regarded, but equally important is your ability to take control of complex projects and deliver outcomes.

The Opportunity

This is a key delivery role within a growing business.

You will have Project Coordinator and Site Management support so that your time can be focused on managing projects, clients, commercial outcomes and delivery — rather than simply processing administration.

For the right person, there is significant opportunity to grow with the business as our project portfolio continues to expand. there is opportunity for travel and profit shear for the right person.

If your approach to Project Management is OWN IT. DRIVE IT. CLOSE IT. — we want to hear from you.