Project Manager - Machinery OEM

Axiom Talent; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Vehicle & travel allowance

Performance incentives

Autonomy to shape PM function

Large-scale national projects

Job summary

Axiom Talent client, a global manufacturer of advanced automation and sorting technology for fresh produce, seeks an experienced Project Manager to lead complex machinery projects from handover through to installation, commissioning and customer handover.

You will coordinate nationwide teams and international engineering units, shaping systems and processes to support growth while maintaining strong customer relationships and delivering on time and within budget.

Qualifications

• Proven track record delivering automation or manufacturing projects.
• Formal project management training or certifications (PMP, PRINCE2) highly regarded.
• Strong client and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel nationally.

Responsibilities

• Manage automation projects from pre-sale to handover.
• Develop schedules, milestones, risks, and reports.
• Coordinate across sales, engineering, production, software, electrical, mechanical, logistics, service, installation.
• Act as primary customer contact and manage deadlines.
• Handle scope, budgets, margins, variations, and risks.
• Coordinate international suppliers and site trades.
• Ensure sites ready for delivery, install, and commissioning.
• Manage commissioning milestones and handover.
• Identify delays and implement solutions.
• Improve handover between sales and delivery.
• Help build structured PM systems, templates, workflows.
• Travel nationally for meetings and reviews.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Stakeholder management

Multi-project handling

Structured processes

Education

PMP/PRINCE2

Job description

Our client is a global manufacturer of advanced automation and sorting technology for the fresh produce industry, with an established service network spanning more than 40 countries and regions. Their systems encompass fruit handling, washing, treatment, optical sorting and grading, automated packing, palletising, controls and associated software.

With continued growth across Australia, they are seeking an experienced Project Manager to take ownership of complex machinery and automation projects from initial sales handover through to installation, commissioning and final customer handover. Importantly, this isn't a role where you'll simply inherit an established project management framework. You'll have the opportunity to help develop the systems, processes and commercial disciplines required to support the company's next stage of growth.

Working across customers, the Australian sales and service teams and the company's international engineering, production and operations functions, you'll become the central coordination point for projects being delivered throughout Australia.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage automation and capital equipment projects from pre-sale and internal handover through to installation, commissioning, training and project close-out.
• Develop project schedules, milestones, action plans, risk registers and reporting processes.
• Coordinate across sales, engineering, production, software, electrical, mechanical, logistics, service and installation teams.
• Act as the key customer contact throughout project delivery, maintaining clear communication around progress, responsibilities and deadlines.
• Manage project scope, budgets, costs, margins, variations and commercial risks.
• Coordinate international suppliers, contractors, site trades and customer-side requirements.
• Ensure sites are prepared for equipment delivery, installation and commissioning.
• Manage commissioning milestones, defects, punch lists and final customer handover.
• Identify potential delays and project risks early and implement practical solutions.
• Improve the handover process between sales and project delivery.
• Help establish more structured project management systems, templates and workflows as the Australian operation continues to grow.
• Travel nationally for customer meetings, installations, commissioning and project reviews, with WA currently representing a significant area of project activity.

About You

• Strong project management experience within a structured project delivery environment.
• Formal project management training or qualifications such as PMP, PRINCE2 or similar will be highly regarded.
• Experience delivering projects involving automation, industrial machinery, food processing, packaging, materials handling or manufacturing equipment would be ideal.
• Agricultural, horticultural or fresh produce industry experience would be particularly valuable.
• Alternatively, you may come from another project-driven sector such as construction, building, facilities or technical services, provided you have strong customer and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercially aware with experience managing project scope, budgets, variations, suppliers and deadlines.
• Highly structured and organised, with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to coordinate customers, contractors, engineers and international stakeholders.
• An understanding of electromechanical equipment, controls or automation would be advantageous.
• Comfortable operating in an environment where processes are still being developed and motivated by the opportunity to help build a scalable project delivery model.
• Willingness to travel nationally as projects require.

What's On Offer

• Competitive salary package commensurate with industry experience.
• Vehicle & travel allowance.
• Performance incentives linked to project KPIs and successful commissioning.
• Significant autonomy and the opportunity to shape the company's Australian project management function.
• Work on large-scale automation projects within Australia's agricultural and fresh produce sector.
• Direct interaction with international engineering, manufacturing and operations teams.
• National exposure with long-term career opportunities in a growing global organisation.

If you're an experienced Project Manager who enjoys bringing structure to complex projects and wants the opportunity to influence how a growing automation business delivers projects nationally, we'd love to hear from you.