Senior Pre-Construction Lead – Luxury Renovations

TalentConnect Pty Ltd trading as TalentConnection; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

TalentConnect Pty Ltd trading as TalentConnection in Port Melbourne, VIC, seeks a seasoned Construction Project Manager transitioning to a high-level Pre-Construction role to lead front-end delivery for a premier luxury residential renovation builder.

You will manage a seven-strong detailing team and a Building Inspector, oversee contracts, scheduling, cost accuracy, procurement risk and client experience, and drive proactive issue resolution before delays or cost overruns.

Qualifications

• Certificate IV, Diploma, or tertiary qualification in Construction Management, Building, Civil Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Trade certificate or equivalent practical qualification.
• Cabinet-making experience and strong cabinetry and joinery knowledge.
• White Card and valid driver's licence.
• Seven to ten years of construction management experience, ideally within residential or commercial renovations.
• Experience managing multi-trade projects, subcontractors, and suppliers.
• Demonstrated success in scheduling, procurement planning, risk mitigation, and programme management.
• Strong experience managing client relationships and resolving issues.
• Experience reporting to senior leadership and contributing to operational planning.
• Confidence using construction project management, scheduling, and tracking systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Detailing team and Building Inspector.
• Ensure contracts are accurate, finalised, and signed at least four weeks before each project starts.
• Own the job start calendar and maintain a balanced pipeline aligned with capacity and revenue targets.
• Keep monthly calendar slippage below 5% by identifying risks and implementing recovery plans.
• Review project scopes, building details, specifications, and estimates before contract sign-off.
• Protect project profitability by identifying pricing gaps, scope omissions, and cost risks.
• Ensure contracted gross profit remains within 1-2% of the original estimate.
• Identify long lead-time materials, permits, engineering requirements, access constraints, and construction risks early.
• Maintain project procurement risk registers and elevate unresolved issues when necessary.
• Apply strong cabinetry and joinery knowledge to improve detailing, manufacturing, and installation outcomes.
• Review proposed construction and finishing methods to prevent avoidable rework and cost.
• Track recurring design, estimating, detailing, and inspection errors and implement process improvements.
• Provide weekly reporting on calendar status and monthly reporting on team performance, risks, and cost outcomes.
• Deliver a clear, proactive client experience that supports an NPS of 90+ and a contract cancellation rate below 1%.

Skills

Construction leadership

Project scheduling

Procurement planning

Client relationship management

Team coaching & mentorship

Education

Certificate IV or Diploma in Construction Management or related

Trade certificate or equivalent

Cabinet-making knowledge

Job description

TalentConnect Pty Ltd trading as TalentConnection in Port Melbourne, VIC, seeks a seasoned Construction Project Manager transitioning to a high-level Pre-Construction role to lead front-end delivery for a premier luxury residential renovation builder.

You will manage a seven-strong detailing team and a Building Inspector, oversee contracts, scheduling, cost accuracy, procurement risk and client experience, and drive proactive issue resolution before delays or cost overruns.