Senior Project Development Engineer

Perm Recruitment RF/BDT; Newcastle City Council; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Perm Recruitment RF/BDT is seeking a Senior Project Development Engineer for our client in Newcastle, NSW. You will lead feasibility studies, develop business cases, and coordinate engineering, maintenance and project delivery teams to drive major capital initiatives.

Reporting to the Engineering Manager, you will engage with senior leadership to influence investment decisions and asset planning, while ensuring safety, risk management and value delivery across complex projects.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree in mechanical, civil, structural, or related field.
• Experience in heavy industry, infrastructure, mining, or asset-intensive settings.
• Strong ability to manage scope, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead feasibility studies and option development for major capital projects.
• Develop robust business cases and secure approvals.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, maintenance, and project delivery.
• Manage multiple studies with tight timelines.
• Contribute to long-term asset planning and investment decisions.

Skills

Feasibility studies

Project development

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Safety & compliance

Education

Engineering degree (Mech/Civil/Struct)

Job description

Our client is a major owner and operator of critical infrastructure supporting Australia's export supply chain. Operating a large-scale industrial asset base in Newcastle, the organisation is committed to safety, operational excellence and long-term asset stewardship.

With significant investment planned across its infrastructure portfolio, an opportunity has arisen for an experienced Senior Project Development Engineer to lead the identification, assessment and development of major capital and asset improvement initiatives.

Opportunity

Reporting to the Engineering Manager, you will lead the development of major engineering, maintenance and infrastructure projects from concept through to approval.

Working across Engineering, Maintenance, Commercial and Project Delivery teams, you will undertake feasibility studies, evaluate options, develop business cases, assess risk and prepare projects for successful execution.

You will manage multiple studies concurrently while providing strategic input into long-term asset planning, capital investment decisions and project prioritisation. The role offers regular engagement with senior leadership and the opportunity to influence significant infrastructure investment decisions.

About You

• Tertiary qualifications in Mechanical, Civil, Structural or related engineering
• Experience within heavy industry, infrastructure, mining, manufacturing, logistics or asset intensive operations
• Proven success in feasibility studies, project development and business case preparation
• Strong understanding of project scope, cost, schedule and risk management
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, continuous improvement and operational excellence

Importantly, you will be recognised as a collaborative and solutions-focused professional who can build credibility across technical, operational and commercial teams while influencing positive outcomes and driving investment decisions.

Why This Role

This is a rare opportunity to influence the future direction of a significant infrastructure asset portfolio and play a leading role in shaping major investment decisions. You will enjoy broad exposure across engineering, asset management, maintenance and project delivery disciplines while working on complex, high-value projects that directly impact long-term operational performance.

Offering both strategic influence and technical challenge, this role is ideally suited to an engineer who enjoys solving complex problems, engaging with senior stakeholders and developing projects from initial concept through to execution readiness. You'll join a business that values expertise, collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement, while providing the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting contribution.

Additional Information

• Shape major infrastructure and asset investment decisions
• Lead studies, option development and business case preparation
• Strategic role, based in Newcastle