Senior Project Manager

Nova Systems Pty Ltd; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Parental Leave

Professional development support

Flexibility in working arrangements

Defence health and travel insurance

Job summary

Nova Systems seeks an experienced Project Manager to lead Defence capability projects within the EWIS environment, coordinating across Commonwealth stakeholders, industry partners, and multidisciplinary teams. The role covers concept development through to in-service support, with a focus on governance, risk, and performance against Defence requirements.

Applicants should hold a tertiary PM-related degree, possess a recognised project management certification, and have current NV1/NV2 AGSVA

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Project Management, Engineering, Business, Defence Studies or a related discipline.
• Certifications: AIPM CPPM, PRINCE2 Practitioner, PMP or equivalent.
• Experience delivering complex Defence projects across capability lifecycle.
• Strong understanding of Defence acquisition, sustainment and capability development.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, risks, issues and stakeholder expectations.
• Experience preparing Defence governance documentation and submissions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Stakeholder management across Defence, industry partners and international bodies.
• Work effectively in multidisciplinary, geographically dispersed teams.
• Current NV1 or NV2 AGSVA Security Clearance or eligibility to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate Defence capability projects in line with ODCS and governance frameworks.
• Manage project schedules, budgets, risks, resources and reporting.
• Support project progression through capability lifecycle gates and decision points.
• Develop briefs, business cases, procurement docs and governance artefacts.
• Facilitate engagement with Defence, DDG, ADF, industry partners and international stakeholders.
• Lead project planning: schedules, work breakdown structures and milestones.
• Manage risks and issues with registers and mitigation strategies.
• Support acquisition and sustainment contract management incl. SOW reviews.
• Coordinate FIC activities for capability introduction and sustainment.
• Produce status reports, dashboards and executive briefings.
• Ensure outcomes align with Defence policy and regulatory requirements.
• Identify continuous improvement opportunities in delivery.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Multidisciplinary teams

Risk management

Defence governance

Security clearance NV1/NV2

EWIS knowledge

ASDEFCON contracting

Gate Reviews

FMS familiarity

DDG/EWIS program experience

Education

Degree in Project Management/Engineering/Business/Defence

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to support the delivery of critical Defence capability within the Electronic Warfare and Intelligence Systems (EWIS) environment.

Working within a complex stakeholder landscape, you will be responsible for coordinating and managing Defence projects through the capability lifecycle, from concept development and acquisition through to in-service support and sustainment. You will work closely with Commonwealth stakeholders, industry partners, and multidisciplinary project teams to deliver outcomes that directly contribute to Australia's national security objectives.

This role presents an opportunity to support some of Defence's most advanced and strategically important Electronic Warfare programs while applying best-practice project management principles in a highly regulated environment.

What You’ll Be Involved With:

• Manage the delivery of Defence capability projects in accordance with the One Defence Capability System (ODCS) and Commonwealth governance frameworks.
• Coordinate project schedules, budgets, risks, opportunities, resources and reporting requirements.
• Support project progression through Defence capability lifecycle gates and decision points.
• Develop and contribute to Cabinet submissions, project briefs, business cases, procurement documentation and governance artefacts.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement across Defence, Defence Delivery Group (DDG), Australian Defence Force (ADF), industry partners and international stakeholders.
• Lead project planning activities, including development of project schedules, work breakdown structures and milestone tracking.
• Manage project risks and issues, maintaining registers and implementing effective mitigation strategies.
• Support acquisition and sustainment contract management activities, including Statement of Work (SOW) development and contract deliverable reviews.
• Coordinate Fundamental Inputs to Capability (FIC) activities to support capability introduction, transition and sustainment.
• Produce high-quality project status reports, dashboards, executive briefings and committee papers.
• Ensure project outcomes align with Defence policy, governance and regulatory requirements.
• Identify continuous improvement opportunities to enhance project delivery effectiveness.

What We Would Like From You:

• Tertiary qualification in Project Management, Engineering, Business, Defence Studies or a related discipline.
• AIPM CPPM, PRINCE2 Practitioner, PMP or equivalent project management certification.
• Demonstrated experience delivering complex above the line projects within Defence.
• Strong understanding of Defence acquisition, sustainment and capability development processes.
• Proven ability to manage project risks, issues, budgets and stakeholder expectations.
• Experience preparing Defence governance documentation, submissions and reports.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building capability.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary and geographically dispersed teams.
• Current NV1 or NV2 AGSVA Security Clearance, or eligibility to obtain and maintain one.
• Experience within Electronic Warfare (EW), Intelligence, ISR, Communications, Land or Maritime capability domains.
• Knowledge of ASDEFCON contracting frameworks.
• Experience supporting projects through Gate Reviews and Capability Assurance processes.
• Familiarity with Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs and international Defence stakeholders.
• Experience working within DDG (formerly CASG), Joint Systems Division or EWIS programs.

Life at Nova - it all adds up!

With people being our point of difference, we deliver on promises, reward good work, champion professional growth and support flexibility, all within a diverse and inclusive culture that recognises moments that matter.

Life at Nova is our collection of employee benefits, designed to meet the many and varied needs of our people.

Just a few of the great benefits you will have access to are:

• Generous Parental Leave: Primary Carers receive 20 weeks paid leave; Partner Carers receive 4 weeks. Full superannuation contributions for up to 52 weeks
• Professional and Personal Development: Up to $5,000 per year of allowance with PD leave included. Up to $750 per year can be used towards well-being such as a gym membership or assets related to well-being activities
• Additional Leave: Ranges from - Reserve, Loyalty, Emergency Services, Purchased (up to 2 weeks), and Community Service
• Flexibility: We promote a culture that encourages and enables flexible ways of working that support our people
• Dress For Your Day: We empower our people to determine their outfit for the activities of the day which allows for personal expression that builds trust
• Reward & Recognition Program: Offering exclusive discounts from hundreds of major retailers, helping you to save on groceries, petrol, holidays, and more
• Employee Assistance Program: for employees and family members
• Annual Nova employee engagement: Great way to connect more broadly and strengthen your internal networks and have some fun!
• Well-being Hub with access to health and fitness content
• Access to Defence Health and Travel Insurance
• Free Flu Vaccination annually
• Novated Leasing and Salary Sacrifice
• Nova Employee Share Offer
• An inclusive, collaborative, and supportive culture
• Social activities throughout the year, we even dress up at times, think Safari - we don't like to take ourselves too seriously!

You can view the full range of benefits at https://www.novasystems.com/au/careers/life-at-nova-systems

Nova Systems is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, where everyone feels safe, valued, and included, where our people are our point of difference.

Nova Systems respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters in which we live and work, and we pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. Nova Systems also acknowledges the services of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have contributed to defending Australia and its national interests. To find out more about our commitment to Reconciliation - Nova Systems RAP

As a Defence security clearance is required for this role, applicants must be Australian Citizens and eligible to obtain and maintain an appropriate clearance. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) are applicable and as such, your nationality may be a factor in determining your suitability for this role. To learn more, please visit: www.defence.gov.au/security/clearances

About Nova:

Nova Systems is a global engineering services and technology solutions company with strategically located offices in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Singapore. From national Defence and essential services to border control and cyber security, these are the challenges we partner with our clients to anticipate, understand, and solve.

At Nova Systems, we provide highly specialised advice and solutions at scale, we are agile and ready to predict, react and respond. We refer to it as being "Optimised for Performance". Small enough to care, big enough to matter, we leverage the benefits of scale for our clients.

At Nova Systems we see things differently. We bring (and take) a different perspective. We are the smarts behind the solution.