Senior Project Manager (Civil Construction)

Chandler Macleod; Cairns Regional; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Chandler Macleod in Cairns is seeking an experienced Senior Project Leader to own civil construction projects end-to-end, from mobilisation to completion, with hands-on leadership of delivery teams and careful management of safety, quality and client outcomes.

Based in Cairns, the role emphasizes regional civil infrastructure projects, budgets, procurement, and commercial performance, offering genuine responsibility in a supportive, engineering-led environment.

Qualifications

• A Civil Engineering degree is highly regarded.
• 5+ years in civil construction, with project management experience.

Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for project delivery from mobilisation through to completion.
• Lead Project Engineers, Site Engineers, supervisors, subcontractors and project support resources.
• Manage budgets, forecasting, cost performance and overall commercial outcomes.
• Develop and drive construction programmes and achieve key milestones.
• Manage procurement, subcontractors, variations and contractual requirements.
• Maintain high standards across safety, quality, compliance and risk.
• Build relationships with clients, stakeholders and delivery partners.
• Provide practical leadership to resolve issues and keep projects moving.
• Be accountable for project and team performance.

Skills

Project leadership

Commercial management

Team leadership

Education

Degree in Civil Engineering

Job description

Permanent | Cairns | Senior Project Leadership | Civil Construction

For an experienced civil Project Manager, this is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of project delivery, with responsibility extending well beyond programme management and reporting.

Based in Cairns, this permanent Senior Project Manager position sits within an established civil construction business delivering a diverse range of infrastructure projects.

This isn't a role sitting several layers removed from construction. You'll have overall responsibility for the project and its performance, leading the delivery team while maintaining oversight across commercial, programme, quality, safety, client and construction outcomes.

You’ll be supported by an experienced engineering and quality team, including Project Engineers, Site Engineers and quality resources. The expectation is that you’ll provide the leadership, direction and commercial oversight needed to keep projects performing from mobilisation through to completion.

What you’ll be responsible for:

Your remit will cover the full lifecycle of civil construction projects, including:

• Taking overall responsibility for project delivery from mobilisation through to completion
• Leading Project Engineers, Site Engineers, supervisors, subcontractors and project support resources
• Managing project budgets, forecasting, cost performance and overall commercial outcomes
• Developing and driving construction programmes and ensuring key milestones are achieved
• Managing procurement, subcontractors, variations and contractual requirements
• Maintaining strong standards across safety, quality, compliance and project risk
• Building effective relationships with clients, stakeholders and delivery partners
• Providing practical leadership and direction to resolve issues and keep projects moving
• Taking accountability for the performance of both the project and the team delivering it

Who we’re looking for:

We’re looking for someone who has built their career close to civil construction delivery and understands what it means to have genuine accountability for the whole project.

This will particularly suit someone experienced in a regional or mid‑sized civil contractor environment, where Project Managers are expected to understand the commercial detail, know what’s happening on site, lead their teams and take ownership of the final outcome.

To be considered, you’ll need to bring:

• A Degree in Civil Engineering (highly regarded)
• Substantial experience in civil construction, with ideally five or more years operating at Project Manager level
• A strong contractor‑side background delivering civil infrastructure projects
• Demonstrated experience taking projects from planning and mobilisation through construction to completion
• Strong commercial capability across budgets, forecasting, procurement, contracts and cost control
• Experience leading engineering, construction and subcontractor teamsA practical understanding of civil construction methodology, quality, safety and project risk
• The judgement and leadership capability to make decisions, solve problems and remain accountable for project outcomes

Why consider the opportunity?

If you’re looking for a role where you can have genuine influence over how projects are run, this is an opportunity to take ownership without being lost within a large corporate project structure.

You’ll be close enough to the work to understand what’s happening on site while having the autonomy and support to lead the broader project, team and commercial outcomes.

The opportunity offers:

• A permanent Senior Project Manager position based in Cairns
• Genuine end‑to‑end ownership of civil construction projects
• Dedicated engineering and quality support
• A hands‑on leadership role with direct influence over project performance
• An established civil construction environment where experienced Project Managers are trusted to lead
• Exposure to a diverse range of civil infrastructure projects

This could particularly suit an experienced Senior Project Manager or Project Manager who has built a career within civil contracting and is ready for broader responsibility across projects, people and commercial performance.