Workforce Development Manager

Laing O'Rourke; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

In-house training programs and on-the‑

Six months paid parental leave

Purchased leave options

Discounts across retailers

Job summary

Laing O’Rourke in Australia is recruiting a Workforce Development Manager to lead strategic workforce programs for the AUKUS defense initiative in South Australia. You will shape capability development, deliver social procurement outcomes, and engage with shipbuilders, primes and regional stakeholders to forecast labour demand and address skills shortages.

You will build regional pathways from school engagement to skilled employment, establish partnerships with training providers, and drive

Qualifications

• Significant experience in strategic workforce planning and capability development within large infrastructure/defence programs.
• Demonstrated understanding of workforce development frameworks, vocational education and training systems in Australia.
• Experience delivering social procurement, employment and community benefit initiatives.
• Strong stakeholder management across government, industry, education and community sectors.
• Ability to develop workforce strategies aligned to long‑term program objectives.
• Experience building partnerships with training organisations, universities and industry bodies.
• Experience in grant applications or funding models for workforce initiatives.
• Strong analytical, reporting and workforce forecasting capabilities.
• Experience in defence, maritime, shipbuilding or advanced manufacturing sectors.
• Knowledge of the Australian Skills Guarantee and Commonwealth workforce policy requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of workforce initiatives meeting Australian Skills Guarantee requirements.
• Forecast future labour demand and identify skills gaps for the AUKUS program.
• Provide governance, performance reporting and capability insights to program leadership.
• Develop regional workforce attraction and retention initiatives and STEM pathways.
• Establish reporting frameworks to demonstrate compliance and outcomes.
• Develop an integrated workforce strategy aligned with program milestones.
• Coordinate training solutions with TAFE SA, universities and RTOs.

Skills

Strategic workforce planning

Capability development

Stakeholder management

Social procurement

Workforce forecasting

Partnerships with training orgs

Grant applications

Defence/shipbuilding experience

Policy knowledge (ASG)

Sovereign capability awareness

Job description

At Laing O’Rourke, you won’t just build projects, you’ll help shape the future. As a $6 billion privately owned global engineering and manufacturing-led construction leader, we deliver some of the nation’s most complex infrastructure, from transport networks to defence and utilities.

Be part of Australia’s largest-ever defence infrastructure program

Laing O’Rourke, with joint venture partner Amentum Australia, will play a central role in supporting Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) to develop and deliver the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Construction Yard (NPSCY) project at Osborne, South Australia. We will provide program and construction management services of nuclear related civil infrastructure, site‑wide nuclear licensee development expertise, and nuclear safety leadership. We are currently seeking a Workforce Development Manager to join our AUKUS team.

The Workforce Development Manager is responsible for leading the strategic development, implementation, and governance of workforce capability initiatives supporting the AUKUS program across South Australia. The role will drive long-term workforce sustainability by developing skills pipelines, strengthening regional capability, delivering social procurement outcomes, and ensuring compliance with the Australian Skills Guarantee.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of workforce initiatives that meet Australian Skills Guarantee requirements.
• Lead workforce engagement with shipbuilders, defence primes and supply chain partners to forecast future labour demand, identify critical skills shortages, and develop targeted workforce solutions that support AUKUS program delivery milestones.
• Provide strategic workforce governance, performance reporting and capability insights to program leadership, ensuring compliance with Australian Skills Guarantee requirements, social procurement commitments, and broader sovereign capability objectives.
• Develop and implement regional workforce attraction and retention initiatives, including STEM engagement, school-to-industry pathways, workforce mobility programs, and campaigns that build long‑term shipbuilding capability across South Australia.
• Establish reporting frameworks to demonstrate compliance and workforce development outcomes.
• Develop and maintain an integrated workforce strategy aligned with AUKUS program milestones and future shipbuilding demand.
• Undertake workforce forecasting and labour market analysis to identify emerging capability gaps and risks.
• Develop workforce mobilisation and retention strategies to support long‑term program requirements.
• Design and implement workforce initiatives that deliver measurable social procurement outcomes.
• Increase participation opportunities for Indigenous Australians, women, veterans, regional communities, and other underrepresented groups through attraction and skills‑development pathways
• Establish strategic partnerships with TAFE SA, universities, Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), industry bodies, and government agencies.
• Coordinate development of training solutions aligned with emerging defence and shipbuilding requirements.
• Lead development of workforce pathways from school engagement through to skilled employment.
• Build supply chain capability in attraction, retention and skill development through education and mentoring
• Contract management of workforce development and social procurement KPIs downstream and upstream
• Drive initiatives that strengthen South Australia’s long‑term workforce capacity and industrial capability.

About You

• Significant experience in strategic workforce planning and capability development within major infrastructure, defence, manufacturing, or industrial programs.
• Demonstrated understanding of workforce development frameworks, vocational education, and training systems in Australia with the ability to turn into practical business strategies.
• Experience delivering social procurement, employment, and community benefit initiatives that align to the business, project and client objectives.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills across government, industry, education, and community sectors.
• Proven ability to develop and implement workforce strategies aligned to long‑term program objectives that create commercial and strategic value.
• Experience establishing partnerships with training organisations, universities, and industry bodies.
• Experience in grant applications or funding models to deliver workforce strategies
• Strong analytical, reporting, and workforce forecasting capabilities.
• Experience within defence, maritime, shipbuilding, or advanced manufacturing sectors.
• Knowledge of the Australian Skills Guarantee and Commonwealth workforce policy requirements.
• Understanding of sovereign industrial capability and defence industry workforce challenges.
• Ability to balance contractual, government, community and business objectives.
• Applicants must be Australian citizens and hold or be able to obtain an Australian Defence Security Clearance to NV1 level.

At the heart of Laing O’Rourke is our commitment to helping our people do their best work and grow meaningful, fulfilling careers. Through exceptional development opportunities, wellbeing support, and employee benefits, we empower our teams to succeed. We celebrate diversity and welcome applications from First Nations Peoples and candidates from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Our industry-leading benefits include:

• In-house training programs and on-the-job skill development.
• Industry-leading parental leave giving all employees access to six months paid parental leave at full pay.
• Additional purchased leave options, and access to volunteering leave.
• Exclusive discounts and savings across hundreds of retailers across Australia.

Head to our benefits page here - Benefits & Rewards