Workforce Development Manager

Laing O'Rourke group; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

In-house training

Parental leave (6 months)

Additional leave options

Discounts across retailers

Job summary

Laing O’Rourke is seeking a Workforce Development Manager to lead strategic workforce capability initiatives for Australia’s largest-ever defence infrastructure program. You will oversee skills pipelines, regional capability, social procurement outcomes and compliance with the Australian Skills Guarantee across South Australia.

The role focuses on shaping long-term shipbuilding capability, coordinating with TAFE SA, universities and industry bodies, and driving regional workforce mobilisation.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in strategic workforce planning and capability development within major infrastructure, defence, manufacturing, or industrial programs.
• Experience delivering social procurement and community benefit initiatives aligned to project objectives.
• Strong stakeholder management across government, industry, education and community sectors.
• Proven ability to develop workforce strategies aligned to long-term program objectives.
• Experience establishing partnerships with training organisations and universities.

Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of workforce initiatives meeting Australian Skills Guarantee requirements.
• Forecast labour demand with shipbuilders, primes and the supply chain; identify skill shortages and develop solutions.
• Provide governance, performance reporting and capability insights to program leadership.
• Develop regional workforce attraction, STEM engagement and school-to-industry pathways.
• Establish reporting frameworks to demonstrate compliance and outcomes.
• Develop an integrated workforce strategy aligned with program milestones and shipbuilding demand.
• Undertake labour market analysis to identify capability gaps and risks.
• Design mobility programs and campaigns to build long-term capability.
• Drive social procurement outcomes and indigenous/women/veterans participation initiatives.
• Build partnerships with TAFE SA, universities, RTOs and government bodies.

Skills

Strategic workforce planning

Capability development

Stakeholder management

Social procurement

Workforce forecasting

Governance & reporting

Industry collaboration

Grant/funding knowledge

Defence/shipbuilding domain

Australia skills policy

Job description

About the Project

At Laing O’Rourke, youwon’tjust build projects,you’llhelp shape the future. As a $6 billion privately owned global engineeringand manufacturing-led constructionleader, we deliver some of the nation’s most complex infrastructure, from transport networks to defence and utilities.

Be part ofAustralia’s largest-ever defence infrastructure program

Laing O’Rourke, with joint venture partner Amentum Australia,will playa central rolein supportingAustralianNaval Infrastructure (ANI)to develop and deliver theNuclear-PoweredSubmarineConstructionYard(NPSCY)project at Osborne, South Australia.We will provide program and construction management services of nuclear related civil infrastructure,site‑widenuclear licensee developmentexpertise, 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.

Benefits

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