Project Engineer

Fletcher Building Limited; Wellington; Hybrid; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

KiwiSaver employer contributions up to

Ongoing training and development

Career progression opportunities

Job summary

Higgins Wellington is seeking a driven Project Engineer to own delivery of civil construction and road maintenance projects across the Wellington region. You will lead planning, programming, and on-site coordination while providing technical leadership across engineering and quality functions.

Key qualifications include a background in civil construction, strong stakeholder management, and a tertiary engineering discipline.

Qualifications

• Proven civil construction or road maintenance delivery experience.
• Experience leading projects, workstreams, or sections of work.
• Understanding of construction methodologies and engineering principles.
• Strong planning, programming, and site coordination capabilities.
• Commercial awareness incl. cost control, claims, forecasting, and contract administration.
• Experience managing subcontractors and multiple stakeholders.
• Strong communication, leadership, and relationship-building skills.
• Tertiary qualification in Engineering or related discipline.
• Full Class 1 driver’s licence.
• Road maintenance experience advantageous
• Familiarity with NZS3910/NZS3917 contracts beneficial

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, coordination, and delivery of construction/maintenance activities.
• Own project/workstream delivery from planning through to completion.
• Drive short/medium-term programming and daily site coordination.
• Provide technical leadership across engineering, quality, and compliance.
• Oversee setting out, verification, and technical assurance activities.
• Manage quality systems, ITPs, and project documentation.
• Monitor progress, identify risks, and implement corrective actions.
• Support commercial performance through cost tracking, forecasting and variations.
• Coordinate subcontractors and suppliers for safe, high-quality delivery.
• Build strong relationships with clients, consultants, and stakeholders.
• Champion health, safety, environment, and quality standards.
• Coach Site Engineers, Graduates, and delivery teams.

Skills

Civil construction

Project leadership

Site coordination

Contract administration

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Communication

Relationship building

Education

Tertiary qualification in Engineering/Construction

Tools

AWM RAMM

Job description

Higgins Wellington is looking for a driven and capable Project Engineer to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone ready to take ownership of project delivery, provide technical leadership, and contribute to the successful delivery of civil construction and road maintenance projects across the Wellington region.

What you'll be doing

• Leading the planning, coordination, and delivery of construction and maintenance activities
• Taking ownership of project or workstream delivery from planning through to completion
• Driving short and medium-term programming and daily site coordination
• Providing technical leadership across engineering, quality, and compliance functions
• Overseeing setting out, verification, and technical assurance activities
• Managing quality systems, ITPs, project documentation, and non-conformance resolution
• Monitoring progress, identifying risks, and implementing corrective actions
• Supporting commercial performance through claims, cost tracking, forecasting, and variation management
• Coordinating subcontractors and suppliers to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality delivery
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients, consultants, subcontractors, and internal stakeholders
• Championing health, safety, environmental, and quality standards across all activities
• Coaching and supporting Site Engineers, Graduates, and delivery teams

What you'll bring to the role

• Proven experience in civil construction, infrastructure, or road maintenance project delivery
• Experience leading projects, workstreams, or sections of work
• Sound understanding of construction methodologies and engineering principles
• Strong planning, programming, and site coordination capabilities
• Commercial awareness, including cost control, claims, variations, forecasting, and contract administration
• Experience managing subcontractors and multiple stakeholders
• Strong communication, leadership, and relationship-building skills
• Ability to solve problems, make sound decisions, and manage competing priorities
• Tertiary qualification in Engineering, Construction, or a related discipline
• Full Class 1 driver's licence
• Experience in road maintenance operations would be highly advantageous
• Working knowledge of AWM (RAMM) and familiarity with NZS3910 and NZS3917 contracts would be beneficial
• Competitive salary package
• Permanent, full-time role with guaranteed 40 hours per week
• KiwiSaver employer contributions matched up to 4%
• Ongoing training and development opportunities
• Support to gain additional qualifications and licences
• A wide range of benefits for you and your family
• Career progression opportunities within one of New Zealand's leading infrastructure businesses

About Higgins

Higgins is a leading construction and infrastructure company, proudly building and maintaining roads, bridges, and civil projects that connect communities across New Zealand.

With a strong focus on safety, quality, and sustainability, we deliver projects that make a real difference. At Higgins, you'll join a team that values collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. We believe our people are the foundation of our success and are committed to helping them grow and thrive.

Higgins is committed to a drug-free workplace. The successful applicant will be required to pass pre-employment drug and alcohol testing, along with a medical assessment, as part of our recruitment process.