Site Manager

RWR Construction; Whangarei; Hybrid; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

RWR Construction in Northland is seeking an experienced Site Manager for confirmed projects across Northland. You’ll own the site from establishment through to handover, run the programme, manage subcontractors, quality, H&S, deliveries and site records with minimal day-to-day input from the Project Manager.

You’ll read drawings and specifications, lead people, and maintain strong client and consultant relations while ensuring value is delivered and the build aligns with NZ standards.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering education or public-sector projects is valuable.
• Strong commercial site-management foundations are essential.
• Ability to lead subcontractors and coordinate deliveries on site.

Responsibilities

• Own the site from establishment through to handover and final commissioning.
• Coordinate subcontractors, manage inspections, deliveries and QA/H&S.
• Maintain site records and programme; drive value and variations where needed.
• Read drawings/specifications and deliver projects to NZ standards.
• Provide practical delivery knowledge to pre-construction planning and programmes.

Skills

Site management

Reading drawings

Lead people

Communication

Tools

Procore

Job description

We’re partnering with an established New Zealand construction business to find an experienced Site Manager for confirmed projects across Northland.

With a long history across commercial and public-sector construction, the business is also growing its capability in offsite and modular delivery, combining factory-built elements with full onsite construction.

You’ll be dedicated to your project and trusted to run the site with minimal day-to-day input from the Project Manager. You’ll make the calls, solve problems as they arise and keep the project moving - bringing your PM solutions and recommendations rather than a list of decisions to make.

You’ll own the site from establishment and enabling works through to installation, onsite completion and final handover. Programme, subcontractors, quality, H&S, materials, site records and the day-to-day performance of the project all sit within your remit. That can include classroom buildings, civil and enabling works, services, ablution facilities, accessibility infrastructure and substantial associated site works. Current projects include multi-level modular construction, so we’re looking for someone who understands the whole build, not simply the installation of a prefabricated building.

Experience delivering education or other public-sector projects would be valuable. Modular, offsite or prefab experience would also be an advantage, but neither is essential if you’ve got strong commercial site-management foundations.

You’ll run the programme, coordinate subcontractors, manage inspections and deliveries, maintain quality and H&S standards and make sure the site is ready for each stage of the build.

There’s a commercial element to the position too. You’ll understand subcontractor scopes, budgets, dayworks and variations, and make sure additional work is properly identified and recorded before value disappears. You’ll also take ownership of materials. The QS may place the orders, but you’ll make sure the right materials are actually onsite when they’re needed - including the seemingly small items capable of bringing a trade to a halt.

And your involvement won’t necessarily begin on day one onsite. The goal is to increasingly involve Site Managers during pre-construction, contributing practical delivery knowledge to programmes, P&Gs, resource requirements and subcontractor scopes before the job starts.

You could already be a strong Site Manager with a commercial main contractor, running projects with very little input from your PM.

You might be a Senior Foreman ready to take the next step, provided you can demonstrate that you’ve genuinely owned programme, subcontractors and delivery rather than simply supervised trades.

Or you could be a Junior/Assistant Project Manager who has strong construction knowledge and prefers being close to the action onsite. Whatever your title, you’ll know how a building goes together. You’ll be confident reading drawings and specifications, understand the NZ construction and inspection environment and be capable of running a project through to a clean, low-defect handover.

Just as importantly, you’ll know how to lead people. You’ll be able to hold subcontractors accountable without unnecessarily damaging relationships and represent the business professionally with clients, consultants, school staff and the wider public.

You’ll need to be comfortable with technology. This business is actively moving away from paper-heavy site management.

Procore is used to run the site, and diaries, H&S, QA, photos, RFIs, drawings, defects and variations are expected to be kept current as the work happens - not uploaded retrospectively because the PM has chased for them. Experience with Procore or a similar platform would be ideal. More important is being digitally capable, quick to learn and interested in using technology - including emerging AI tools - to work smarter.

There’s genuine ownership here. You’ll be trusted to run your site rather than having a Project Manager looking over your shoulder. The expectation is high, but you’ll have the autonomy to match it.

You’ll also be delivering projects with a tangible community impact, particularly across the education sector, while gaining exposure to a business investing in a growing offsite and modular construction capability.