Senior Project Manager - Government & Community Projects

Melbourne | Permanent 

An established and growing majority Indigenous-owned construction business is looking for an experienced Project Manager / Senior Project Manager to join their Melbourne team.

With a strong pipeline of government-funded work, the business delivers complex projects across Defence, education, health, emergency services and civil infrastructure. The company operates with the capability and systems of a Tier 1 environment while maintaining the culture, autonomy and agility of a standalone business.

The Role
This is an opportunity for a seasoned Project Manager to take ownership of multiple projects while providing guidance to a relatively young delivery team.

You will be responsible for the full project lifecycle, with a strong focus on programming, commercial management and contractual administration, as well as project delivery. Working within a lean team of PM, CA and Site Manager, you will need to be comfortable understanding the detail behind the contract, reviewing clauses, forecasting, managing payment applications and maintaining commercial control.

You will also work closely with the Construction Manager and have the opportunity to become increasingly involved in client relationships and business development.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage projects from pre-construction through to completion
• Develop and manage detailed project programs using MS Project
• Oversee project budgets, forecasting, variations and payment applications
• Review and manage contractual obligations, clauses and project risks
• Coordinate consultants, subcontractors and project stakeholders
• Provide leadership, guidance and mentoring to junior team members
• Manage multiple complex projects with potentially fast turnaround times
• Build strong relationships with clients and subcontractors
• Work closely with the Construction Manager on delivery and strategy
• Develop client relationships and contribute to future business development

Current Projects
The business has a strong pipeline of government and community projects, including:

• $9M regional Victorian school project 
• Victorian SES / emergency services projects
• Aboriginal Youth Centre 
• Further Defence, education, health and civil infrastructure opportunities across Victoria and interstate

The role is Melbourne-based, with regional travel every few weeks, generally for a few days at a time.

About You
You will be an experienced Project Manager who can operate with a high level of autonomy and bring maturity and commercial understanding to the team.
You will ideally have:

• Strong experience delivering commercial, government, education, health, Defence or community projects
• Excellent programming capability
• Strong contract administration and commercial knowledge
• Experience with forecasting, payment claims, variations and contractual obligations
• The confidence to manage subcontractors and consultants
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• The ability to mentor and support less experienced team members
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach
• The confidence to eventually contribute to business development

Experience with MS Project, Procore, HammerTech, VisiBuild or similar systems would be advantageous.

The Opportunity

The business genuinely values work-life balance, with rare Saturday work, standard office hours, occasional WFH flexibility and the ability to accommodate commitments such as school pick-up.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced PM who wants to step into a role where they can have a genuine impact — leading projects, mentoring a team and helping shape the continued growth of an established construction business.