Project Controls Lead

About the Project

John Holland has been named as the preferred contractor to deliver the North-East Link, Hoddle St to Bourke Road package of works. The Eastern Hoddle Bourke Alliance (EHBA) is made up of John Holland, Seymour Whyte and design partners Mott MacDonald and Jacobs Group, in partnership with MRPV.

The scope of works includes upgrading six kilometres of the Freeway with new traffic lanes, bridge upgrades and urban noise walls, a dedicated busway (fully segregated from mainline traffic), and a new bridge over the Yarra River.

The NEL Project involves the design and construction of the upgrade of the Eastern Freeway from Hoddle Street in the west to Burke Road in the east, including:

- 6km of brownfield freeway widening to accommodate additional traffic lanes in each direction
- 3km dedicated busway separated from mainline traffic
- Significant structures including 600m of bridges, including a 180m architectural steel shared use path bridge of the Yarra River
- Freeway-wide scope including ITS, retaining walls, stormwater drainage, noise walls, lighting and signage

Site location to be around Chandler Highway / Eastern Freeway interchange.

About the Role

The Project Controls Lead is responsible for establishing and managing processes related to project cost control, risk management, performance monitoring, and reporting. This ensures the provision of timely and accurate information to support on-time and on-budget project delivery in accordance with NEL procedures across the full project lifecycle.

In addition to these technical responsibilities, the Project Controls Lead will manage a team of cost control professionals, ensuring effective coordination, capability development, and performance management within the cost control function.

All our employees have a key role in ensuring the success of NEL’s health, safety, environmental & quality management program and to fulfil this, each person must adopt the Projects core safety and environmental values.

What you will do;

- Develop, implement, and continuously improve project controls processes for cost management, risk, and performance monitoring to ensure effective project delivery in line with organisational and NEL requirements.
- Lead and supervise the project controls team, providing functional oversight, capability development, and mentoring to foster a high-performing, collaborative team culture.
- Establish and maintain project cost control systems, including budget tracking, variance analysis, forecasting, and earned value management, to support informed financial decision-making.
- Implement and operate project monitoring tools (e.g. Virtual Super, digital dockets, site diaries), providing training and support to internal teams and subcontractors to ensure accurate and consistent data capture.
- Generate accurate and timely project performance reports, including KPIs, cost-to-complete, earned value, and trend analysis, to support internal and external stakeholder reporting requirements.
- Conduct risk identification and change control, ensuring timely mitigation planning, assessment of impacts, and alignment of cost and schedule with any changes to project scope.
- Engage with project teams and stakeholders to ensure proactive communication, early identification of issues and opportunities, and alignment on project objectives.
- Promote a strong project controls culture based on best practice, continuous improvement, and a focus on risk-informed, data-driven decision-making.
- Ensure compliance with organisational policies, systems, governance frameworks, and regulatory requirements, including those specific to NEL.
- Support project leadership with data interpretation and insights, assisting in forward planning, project optimisation, and development of corrective actions as required.
- Compile and maintain reference and benchmarking data to support future estimating, planning, and continuous improvement efforts.

What we are looking for;

Qualifications

Tertiary degree, preferably in one of the following disciplines - Engineering, Construction, Building, Sciences, Architecture or Project Management, or equivalent experience

Experience

- Demonstrated years of experience in Construction, Engineering, Commercial Project/Cost Control, Earned Value, Risk Management, Change Control
- Multi-disciplined Commercial Project/Cost Control experience ideally for Major Projects
- Leadership and management of Commercial Project/Cost Control teams.
- Intermediate to advanced proficiency in relevant software packages such as Microsoft Suite (including Excel) and Project / Cost Control and Earned value systems

As part of the team, you help us deliver on our promise to transform lives.

Your success is reflected in ours, so we’re committed to being an employer of choice. We pride ourselves on having a diverse and inclusive workplace, as different perspectives and ideas will deliver our long-term success.

We’ll do all we can to help you develop your skills, and make a difference, right from the start. We have a flexible workplace and focus on all aspects of your physical and mental health and safety. We want you to be with us for the long-term, so providing you with rich career experiences and ongoing development is our priority.

We Offer;

Competitive remuneration with salary continuance, and salary sacrifice packaging options available.

Great leave benefits including 18 weeks paid parental leave with superannuation and up to an extra 18 weeks of superannuation paid on further periods of unpaid parental leave, multicultural leave exchange and two additional John Holland Days to prioritise health and wellbeing.

Career progression underpinned by our exciting pipeline of work means you/'ll have the opportunity to work on iconic projects that are shaping cities and communities.

Learning and development opportunities where you/'ll have access to emerging talent programs, building your career through clear career pathways, and technical and leadership training and development opportunities.

Inclusion and diversity is part of how we work and do what we do at John Holland. Our active commitment to being an employer of choice is evident in the delivery of our Gender Equality Strategic Plan supported by our Pride, Celebrate Women, RAP and Grow networks.

Flexible working that works for you as we know flexibility means different things to different people. Whether it/'s flexi-hours, flexi-parenting, flexi-leave, flexi-shifts, flexi-work, we/'re committed to helping our people work flexibly.

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