Project Manager

AARNet is seeking an experienced and highly focused Project Manager within the Infrastructure Development Group to oversee and manage the delivery of large telecommunications fibre construction projects. As Project Manager you will drive & be accountable for the successful delivery of optical fibre construction projects, planning, coordinating, tracking, and managing all key activities relating to delivery. A strong sense of ownership for your projects will drive the successful on time & on budget delivery of AARNet's future national fibre network.  Substantial experience managing projects in the telecommunications or a similar linear construction industry, will support you to effectively oversee project activities and manage interdependencies across projects and sub-projects. You are an excellent problem solver and your ability to interpret information to develop creative & effective solutions will ensure you are able anticipate roadblocks & propel project resolutions.  Outstanding communication and presentation skills are a critical requirement of this role. You will regularly engage & collaborate with both internal external stakeholders. You are articulate and perceptive and your ability to empathise and listen will ensure you are able to understand key project requirements & challenges and influence positive outcomes.  A delivery focused, can-do attitude will underpin your success in this role.  

About AARNet  

Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNet), founded in 1989, has played a pivotal role in shaping Australia's digital landscape as the pioneers of the country's Internet. Our mission extends beyond mere connectivity; we are the architects, builders, and operators of a world-class network infrastructure that fuels critical research and learning. At AARNet, innovation thrives within a vibrant community. 

Connecting a Million Minds: Our extensive reach interconnects over one million users—from researchers and faculty to staff and students—across institutions throughout Australia. Whether it's high-energy physics, climate science, genomics, radio astronomy, or the arts, we serve as the backbone supporting education and research across diverse disciplines. 

National and International Collaboration: Nationally, AARNet links Australian universities, the CSIRO, and other organizations with a research and education mission. But our impact extends beyond borders. Internationally, we bridge the Australian Research and Education (R & E) community to the world, continuously developing capabilities and forging partnerships for seamless data access and transfer. 

Supporting Innovation: While our core mission revolves around network infrastructure, we also offer a suite of supporting applications enabling collaborative research and education. 

Our Culture: At AARNet, we're a dynamic team of innovators, doers, and courageous thinkers. We don't settle for the status quo; instead, we anticipate the future needs of our customers and build solutions today. If you share our imagination, foresight, and drive to shape the future, consider joining us on this exciting journey. 

The Role 

AARNet is seeking an experienced and highly focused Project Manager within the Infrastructure Development Group to oversee and manage the delivery of large telecommunications fibre construction projects. 

As Project Manager you will drive & be accountable for the successful delivery of optical fibre construction projects, planning, coordinating, tracking, and managing all key activities relating to delivery. A strong sense of ownership for your projects will drive the successful on time & on budget delivery of AARNet's future national fibre network. 

Substantial experience managing projects in the telecommunications or a similar linear construction industry, will support you to effectively oversee project activities and manage interdependencies across projects and sub-projects. You are an excellent problem solver and your ability to interpret information to develop creative & effective solutions will ensure you are able anticipate roadblocks & propel project resolutions.  

Outstanding communication and presentation skills are a critical requirement of this role. You will regularly engage & collaborate with both internal external stakeholders. You are articulate and perceptive and your ability to empathise and listen will ensure you are able to understand key project requirements & challenges and influence positive outcomes.  

A delivery focused, can-do attitude will underpin your success in this role.  

Responsibilities 

As Project Manager you will demonstrate accountability for the successful delivery of large fibre infrastructure project(s). The role will require you to schedule & track elements such as design, planning, permits & approvals, civils construction, equipment deployment & service provisioning while managing conflicting project priorities. In the role you will regularly conduct project analysis to track value management across the design and construction of projects & manage resource utilisation effectively.  

You are skilled at communicating information in a clear and concise manner and possess a significant capability to effect influence on Construction & Project Delivery teams. Working within IDG's Project Management team, you exhibit robust leadership skills and are capable of guiding others working collaboratively to collect and collate key project information and network positive project outcomes.  

Risk management is a key accountability for the role, identifying, evaluating, and managing risks both within & across projects and sub-projects as well as highlighting and managing potential inter-project dependencies. Empowered by your ability to think critically, you will successfully anticipate project challenges and take proactive action. You will plan for and mitigate complex project issues, drawing on your previous experience and excellent problem-solving skills to analyse information, developing and recommending creative solutions to implement. You are inquisitive and are able to probe for and synthesise the important elements of a problem in order to resolve or guide resolutions.  

A comprehensive understanding of project management principles combined with excellent time management & prioritisation skills, will form a core foundation for this role as you develop and maintain complex project schedules with achievable milestones & targets.  

Reporting and effective stakeholder management are critical responsibilities of the Project Manager role. You will confidently report & present both internally and externally, feeding and collecting information such as risks, resourcing, budgets, schedules & progress to and from senior management, construction teams, customers & partners while maintaining productive working relationships. Your strong interpersonal skills will assist you to understand internal and customer requirements and translate this information into practical project objectives.  

Expertise, experience & qualifications 

• You are required to be an Australian Citizen.
• You have a tertiary level qualification, or substantial experience in a similar role 
• You have a reasonable knowledge of linear construction methodologies (knowledge/experience with telecommunications infrastructure construction is highly desirable) 
• You have excellent time management skills 
• Project Management Certification(s) and/or demonstrated experience 
• You are confident leading and working within teams and can multi-task against competing priorities 
• You are competent using a broad range of office software applications including Microsoft Word, Excel & Project and are comfortable using scheduling software applications 
• You have a career of acquired business and commercial knowledge including a solid understanding of business economics, financial fundamentals as well as legal and regulatory frameworks.  
• You understand commercial agreements and have experience in contract negotiation, comfortable with terms, definitions, implications, and common commercial lingo.  

Conditions of employment 

AARNet is committed to diversity and providing equal opportunity to all. We're a great place to work if you want to make a difference. 

AARNet provides competitive remuneration and a host of other benefits including: 

• 17% superannuation; 
• Flexible work options; 
• Options to purchase additional Annual Leave; 
• 24 weeks paid - Parental Leave for primary caregiver; 
• 24 weeks paid - Adoption Leave; 
• 16 weeks paid – Paternity Leave; 
• 6 weeks paid – Parental Leave for secondary caregiver; 
• 20 days paid - Family & Domestic Violence Leave; 
• 4 weeks paid - Death of a Child Leave; 
• 4 weeks paid - Death of a Close Family Member Leave; 
• 5 days paid – Natural Disaster Leave; 
• Strong Equal Opportunity focus; 
• Sector leader in Social Responsibility and Ethics; and 
• A culture and company structure that allows your career to grow with access to leading edge technologies.