Project Controls Manager
Australia, Western Australia, Perth
Experience: > 10 Years
Mining
Introduction
Brunel is recruiting a Project Controls Manager for a major critical minerals project helping establish new downstream processing capability in Australia. This is a rare opportunity to join a nationally significant development involving a large-scale, integrated processing facility supporting the global energy transition.
This is a pivotal, high-visibility role within the owner's team, responsible for ensuring project cost, schedule, risk and performance are visible, understood and actively managed. Sitting at the intersection of EPCM delivery, owner governance and external stakeholder confidence, this role will play a key part in how project performance is communicated and challenged at the highest levels.
The standout requirement for this role is demonstrated experience presenting project controls updates, forecasts and reporting to a Board, equity partners, lenders and technical experts, while confidently fielding detailed questions on cost, schedule and project performance.
About this role
Reporting to the Project Director, the Project Controls Manager will lead the project controls framework across cost control, planning, scheduling, forecasting, earned value, risk and performance reporting. The position can be based in Perth, Brisbane or remote with regular travel.
You will provide oversight of EPCM cost control, scheduling, estimating and progress measurement, while ensuring strong alignment between contractor reporting and owner governance and financial reporting requirements. You will also support business reporting packs, external audits, technical due diligence and senior project decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
- Present project controls updates to Board, equity partners, lenders and technical experts, and respond to detailed questions on cost, schedule and performance
- Lead project controls across cost, schedule, forecasting, progress measurement, reporting and risk
- Provide oversight of EPCM cost control, estimating, planning and progress reporting
- Establish and maintain integrated schedule and cost control, cashflow forecasting and earned value systems
- Prepare business reporting packs including progress curves, variance analysis and forecasts
- Present project controls updates to Board, equity partners, lenders and technical experts, and respond to detailed questions on cost, schedule and performance
- Produce monthly project performance reports, forecasts and variance analysis
- Coordinate risk and change management processes, including mitigation strategies for emerging issues
- Ensure traceability between EPCM reporting and owner financial reporting requirements
- Support senior project leadership with performance reviews and decision-making
- Maintain the project risk register and trend management processes aligned with business requirements
- Support external audits and technical due diligence
- Help build project controls capability across the owner's team for longer-term continuity
Is this you?
You will be a seasoned project controls leader with strong experience across major resources, industrial or capital project environments. You will bring the technical depth to manage complex cost and schedule performance, together with the executive presence to engage credibly with senior internal and external stakeholders.
We are particularly interested in candidates with:
- Degree qualifications in Engineering, Finance or Project Management
- Extensive experience in project controls within major resources or industrial projects
- Strong capability in cost engineering, planning, earned value management and risk analysis
- Prior experience interacting with and providing updates to Boards, executive teams and external stakeholders
- Experience establishing project controls frameworks within EPCM delivery models
- Demonstrated ability to align contractor reporting systems with owner governance and financial reporting requirements
- Proficiency in Primavera P6, EcoSys or equivalent systems
- Australian driver's licence
- Exposure to greenfield or first-of-kind processing facilities will be highly regarded
- The confidence and judgement to operate effectively in a complex, greenfield, high-accountability environment
Why This Opportunity Stands Out
This project is helping deliver Australia's first integrated rare earths processing facility, creating a rare opportunity to step into a role with genuine strategic relevance, executive visibility and long-term significance. It is the kind of appointment that will appeal to someone who wants to influence not only project performance, but how that performance is governed, reported and defended at owner, investor and lender level.
What we offer
- Executive remuneration plus fixed equity
- High-profile owner's team role on a nationally significant project
- Direct exposure to Board, lenders, equity partners and senior technical stakeholders
- Flexible location options with Perth, Brisbane or remote base and regular site presence
- Opportunity to contribute to a first-of-kind processing development with global strategic relevance
- Work on a project supporting supply chain resilience and the energy transition
- Strong visibility, influence and career-defining scope within a major project environment
About Brunel
Brunel is a recruitment and flexible workforce solution provider which connects talented people with opportunities throughout Australasia and around the world. We specialise in highly skilled roles across a variety of technical, professional, trades and craft disciplines, pairing candidates with industry-leading projects and organisations on a contract, permanent or secondment basis.
Operating in Australasia since 1997, Brunel has major bases of operation in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Port Moresby, which are further backed by the strength and reach of a truly global network spanning over 45 countries, 120 offices and 50 years of successful operation.
Brunel is proud to be equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and female candidates.
Do you have questions?
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the details of this role, please contact Scott McAdam: 0404 653 603 | s.mcadam@brunel.net