Area Construction Lead - Mechanical Structural and Piping (MSP)

Area Construction Lead (Mechanical, Structural and Piping)
 
Our client, Rio Tinto Aluminium (Queensland Alumina Limited), is a world‑class mining and metals organisation transforming natural resources into the building blocks of modern life. With a strong focus on safety, sustainability, and innovation, Rio Tinto delivers high‑impact sustaining capital projects that support safe, reliable, and efficient operations across Australia.

 
About the Role
 
This is an exciting opportunity for a self‑motivated and technically strong Area Construction lead to deliver construction leadership across design, construction, and commissioning phases for digestion projects, within a complex Brownfield environment. Based in Brisbane or Gladstone, this role is accountable for ensuring construction activities are delivered in accordance with specifications, strategies and standards. This position will require travel to Brisbane or Gladstone, as required.
 

Key Responsibilities

• Champion a strong safety culture and support the Sustaining Capital Projects Leadership Team in driving high performance.
• Contribute to schedule management by validating progress, updating forecasts, and providing input to the master schedule.
• Foster a collaborative and positive team environment aligned with RTA values and behaviours.
• Provide constructability input into design deliverables, specifications, and vendor packages.
• Support modularisation and pre-assembly assessments, logistics planning, and construction work packaging (CWP/IWP)
• Validate installation sequencing, temporary works, lifting and cranage envelopes, laydown areas, hydrotest and isolation strategies, and brownfield tie-ins.
• Contribute to the Construction Readiness Plan, including site establishment, materials management, temporary facilities, and utilities.
• Participate in tender reviews and provide technical input into contractor award recommendations.

• Coordinate construction resources to safely and efficiently deliver the assigned SMP scope.
• Manage interfaces between Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Operations Readiness teams.
• Oversee RFI and TQ processes, ensuring timely resolution of site-based technical issues.
• Lead brownfield tie-ins, isolations, shutdowns, and SIMOPS execution.
• Provide oversight of critical construction risks including lifting operations, temporary works, scaffolding, and access systems.
• Own area schedule performance and productivity, lead progress reviews, and implement recovery plans where required.
• Drive Mechanical Completion, pre-commissioning, and handover to Commissioning in line with the Project Execution Plan (PEP).

 
About You
 

• Demonstrated safety leadership and commitment to safe execution.
• Minimum  10 years’ industry experience, with strong exposure to SMP construction.
• Project Management understanding –with complex site (mining, refining, chemicals, or oil and gas) with on-site experience leading construction projects.
• Experience across the full project lifecycle, from detailed design through to execution and commissioning.
• Proven capability managing construction contractors and influencing cross-functional teams.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office and construction scheduling / estimating tools.
• Trade qualification or tertiary qualification in Mechanical, Structural, or Piping disciplines (or equivalent experience).
• Demonstrated delivery of multi-contract SMP scopes on Tier 1 or Tier 2 projects.
• Competency in construction planning, progress measurement, field change control, and contractor performance management.

 
Desirable Experience

• 10+ years of SMP construction leadership within heavy process industries (alumina/refining, chemicals, oil & gas, mining).
• Experience in brownfield and shutdown execution environments.
• Exposure to modularisation, pre-assembly, and Advanced Work Packaging (CWP/IWP).

 
Apply now  to take the next step in your construction project leadership career.



At Chandler Macleod, we are committed to fostering a diverse workforce where everyone is welcome. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, neurodiverse, people living with a disability and the LGBTIQA+ community.

You can read more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion at https://www.chandlermacleod.com/diversity-and-inclusion.