National Pre-Contracts Manager

We have an exceptional opportunity for a strategic, people-focused leader to join our Infrastructure Delivery team within T&I as a National Pre-Contracts Manager

At Downer we plan, create and sustain. Downer is the leading provider of integrated services in Australia and New Zealand. Through trusted relationships and world leading insight we work closely with our customers to design, build and sustain assets, infrastructure, and facilities.

The Opportunity | Te kōwhiringa

We have an exceptional opportunity for a strategic, people-focused leader to join our Infrastructure Delivery team within T&I as a National Pre-Contracts Manager, reporting to the EGM - Infrastructure Delivery.

This is a career-defining, senior national leadership role and a new, elevated position that significantly expands the scope and influence of the current function to recognise the growth potential in major infrastructure projects and position the business to lead in this sector.

The role provides national strategic direction across work winning, bid strategy, market engagement and tender governance, ensuring alignment between pipeline growth, delivery capability and organisational capacity. It plays a strategically critical role in securing the projects that underpin both the current and future success of the ID business.

With a wide focus, the role sets standards, embeds governance and champions continuous improvement, while providing authoritative challenge to bid strategy, delivery methodology, estimating, programming and risk.

Leading the Bid & Tender, Submissions, Estimating and Capture teams, this position builds a high-performing national capability that enables the business to win and deliver complex infrastructure projects and achieve sustainable growth.

Important Skills | Nga pūkenga matua

• Relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience in engineering, construction management, quantity surveying, commercial management, project management or business management is desirable.
• Strong leadership qualities and extensive senior-level experience leading complex work-winning, bid, tender or pre-contract functions within civil infrastructure, construction or allied sectors.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary teams across bid and tender, estimating, submissions and/or capture functions in a complex national environment.
• Strong experience in tender governance, pursuit strategy, estimating oversight, commercial challenge and resource prioritisation for major infrastructure opportunities.
• Experience operating at a strategic level across multiple sectors or regions, with the ability to balance growth ambition with delivery capability and risk discipline.
• Experience in the New Zealand infrastructure market, including exposure to Roads, Energy, Water and/or Rail, is highly desirable.
• Strong strategic and commercial acumen, with a deep understanding of work-winning disciplines including capture planning, tender governance, estimating, programming, submissions, and risk review, and the ability to challenge assumptions and improve bid quality and competitiveness.
• Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams, set standards, drive accountability, and deliver national consistency, alongside strong influencing, decision-making, and stakeholder management skills, including confidently challenging senior leaders and project teams.
• High levels of judgement, resilience, and pace in deadline-driven environments, with a strong commitment to Zero Harm, ethical conduct, and continuous improvement

This is a standout opportunity for a strategic leader to shape a market-leading pre-contracts function and drive enterprise-wide impact. while continuing to grow a leadership career.

Me pēhea ki te tono | How to apply

This is an exciting opportunity to directly shape, influence and facilitate not only the financial performance of our business and be part of the strategic journey as we go through significant growth but also be part of shaping the future of New Zealand's infrastructure.

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, click Apply Now to submit your application! The reference number for this role is 733614.