Civil Project Manager Jobs

How to Enter

Many Civil Project Mangers started their careers in Civil Engineering and worked their way towards project management. Due to this, most New Zealand employers expect candidates to possess tertiary qualifications in Civil Engineering and an exceptional understanding of earthworks, roads, drainage, structural concrete, and sometimes, coal and gas. In addition, a qualification in Project Management (PMI or PRINCE2) can be hugely beneficial to employability.

The primary difference between a Civil Engineer role and a Civil Project Manager however, is that they tend to lead a team of engineers and field staff. For that reason, the following additional requirements are commonly being asked for by New Zealand employers:

Organised and motivated
Able to lead others
Great attention to detail
Assertiveness and ability to have hard conversations
Excellent communication and negotiating skills
Excellent writing and presentation skills
Able to make practical decisions
Able to think creatively
Can relate to a wide range of people
Can work well under pressure and meet agreed deadlines

Typical Responsibilities

The day-to-day responsibilities of a Civil Project Manager can include any of the following:

Communicating with project team, government officials, clients and internal/external stakeholders
Liaising with local councils over planning permission and building permits
Creating timeline for civil projects and planning deliverables
Reporting on budgets and resources
Creating and updating documentation
Managing civil project and admin team
Managing external vendors and that their services meet agreed specifications

Progression

As Civil Project Managers gain more experience, they can often expect to move to larger, more complex projects or projects with a higher risk or level of stakeholder. In many cases, Civil Project Managers can often progress to more senior Project Management, Programme Management or into operational management positions. Alternatively, some may also work as self-employed contractors.