The Opportunity
We are appointing a Head of Civil Engineering to take ownership of the civil discipline. The role reports to the Operations Manager and carries discipline-level accountability for design quality, technical methodology, resourcing, and development of the civil team. The Head sits at the same level as the Heads of the other Cresco disciplines (Structural, Mechanical, Architecture, and Project Management) and works with them daily.
We expect the Head to remain a working engineer rather than move into pure management. Around 60 per cent of the role is hands‑on technical work (design review, calculations, complex problem solving, council and authority correspondence on civil‑led projects). The balance is team leadership, scoping, governance, and contribution to the broader Cresco operating system. The successful candidate will shape what Cresco's civil offering looks like over the next three to five years and will have direct access to cross‑jurisdiction civil work originating elsewhere in the Cresco Group.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership
* Set the technical direction for the civil discipline. Decide what jobs we take, what jobs we walk away from, and on what terms.
* Own the civil‑side scope of every tender and project Cresco prices. Act as the named technical lead on any proposal where the civil scope dominates.
* Hire and develop the team. The current civil group sits between four and seven people across designers and drafters depending on workload. Sign off on technical capability assessments and progression decisions within civil.
Design & Engineering
* Act as the final reviewer on civil deliverables before they leave Cresco. The work spans:
* Stormwater management, on‑site detention design, and water sensitive urban design
* Hydrology and hydraulic modelling
* Sewer, water, and recycled water network design
* Earthworks, bulk and detailed pavement design
* Subdivision engineering: lot grading, gravity and pressure servicing, intersection and road geometric design under Austroads and TfNSW requirements
* Geotechnical interpretation and structural‑civil interface (retaining walls, basement drainage, raft and footing interface, working with our structural team)
* Council DCP, Section 138 Roads Act, Section 73 utility, and similar approvals correspondence
Project Oversight & Delivery
* Take accountability for the technical integrity of every civil‑led project Cresco delivers. Set the design strategy at proposal stage; sign off on the methodology before design starts.
* Review work at each QA gate per the Cresco Process Manual chain. Make the call when scope changes need a variation.
* Work with the Project Owner on each project while remaining the technical authority for civil. Coordinate with clients, councils, authorities, and other consultants as required.
* Contribute to project planning, resourcing, and risk management across multi‑stage and multi‑disciplinary projects.
Standards & Compliance
* Make sure civil work complies with relevant Australian Standards (AS 3500 series, AS 2890 series, AS 3600 where civil interfaces with structural concrete), Austroads Guides (particularly AGRD and AGPT), TfNSW specifications (R‑series and M‑series), and the typical NSW council DCP suite.
* Bring civil‑discipline input to Cresco's internal design standards and contribute to the QA framework set out in our Process Manual.
About You
Essential
* Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering (or equivalent accredited qualification recognised by Engineers Australia).
* Eight years or more of design and project delivery experience in an Australian consultancy or contractor setting. We will consider candidates with less experience where the depth is exceptional.
* Real technical capability across hydrology and hydraulics, stormwater (including WSUD), subdivision engineering, road and intersection design, and authority approvals.
* Working knowledge of the relevant Australian Standards, Austroads Guides, TfNSW specifications, and the typical NSW council DCP suite.
* Working proficiency in: Civil 3D, DRAINS, TUFLOW or equivalent
* Experience managing designers and drafters in a consultancy delivery environment.
* The judgment to know when a design decision is in scope and when it needs to be escalated to the client, council, or another consultant.
Desirable (Not Compulsory)
* Chartered status (CPEng) with Engineers Australia, or National Engineering Register listing, or a clear path to either within twelve months of starting.
* RPEQ / RPEV if you have worked in Queensland / Victoria.
* Direct experience as a discipline lead, technical lead, or principal in another consultancy.
Why Join Cresco Australia?
* Lead the civil discipline of a multidisciplinary consultancy with a Group footprint spanning Italy, NZ, and project work across six continents.
* Direct access to cross‑jurisdiction civil work and short‑term secondment opportunities through the wider Cresco Group.
* Direct reporting line to the Operations Manager. No intermediate management layer. Peer‑level relationship with the other discipline Heads.
* Documented operating system (Process Manual, Organisational and Operating Manual, Cresco Portal platform). Structure here, not chaos.
* Documented progression path from Head of Discipline toward Engineering Manager‑equivalent roles as the firm grows.
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