Senior Associate Engineer, Roads & Highways

About the job

Join a global consultancy delivering iconic infrastructure projects Work alongside industry-leading specialists in a collaborative, flexible environment Shape your career with genuine professional growth opportunities

About SMEC

SMEC is a global engineering consultancy renowned for delivering complex, sustainable infrastructure solutions across transport, water, energy, and urban development markets. Our teams are empowered to innovate, solve technical challenges, and contribute to projects that positively shape communities across Australia and worldwide. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and gender-equitable workforce and encourages applications from people of all backgrounds across engineering and technical disciplines. SMEC provides a supportive and flexible working environment that recognises individual contribution, supports career progression, and enables our people to balance work and life at all stages of their career. As a family-friendly employer, we offer flexible working arrangements and benefits including 18 weeks of universal paid parental leave. We are proud to foster an inclusive culture that supports gender equity, LGBTI+ inclusion and First Nations representation, with access to strong professional networks, role models, and mentoring and sponsorship programs.

Infrastructure

At SMEC, we understand that our continued success within the infrastructure market is the result of building long-term client relationships. We listen and understand the specific needs of our clients and deliver a complete value chain of services to provide sustainable solutions across major infrastructure projects worldwide.

The Role

As a Senior Associate Engineer, Roads & Highways, you'll play a key leadership role within our Transport team, delivering complex road and highway projects that improve connectivity and support communities across the region. This position offers an exciting opportunity to combine technical excellence, project leadership, client engagement, and business development. Working within a collaborative multidisciplinary environment, you'll lead project teams, mentor emerging engineers, and contribute to the continued success and growth of our Queensland operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the design and delivery of major roads and highways projects across Queensland
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers and project teams
• Manage project performance, scope, budgets, and programme delivery
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships, identifying opportunities for repeat and new business
• Contribute to business development initiatives and strategic growth across the region
• Oversee the preparation and review of high-quality technical reports, designs, and project documentation
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated project outcomes
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and in accordance with client and regulatory requirements

About You

You are an experienced transport engineering professional with a proven track record delivering roads and highways projects within a consulting environment. Combining strong technical capability with commercial acumen, you are confident leading multidisciplinary teams, managing client relationships, and driving successful project outcomes. You enjoy mentoring others, building trusted stakeholder relationships, and contributing to both technical excellence and business growth. Your understanding of the Queensland transport market, together with your leadership skills, enables you to deliver value for clients while supporting the development of those around you.

Suitable applicants will have:

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent qualification
• Chartered Engineer and/or Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ)
• Approximately 10+ years' experience in roads and highways design and project delivery
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary transport infrastructure projects within a consulting environment
• Strong understanding of the Queensland transport infrastructure market
• Proven project management capability, including budget, programme, and resource management
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of broader business and client objectives
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and relationship management skills
• Experience developing and mentoring engineering professionals
• Chartered status, or progress towards chartership, will be highly regarded
• Willingness to undertake occasional travel as required

Benefits

• flexible working arrangements
• 18 weeks of universal paid parental leave

About the Gold Coast

The Gold Coast offers the perfect balance between career opportunity and lifestyle. With world-class beaches, a thriving economy, growing infrastructure investment, and easy access to Brisbane and Northern New South Wales, it's an ideal location for professionals looking to advance their careers while enjoying everything Southeast Queensland has to offer.