Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd (ANI) is the owner, developer and manager of the Osborne Naval Shipyards, supporting the Commonwealth’s Naval Shipbuilding Plan. ANI is responsible designing, constructing and managing the shipyard infrastructure, including the new Nuclear-Powered Submarine Construction Yard to support the AUKUS program, and operating and maintaining common use facilities.

ANI plays a pivotal role in delivering Australia’s naval shipbuilding capability, contributing to one of the nation’s most significant and complex infrastructure programs. Based in Adelaide, our work underpins the future of naval shipbuilding through world-class infrastructure at Osborne.

We’re seeking a highly capable Design Director to join our team. The role is responsible for managing the planning and development of projects and programs to ensure delivery against technical requirements and objectives. You will be managing planning and design activities for highly complex projects up to $1billion AUD in scale or programs up to $5bn AUD in scale.

Your key responsibilities will include:

- Manage the planning and design process including Requirement input and engineering change management, design schedule, technical assurance and quality

- Provide a strong focus on the objectives and constraints around safety, time, cost and quality including the effective management, reporting and escalation of issues to ensure timelines are met

- Administer design consultancies to ensure technical, quality and industry standards are maintained and comply with relevant legislation and organisational policies and procedures; you will promote collaborative and solutions-based interactions

- Lead, direct and develop a multidisciplinary team of direct and indirect reports towards project outcomes.



You will support the development and mentoring of the wider team to build capacity and capability

- Manage technical input throughout construction including design change, requests for information, hold point release, assurance and operational readiness

- Manage negotiations with a strong grasp of the key issues, including relevant stakeholders for their input as necessary

- Lead and manage project design reviews and provide regular and ad-hoc reports that include contractor input against agreed and established baselines

- Coordinate and manage ANI appointed independent advisory consultants for peer review

About You:

You are a highly capable and experienced design leader with a strong track record working on large-scale, complex infrastructure or major capital programs. You bring a considered, solutions-focused approach, with the ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining a sharp focus on safety, quality, cost and schedule outcomes. A confident communicator and collaborator, you build effective relationships across diverse stakeholder groups and lead multidisciplinary teams with clarity, direction and purpose. You are commercially astute, technically credible and comfortable operating in environments of significant scale, complexity and change, with a genuine commitment to driving high performance and delivering outcomes of national significance.





You will also have:

- Relevant qualifications in Engineering, Project or Construction Management.

- An engineering degree or background in engineering management will be highly regarded.

- High level qualified knowledge with significant practical experience in major projects or programs (at least $1bn AUD in scale), including design, construction and maintenance techniques and practices across the project lifecycle.

- Heavy industry including infrastructure to support ship building will be highly regarded.

- Demonstrated experience in design and technical assurance management.

- Strong Project Management knowledge and significant experience in Contract Management, development and interpretation of design documentation and procurement processes.

- Extensive leadership experience across large and/or multiple projects or programs of work, ideally within complex stakeholder environments and diverse teams.

- Experience in the use of a range of software products such as Office 365, MS Project or P6 systems.

- Australian citizenship and otherwise eligible to obtain and maintain any required security clearances required for a Defence related facility.

Eligibility

Applicants must be able to either hold or be able to gain and maintain an appropriate national security clearance. Applicants will be required to consent to background checks as part of the recruitment process.

Application Information

To apply, click the Apply button and follow the prompts. Please submit your current resume together with a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role.

For any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact ••••@KornFerry.com

Applications close: 5pm, 13/09/2026

📌 Design Director (Osborne)
🏢 Australian Naval Infrastructure
📍 Osborne