Contract Administrator - Commercial Construction
Contracts Administrator - $11M Education Project | Southern Brisbane
An established and growing Queensland commercial contractor is looking to appoint an experienced
Contracts Administrator
to take a key commercial role on an
$11M education project in the southern Brisbane metropolitan region
.
This is an opportunity for a seasoned CA who wants genuine ownership of the commercial function of a project, working closely with the Project Manager and senior leadership while joining a contractor with a strong and developing pipeline across South-East Queensland.
The biggest requirement for this position is
commercial capability, particularly around cost planning, forecasting and understanding the true financial position of a project.
The successful candidate needs to be comfortable taking ownership of project financials, maintaining accurate cost-to-complete forecasts, identifying commercial risk early and giving the wider project team confidence around where the project is financially heading.
This is
not simply a procurement-focused CA position
. While subcontractor procurement and general contract administration are important parts of the role, the business needs someone who understands the numbers behind a project and can actively contribute to protecting margin and commercial outcomes.
For someone with longer-term ambitions beyond Contracts Administration, there is also a
genuine pathway into Project Management
. This isn't a requirement of the position - an experienced CA who wants to continue developing commercially will be equally valued - but if progressing into a Project Manager role is a desired career outcome, the business can provide the exposure and opportunity to make that transition.
The Role
Working closely with the Project Manager and site delivery team, you will take responsibility for the day-to-day commercial and contractual management of the project.
You'll be trusted to manage your own workload and take genuine ownership rather than simply processing paperwork or operating within a heavily segmented commercial structure.
A major component of the position will be maintaining an accurate understanding of the project's financial position throughout delivery.
You will be expected to understand
what has been spent, what has been committed, what remains outstanding, where commercial risks sit and what the project is ultimately forecast to deliver.
Key responsibilities will include:
Take ownership of project
cost planning, budgeting and financial forecasting
Prepare and regularly update detailed
cost-to-complete forecasts
Maintain an accurate forecast of the project's anticipated final cost and commercial position
Monitor committed costs, actual expenditure, accruals and outstanding liabilities
Analyse budget versus actual and forecast expenditure
Identify potential cost overruns and commercial risks before they materially impact the project
Identify opportunities to protect and improve project margin
Prepare and contribute to monthly
cost reports and commercial forecasts
Maintain accurate project cash flow and financial reporting
Work closely with the Project Manager and senior management around commercial performance
Manage subcontractor procurement from initial tender through negotiation, recommendation and award
Prepare detailed scopes of work and subcontract documentation
Review subcontractor quotations and complete commercial comparisons
Negotiate subcontract packages and ensure commercial risks are appropriately managed
Assess and administer subcontractor progress claims
Manage project variations and maintain accurate variation registers
Assess, negotiate and administer subcontractor variations
Manage EOTs,



contractual notices and commercial correspondence
Assist with Head Contract administration, client variations and progress claims
Maintain accurate procurement, contract and commercial registers
Manage subcontractor final accounts and commercial close-out
Work alongside consultants, subcontractors and the wider delivery team to resolve commercial and contractual issues
Support the Project Manager with broader project delivery requirements where required
Cost Planning & Forecasting - Non-Negotiable
The most important technical requirement for this position is
proven cost planning and forecasting capability within commercial construction
.
The business is looking for someone who can genuinely own and understand a project's financial position rather than simply update information provided by others.
You should be comfortable looking at a cost report and understanding the story behind the numbers.
That means being able to assess:
Current committed costs
Actual expenditure
Outstanding procurement
Accruals and liabilities
Approved and pending variations
Forecast costs to complete
Potential commercial exposure
Opportunities and risks
Anticipated final cost
Project margin and forecast profitability
You will need to be proactive in identifying where a project may be moving away from budget and confident enough to raise those issues early with the Project Manager and senior leadership.
If your experience has predominantly been focused on procurement, progress claims and subcontract administration without significant exposure to
forecasting and cost management
, this position is unlikely to be the right fit.
Key Skills & Experience
The successful candidate will ideally have:
Proven experience as a
Contracts Administrator within the Australian commercial construction industry
Experience delivering commercial construction projects of a comparable size and complexity
Strong hands‐on experience with
cost planning, cost reporting and cost‐to‐complete forecasting
Demonstrated ability to manage project budgets and understand the complete financial position of a project
Experience preparing monthly commercial reports
Solid understanding of committed costs, accruals, liabilities and forecast final costs
Ability to identify commercial risk and potential cost overruns early
Strong subcontractor procurement experience
Experience preparing scopes, tender comparisons and subcontract recommendations
Experience administering subcontract agreements
Strong knowledge of progress claims, variations, EOTs and contractual correspondence
Sound understanding of Australian construction contracts and commercial principles
Strong negotiation and subcontractor management skills
Excellent communication and stakeholder management capability
High level of commercial awareness and attention to detail
Ability to work autonomously while contributing to a collaborative project team
Relevant qualification in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Engineering or a related discipline
Previous experience delivering
education projects would be advantageous but isn't essential
. The priority is finding someone with the right commercial foundations and proven forecasting capability.
Career Progression - Contracts Administrator to Project Manager




One of the major attractions of this opportunity is the flexibility around where the position can lead longer term.
The business isn't looking to force an experienced commercial professional away from Contracts Administration. If your goal is to continue developing towards a
Senior Contracts Administrator or broader commercial position
, there is scope to build your career in that direction.
However, if your longer-term ambition is to move into
Project Management
, there is a genuine pathway available.
Rather than expecting someone to make the jump from CA to PM overnight, the intention would be to gradually broaden your responsibilities and give you exposure to areas including:
Project programming and planning
Client and stakeholder management
Consultant coordination
Design management
Construction methodology
Site and delivery coordination
Programme management
Project reporting
Leadership of wider project teams
Overall project performance
This allows someone with strong commercial foundations to develop the broader delivery experience required to become a well-rounded Project Manager.
For the right individual, the longer-term opportunity is to progress from
Contracts Administrator into a Project Manager position and ultimately take ownership of their own projects.
The Project
Your initial assignment will be an
$11M education project located in the southern Brisbane metropolitan region
.
You will work closely with the Project Manager and site team and have meaningful responsibility for the commercial performance of the project from procurement and delivery through to final account and close-out.
The project provides a good platform for an experienced CA to demonstrate their commercial capability while also gaining broader exposure to overall project delivery.
The Business
The contractor has established a strong presence within the South-East Queensland commercial construction market and continues to build its project pipeline across the region.
They operate across a diverse mix of commercial construction sectors, providing employees with exposure to different project types rather than being restricted to one particular sector.
The business offers a more personal working environment than some of the larger contractors, with
good access to senior management, genuine responsibility and the opportunity to have an impact on how projects are delivered.
They are looking to grow sustainably and bring people into the business who can develop with them over the longer term rather than simply filling an immediate project requirement.
The Opportunity
This position would suit an experienced Contracts Administrator who wants more than simply moving from one CA role into another.
You'll be joining a contractor where you can take
genuine commercial ownership
, have visibility with senior leadership and play an important role in the financial performance of your projects.
The initial $11M education project provides an immediate assignment, but the opportunity is being viewed as a
long-term hire rather than a single-project position
.
Most importantly, the business can offer flexibility around your career direction.
If you want to become an exceptional commercial operator and continue progressing within Contracts Administration, that pathway exists.
If your goal is eventually to
step away from pure Contracts Administration and progress into Project Management
, you'll have the opportunity to gradually take on greater delivery responsibility and work towards managing your own projects.
For someone who is commercially strong, confident with
cost planning and forecasting
, and wants greater ownership and long-term progression within a growing Queensland contractor, this is a particularly strong opportunity.
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📌 Contract Administrator - Commercial Construction (Queensland)
🏢 Zenith Executive Search
📍 Queensland