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 key 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

Strong 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 (Brisbane)
🏢 Zenith Executive Search
📍 Brisbane