Lead Projects That Help Protect Communities
At SEM Fire & Rescue, the projects we deliver have a genuine purpose.
For more than 65 years, SEM has designed and manufactured specialised fire and rescue vehicles used by emergency services across Australia and internationally. From frontline firefighting appliances to specialised emergency response vehicles, our work supports the people who protect communities when they need it most.
Based in Ballarat and part of the Australian-owned Varley Group, SEM Fire & Rescue is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the successful delivery of the CFA Next Generation Project from project initiation through to customer handover.
This is a hands‐on project leadership role where you will coordinate planning, production, engineering, quality, commercial performance and stakeholder engagement to ensure vehicles are delivered safely, efficiently and to the required quality standards.
The Opportunity
As Project Manager, you will take ownership of complex vehicle manufacturing projects and provide clear leadership across the full project lifecycle.
Working closely with manufacturing, engineering, procurement, quality and senior leadership teams, you will ensure project activities remain aligned with contractual requirements, customer expectations and agreed scope, cost, schedule and quality objectives.
You will also serve as a key point of contact for CFA stakeholders, leading project reviews, coordinating inspections and acceptance activities, managing expectations and resolving issues as they arise.
What You'll Be Doing
Your responsibilities will include:
Leading the end-to-end delivery of CFA vehicle manufacturing projects
Developing and maintaining project execution plans and schedules
Monitoring project performance against scope, cost, schedule and quality requirements
Coordinating resources and production activities to achieve key milestones
Maintaining project schedules and monitoring critical paths using Smartsheet




Aligning engineering, procurement, manufacturing and production activities
Developing project budgets and monitoring expenditure against forecasts
Managing project financial performance and supporting monthly forecasting
Leading customer meetings, project reviews and stakeholder communications
Coordinating customer inspections, acceptance activities and project handover
Managing engineering change requests and maintaining design-change traceability
Identifying, evaluating and supporting contract variations
Maintaining project risk registers and implementing mitigation strategies
Monitoring quality inspections, non‐conformances and corrective actions
Producing regular project reports and presenting performance to senior management
Using project data and performance trends to identify improvement opportunities
What You'll Bring
You will be a capable and commercially aware Project Manager who can bring structure, accountability and clear communication to a complex manufacturing environment.
Ideally, you will have:
At least five years' project management experience within manufacturing, engineering or an industrial environment
Demonstrated experience managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders
Strong experience managing project schedules, budgets, forecasts and risks
Proven customer‐facing and stakeholder‐management capability
Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams across engineering, procurement, quality and production
Knowledge of contract administration and variation management




Experience managing engineering or design changes
Strong reporting, analysis and Microsoft Office capabilities
Proficiency using Smartsheet or comparable project scheduling systems
Strong commercial awareness, negotiation and problem‐solving skills
The ability to make sound decisions and maintain momentum under pressure
A practical, accountable and continuous‐improvement mindset
Highly Regarded
The following experience or qualifications would be advantageous:
Emergency services vehicle manufacturing
Heavy vehicle, Defence, transport or specialised equipment manufacturing
Certificate IV or Diploma in Project Management
A qualification in engineering, business, manufacturing or project management
Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma
Why Join SEM Fire & Rescue?
At SEM, you will have the opportunity to apply your project leadership experience to products that serve an important purpose.
We offer:
A permanent, full‐time opportunity based in Ballarat
The chance to lead a significant emergency services vehicle project
Exposure to specialised and technically complex vehicle manufacturing
A collaborative environment working across engineering, manufacturing and commercial teams
Meaningful work supporting emergency services and local communities
Career development and cross‐functional learning opportunities
Mentoring and development programs
Employee Assistance Program
Health and wellbeing initiatives
Discounted Fitness Passport membership
The opportunity to contribute to innovative, market‐leading projects
Ready to Lead a Project That Matters?
If you are an experienced Project Manager who enjoys bringing people, planning and commercial outcomes together, this is an opportunity to lead a complex manufacturing project with a genuine community impact.
SEM Fire & Rescue is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds.
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📌 Project Manager (Ballarat)
🏢 G H Varley Pty
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