Sustainability Lead

The core mission is to make sustainability operational on a live infrastructure project rather than a document that sits on a shelf. Day to day, that means owning the Sustainability Management Plan and Package Sustainability Implementation Plan, drafting them, reviewing them as the project evolves, and making sure the commitments inside them translate into design decisions, procurement choices and site practice. The lead also drives Infrastructure Sustainability rating or client self-assessment submissions, which involves gathering evidence, running internal assurance, and closing out findings before deadlines. A second mission is monitoring: tracking targets, risks and milestones, keeping sustainability data accurate, and escalating emerging issues early to the project leadership team. That connects directly to inspections, audits and assurance activities, where findings must be logged and demonstrably closed out. Finally, the role is a coaching and influencing one. Partnering with design, delivery, procurement and commercial teams, and representing sustainability in project and stakeholder forums, means the lead is the person who helps others see how sustainability fits their own workstream rather than a separate task.

The most obvious learning is deep, hands-on exposure to Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) ratings, the mechanics of evidence, assurance and completion requirements on a real project, which is a skill set in high demand across Australian civil infrastructure. Anyone who has run a full rating submission end to end becomes significantly more marketable. Beyond ratings, the role builds project-delivery literacy. Working alongside design, procurement and commercial teams on a construction project teaches how sustainability commitments survive contact with programme pressure, budget constraints and subcontractor realities, knowledge that is hard to acquire outside a delivery environment. There is also structured growth in assurance and auditing, particularly if the candidate pursues or already holds Environmental Management Systems Lead Auditor credentials, and in stakeholder engagement with clients and external parties. Fulton Hogan's scale and multi-sector portfolio (transport, water, energy, mining, land development) means internal mobility and exposure to different project types could follow.

The ideal candidate holds tertiary qualifications in sustainability, environmental science, engineering, environmental management or a closely related field, backed by relevant experience in construction, civil infrastructure, road or rail. That sector experience matters more than generic sustainability credentials, because the role depends on understanding how projects are actually built and where sustainability can realistically intervene. On the technical side, they should have delivered sustainability plans, reporting and rating or self-assessment submissions, ideally including Infrastructure Sustainability ratings, and be comfortable with data assurance and technical writing. IS Accredited Professional and EMS Lead Auditor qualifications are desirable rather than mandatory, but they signal the right depth. Soft skills carry real weight here: stakeholder engagement, problem-solving, and the ability to turn contractual commitments into practical actions that site teams will accept. A successful candidate is likely persuasive and pragmatic, comfortable challenging designers and subcontractors while keeping relationships intact, and aligned with Fulton Hogan's REAL values of Respect, Energy and Effort, Attitude and Leadership.

Because this role is project-based, the strongest applications will be built around evidence rather than intent. Rather than listing sustainability responsibilities, describe specific rating submissions you contributed to or led, the evidence and assurance processes you managed, and the measurable outcomes, targets met, findings closed, audit results. Naming the rating scheme and your exact role in it will immediately separate you from generalist applicants. The company explicitly invites people who don't meet 100% of the criteria to apply, so use the cover letter to bridge gaps honestly rather than hide them. If your background is environmental management rather than infrastructure sustainability, explain how you have translated commitments into operational practice, and show you understand construction delivery pressures. Prepare for interview by studying Fulton Hogan's regional footprint and its Reconciliation Action Plan and First Nations Engagement Strategy, genuine engagement with those commitments, and with the REAL values, will read far better than rehearsed sustainability talking points. Expect questions about how you influence people who don't report to you.

The role sits squarely at the project-delivery end of sustainability: Infrastructure Sustainability ratings, sustainability management planning, compliance and assurance, rather than corporate strategy or disclosure. Success is measured by whether the project meets contractual and regulatory sustainability requirements and performs against rating criteria. The environmental dimension likely centres on the impacts typical of transport and civil infrastructure, materials and embodied carbon, waste and resource efficiency, energy use, water, and biodiversity or land disturbance during construction. Because Fulton Hogan operates its own quarries and asphalt plants, sustainable procurement and supply-chain choices could also fall within scope. On the social and governance side, the role connects to community and stakeholder expectations around major works, worker and subcontractor practice, and the company's reconciliation commitments. The governance thread is the assurance and audit work: proving that what was promised is actually being delivered, with data that stands up to client and rating scrutiny.

The defining challenge is influence without authority. The Sustainability Lead must get design teams, delivery crews, procurement specialists and subcontractors to change practice, often where sustainability is perceived as an added cost or a programme risk. Turning contractual commitments into actions people actually follow requires persistence, credibility and the ability to frame sustainability in the language of delivery. A second challenge is data and evidence under pressure. Rating submissions and audits demand accurate, timely documentation, but project milestones rarely pause for reporting. Keeping data reliable, escalating issues before they become non-conformances, and closing out findings on schedule is a constant balancing act. There is also the inherent tension of a project-based role: the work is time-bound to one infrastructure project, which brings intensity and focus but also means the lead must manage relationships and knowledge transfer as the project progresses. Navigating multiple stakeholders with competing priorities, including the client, is likely part of the daily reality.

A typical day probably begins with data and documentation: updating sustainability tracking, checking evidence for an upcoming rating submission or assurance activity, and reviewing what changed on site since yesterday. This is rarely a desk-only role, so time on site or in design and delivery meetings is likely woven through the morning. Much of the middle of the day could be spent in meetings, project and stakeholder forums, coordination with design, procurement and commercial teams, or coaching sessions with subcontractors and project personnel who need practical guidance on a sustainability requirement. On any given week, the lead might be running an inspection or audit, or preparing for one. The rhythm varies with project phase. During design, the emphasis shifts toward embedding sustainable solutions early and shaping plans; during construction, monitoring, evidence collection and site engagement dominate. Escalating emerging risks to the project leadership team adds a steady layer of reporting across the week.

The clearest path is deepening specialist expertise in Infrastructure Sustainability ratings and assurance, which positions a candidate for senior sustainability roles on larger or more complex projects, or for client-side and consultancy positions where rating knowledge is prized. IS Accredited Professional status could accelerate that trajectory. Within Fulton Hogan, a 10,000-person business spanning Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, lateral moves are plausible, into different sectors such as water, energy or land development, into corporate sustainability functions, or into more senior project or regional sustainability leadership as the portfolio grows. The role also builds transferable leadership capital: high-visibility work with project leadership teams, clients and external stakeholders, plus a track record of demonstrable improvement on a flagship project. That combination of technical credibility and delivery experience is what tends to open the next door.

Internally, the lead reports to the project leadership team and works closely with design, delivery, procurement and commercial teams: these are the people whose decisions determine whether sustainability commitments are met, making the relationships both collaborative and, at times, challenging. Subcontractors are another key internal-facing group, requiring coaching and enforcement in equal measure. Externally, the client is central, particularly around rating submissions, self-assessments and compliance evidence. Rating scheme bodies or assessors may be involved at submission and assurance stages, and regulators underpin the compliance dimension. Community and First Nations stakeholders could also feature given Fulton Hogan's reconciliation commitments and the nature of public infrastructure works. Within Fulton Hogan more broadly, the lead likely connects with regional or corporate sustainability colleagues, health, safety and environment functions, and quality and assurance teams, sharing lessons and aligning project practice with company-wide frameworks.