Principal Engineer – Building Strengthening Project
Fixed-Term Contract
Location: Christchurch, New Zealand
About Us
HamiltonJet is a highly regarded global leader in marine propulsion systems, serving customers around the world. Our products and services are trusted by boat builders, naval architects, commercial operators, defence organisations, and a diverse range of end users in more than 120 countries. Renowned for reliability and performance in demanding applications, HamiltonJet continues to set the standard for waterjet propulsion technology.
To learn more about our company, products, and services, visit www.hamiltonjet.com
We are seeking a Principal Engineer to lead a proactive seismic resilience project on one of our existing factory buildings. As part of our ongoing commitment to a safe, modern and resilient workplace, we are investing in strengthening this building to meet evolving seismic standards. This is an excellent opportunity to take genuine ownership of a high-profile, board-visible project in a well-established precision engineering business, and to deliver it smoothly without interrupting production or compromising safety.
The successful applicant will be employed on a fixed-term contract basis, reporting within Manufacturing Engineering Leadership.
The Opportunity
You will own this project end to end, planning it, delivering it, and reporting on it, acting as HamiltonJet's single point of contact to consultants, contractors and territorial authorities while keeping our people safe and our factory running. The role combines project engineering and project management across three areas of focus:
Lead Planning
Build a thorough understanding of the building's current state and the consultant reports completed to date.
Act as the single point of contact for structural, seismic restraint and Health & Safety consultants, running a peer review of their key recommendations.
Develop a phased implementation plan (prioritised early works, followed by medium-to-longer-term enhancements), including a safety risk assessment and mitigation plan.
Create and secure Board approval for the project budget, develop the timing plan in MS Project, and maintain the risk register.
Lead Execution
Select and manage capable, flexible multi-trades contractors at the best price, along with any engineering consultants required during delivery.
Coordinate the works around live production and differing shift patterns across all affected cells, so business continues with minimal disruption.
Deliver a “no surprises” implementation, with daily coordination in affected areas, robust JSA and safety processes, and no loss to production.
Ensure qualified people monitor the as-builts and issue the reports required by territorial authorities.
Lead Reporting
Keep every level of the organisation informed – from the factory floor to the Board of Directors – along with territorial authorities.
Deliver the reporting rhythm the project demands: daily briefings with production managers, weekly leadership meetings, monthly SMT and governance reporting, bi-monthly Board updates, and periodic all-employee forums.
Maintain, track and communicate budget performance and the project programme throughout.
About You
Communication and coordination are at the heart of this role. You'll move seamlessly between the shop floor and the boardroom, and you'll know how to sequence works around differing shift patterns, so production keeps flowing. To be successful, you will have:
Tertiary qualifications in a relevant engineering discipline (mechanical or civil/structural), or equivalent experience.
Demonstrated experience leading and executing major seismic strengthening of existing, older commercial or industrial buildings (industrial preferred).
Proven ability to coordinate works around live production and differing shift patterns to minimise disruption.
Experience managing multi-discipline consultants and multi-trades installation contractors.
Excellent written and verbal communication at all levels, from workforce to Board.
Strong teamwork, coordination and facilitation skills.
A strong Health & Safety ethic, with sound knowledge of construction safety.
Proficiency in MS Office, including MS Project.
Experience dealing with territorial authorities, working within corporate ERP systems, and formal project management training (or demonstrated equivalency) would be highly regarded.
Why Join HamiltonJet?
This is an opportunity to join a high-performing global organisation that values craftsmanship, teamwork, innovation, and continuous improvement. You will work alongside skilled professionals who take pride in delivering world-class products to customers around the globe, and you'll be trusted with a project that matters to the entire business.
What We Offer
Fixed-term contract employment.
Competitive remuneration, depending on skills and experience.
The opportunity to work for a global industry leader.
A high-profile, board-visible role with genuine ownership from planning through to completion.
A supportive team environment with access to established internal building and process expertise.
How to Apply
If you are an experienced engineering and project leader with a track record of strengthening older buildings – and the communication skills to carry an entire organisation with you – we'd love to hear from you. Apply now with your CV and a short cover letter outlining your relevant seismic strengthening experience via the Quick Apply function on Seek.