Senior Project Coordinator & Administrator

About Play Workshop

At Play Workshop, we design, supply, and build premium commercial playground spaces, custom timber and steel equipment, and nature-play environments across Australia. Working alongside leading landscape architects, builders, local councils, schools, childcare centres, and developers, we take complex outdoor spaces from concept through to structural installation and final handover.

We pride ourselves on engineering excellence, rigorous safety compliance (AS 4685), and seamless project delivery within the commercial landscape and open-space development sector.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced, highly skilled Senior Project Coordinator & Administrator with a solid background in landscape construction, civil works, or commercial open-space delivery.

In this critical role, you will serve as the operational nexus between our internal sales/design, production manager, installation team/s and client site supervisors, landscape contractors, project managers, and other client points of contact. You will take full ownership of end-to-end project coordination, managing trade scheduling, head contractor variations, site safety/compliance documentation, and supply chain logistics for multi-site construction packages.

If you are a seasoned landscape construction administrator or project coordinator looking for a high-impact position in a growing industry leader, this role offers significant responsibility, autonomy, and career progression.

Main Responsibilities:

1.      Landscape & Civil Construction Project Coordination

• Construction Programming & Scheduling: Partner with Production Management, Project Lead, and Subcontractors to build, update, and manage critical-path project schedules
• Subcontractor & Trade Management: Besides coordinating our own small in-house team, you will coordinate subcontractors, including specialised trades (earthmoving, landscape, shade, softfall installers), ensuring site access, SWMS alignment, and schedule adherence.
• Contract Administration & Variations: Track project scopes against head contracts; prepare, document, and submit variations, extension-of-time (EOT) claims, and progress claims.
• Procurement & Technical Logistics: Manage project-related orders and lead times for products, site materials and service, ensuring synchronized delivery to active construction sites.

2. Compliance, Quality & Site Administration

• Standards & Certification: Ensure all play spaces satisfy Australian Standards. Coordinate independent safety audits and certifiers for practical completion.
• Site Safety Documentation: Oversee site safety documentation, ensure subcontractor SWMS/insurances are compliant, and maintain WHS records.
• Client & Stakeholder Relations: Act as a key liaison for Superintendents, Landscape Architects, Council Officers, and Head Builders etc regarding site progress, RFIs (Requests for Information), and technical submittals.
• Project Financials: Perform budget tracking, purchase order matching, and progress billing alongside the finance team.

3. Other

• Assist Sales and Design team with project methodology and cost estimating
• Assess Contracts and Tender documentation prior to tender, or acceptance

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Industry Experience: Minimum 5+ years of direct experience in project coordination or senior contract administration within landscape construction, civil infrastructure, commercial building, or open-space development.
• Contractual & Commercial Acumen: Deep familiarity with head contractor/subcontractor structures, head contract admin, variation management, and site claims processes.
• Technical Reading: Proven ability to accurately read and interpret landscape architectural drawings, engineering detail plans, contours, and specification sheets.
• Software Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in project management platforms. Experience with CAD will be highly regarded.
• Standards Knowledge: Strong understanding of WHS regulations, site safety standards, and relevant building/landscape codes (knowledge of AS 4685 Playground Standards is highly regarded).

Key Competencies

• Commercial Sharpness: Proactive in identifying scope creep, managing variations early, and keeping project margins intact.
• High-Level Communication: Able to command respect and build strong working relationships with site managers, subcontractors, council representatives, and design teams.
• Exceptional Organization: Highly structured approach to managing documentation, RFIs, submittals, and multi-site logistics under tight timelines.
• Problem-Solving & Site Realism: Pragmatic approach to overcoming site delays, weather impacts, and supply shortages.