Delay Expert

An excellent senior opportunity for a Director – Delay to join a leading global construction disputes consultancy in Adelaide, Australia. This role is suited to an experienced delay analyst, forensic planner, or construction disputes professional with strong expert report writing, client-facing leadership, business development, and construction dispute resolution experience.

Visa sponsorship can be offered for successful candidates.

Project Details

This Director – Delay job in Adelaide will involve leading and supporting complex construction and infrastructure disputes, delay analysis commissions, insurance-related construction claims, and strategic project advisory matters.

The successful candidate will work closely with recognised Delay Experts and may be expected to act as a senior lead on major expert commissions, formal dispute appointments, litigation support, arbitration proceedings, expert witness evidence, and other dispute resolution matters.

Projects are likely to include major building, infrastructure, engineering, energy, transport, commercial construction, and resources-related projects across Australia and internationally. The work will include delay analysis, forensic planning, programme analysis, critical path assessment, disruption analysis, extensions of time, prolongation, claims rebuttal work, and wider construction dispute strategy.

Responsibilities and Duties

The Director – Delay will play a senior leadership role within the Adelaide delay disputes team. This role requires strong technical expertise, excellent report writing ability, commercial judgement, client relationship skills, and the confidence to lead complex delay expert commissions and dispute advisory assignments.

Specific duties and responsibilities will include:

• Leading and managing major delay expert commissions, construction claims assignments, and dispute advisory appointments
• Working closely with Delay Experts as a senior trusted advisor on construction dispute resolution, litigation support, arbitration, and expert witness evidence
• Acting as a senior lead on expert reports, technical reports, client strategy papers, claims reviews, and dispute advisory deliverables
• Independently drafting, reviewing, and finalising delay expert reports, claims responses, rebuttal reports, and formal dispute documentation
• Leading delay analysis, forensic planning, programme reviews, critical path analysis, as-planned versus as-built analysis, windows analysis, impacted as-planned analysis, Time Impact Analysis, and other recognised delay analysis methods
• Providing strategic advice to clients on delay risk, programme entitlement, extension of time claims, prolongation issues, disruption, claims positioning, and settlement considerations
• Reviewing and interrogating project programmes, progress records, contemporaneous records, correspondence, notices, instructions, and supporting project documentation
• Building a comprehensive understanding of technical, contractual, commercial, and legal issues relevant to high-value construction disputes
• Leading the preparation and defence of delay-related claims, including extensions of time, disruption, acceleration, prolongation, concurrent delay, critical delay, and contentious programme matters
• Reviewing and challenging opposing party claims and delay expert reports with clear, concise, and persuasive written analysis
• Managing client relationships and acting as a senior point of contact on selected commissions
• Identifying, developing, and securing new client appointments and business development opportunities
• Supporting the growth of the Adelaide delay disputes practice through market engagement, networking, and client development
• Mentoring, managing, and reviewing the work of junior and mid-level consultants to support their technical and professional development
• Helping to maintain high technical standards, strong client service, and the continued success and reputation of the wider disputes business

Desired Skills and Experience

• Significant experience in the construction, engineering, infrastructure, resources, or specialist disputes sectors, ideally including senior-level consultancy experience
• Strong background working for a construction contractor, engineering contractor, planning consultancy, project controls consultancy, claims consultancy, expert witness consultancy, or construction disputes consultancy
• Proven experience in delay analysis, forensic planning, programme analysis, critical path assessment, extensions of time, disruption, acceleration, prolongation, concurrent delay, and construction claims
• Strong experience writing, reviewing, or leading delay expert reports, claims submissions, rebuttal reports, and formal dispute documentation
• Knowledge of contentious construction claims and formal dispute resolution processes, including arbitration, litigation, adjudication, expert determination, mediation, or negotiation
• Ability to lead complex workstreams and manage the technical input of junior and mid-level team members
• Strong understanding of construction contracts, planning software, project controls, change management, claims strategy, and dispute resolution procedures
• Experience using Primavera P6, Microsoft Project, Asta Powerproject, or other recognised planning and scheduling software
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise, persuasive, and expert-level reports
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to provide practical, strategic, and robust client advice
• Demonstrable experience in client relationship management, networking, business development, or securing new dispute appointments
• Ability to operate credibly with senior client representatives, legal teams, contractors, insurers, and other professional advisers
• Experience in insurance-related construction claims would be advantageous

Qualifications/Educational Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Planning, Project Management, Engineering, or a related construction discipline
• MRICS, MCIArb, RICS, AIQS, FCIArb, CIOB, AACE, or equivalent professional membership is desirable
• Further qualifications in construction law, dispute resolution, arbitration, planning, project controls, expert witness practice, or claims management would be advantageous
• Candidates with a strong delay expert services background and an established professional profile will be of particular interest

Employing Company Overview and Profile

Maxim Recruitment is working with a leading global engineering, technical consulting, and construction disputes consultancy to identify suitable candidates for this Director – Delay job in Adelaide.

The employer provides specialist expert services, construction dispute resolution, delay analysis, quantum analysis, project advisory, forensic consulting, and built environment consulting services to contractors, corporations, insurers, law firms, and government clients. Its expert teams support clients across complex construction, engineering, infrastructure, insurance, and commercial disputes, including matters proceeding through litigation, arbitration, adjudication, and other formal dispute resolution forums.

The successful candidate will join a high-quality Adelaide team and will take a senior role working alongside recognised industry experts on complex and high-value construction disputes. This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious delay disputes professional to contribute to the continued growth of a well-regarded global consultancy in Australia.

Visa sponsorship can be offered for successful candidates.

A full client overview will be given to shortlisted candidates.