When Sam joined CJC, she brought with her valuable experience in tendering for construction project management, along with fresh eyes and an eagerness to deepen her understanding of our complex industry. She stepped into a role that challenged her to blend technical precision with creative strategy, and found a team environment that embraced both.
As a Business Development Coordinator, Sam plays a key role in how CJC communicates its value across major infrastructure sectors including airports, ports, rail, and international projects. Based in Sydney, she’s part of a fast-moving business with a strong national and global footprint, and her work is embedded in projects that matter to people’s lives.
Working Across Business Units
At CJC, no two days are the same. “You have to mentally compartmentalise between different parts of the business,” Sam explains. With multiple business units across CJC and expanding international teams in Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Europe, and New Zealand, her role demands constant strategic adaptation. Sam helps translate team insights into compelling client proposals and presentations. She thrives on hearing technical experts talk passionately about their work and then shaping those ideas into solutions for government and industry.
The Human Side of Engineering
One of Sam’s biggest surprises has been the culture. “I expected a more traditional corporate structure but was surprised by the culture; the openness and generosity of CJC’s leadership is something you don’t often see elsewhere.” she says. The openness and trust in others from the Leadership team, with mention to Craig Stoddart, Michael Eager, Colin Calder, and Pushpa Nadanapatham, as well as Orla O’Sullivan, Business Development Manager, have shaped a workplace culture that defies typical industry norms.
It’s not just the technical challenges that matter, it’s the impact. A site visit to an integral project in rural NSW, Australia, made that clear. Seeing how a deteriorating road created dangerous conditions for residents and essential services reinforced the importance of infrastructure decisions. “You see how something that seems small like a road failure can affect a whole community’s safety and access,” she reflects.
Sharpening Skills and Growing with the Business
In her role, Sam relies heavily on communication, time management, and coordination – soft skills that are critical in an industry that requires precision. “You need to make sure you’re constantly asking the right questions,” she explains. “My job is to blend technical capability with creative direction.”
She’s played a crucial role in rebuilding CJC’s tender process from the ground up; rethinking how the business approaches opportunities, introducing structured pre-bid meeting strategies, and developing presentation materials. It’s a space she finds energising: “It’s rewarding to help shape something from the ground up and see the impact it has.”
Her proudest moment so far is helping to win a consequential project in Dubai for CJC. “I supported the proposal, built the presentation deck, etc… and we got it,” she says. The project, whose details we cannot yet elaborate on, was outside the team’s usual scope, but certainly within our capability. That first project has since opened the door to rapid growth in the Middle East, “more than tripling our team there in six months.”
Looking Ahead
Sam is also excited about the growing footprint in regional Australia. “Airports in remote and regional areas serve as much more than mere transport hubs; they’re links to emergency services and regional resilience,” she notes.
Her role continues to evolve as the business scales. “CJC is at a pivotal and rapid growth point where everything we’re doing now will shape the next few years. It’s exciting to be part of that.”
Sam’s journey underscores the importance of adaptability, culture, and collaboration. And in the world of civil engineering, where projects can affect entire communities, those traits are just as vital as any technical skill.
If you’d like to be part of a company of experts which values skills beyond the technical, visit our careers page.
