Graduate Programs

What’s Victoria’s Big Build?

At Victoria’s Big Build, we’re building state-shaping projects that will change the way that Victorians work, live and play.

We’re made up of 6 project teams:

Level Crossing Removal Project – removing 110 dangerous and congested level crossings and delivering Geelong Fast Rail
Major Road Projects Victoria – easing congestion by building better roads and bridges
North East Link Program – building the biggest road project in Victoria - the missing link in Melbourne’s freeway network
Rail Projects Victoria – delivering Melbourne Airport Rail, the Metro Tunnel and Regional Rail Revival
West Gate Tunnel Project – building an alternative to the West Gate Bridge, which will reduce congestion and remove trucks from residential streets.
Suburban Rail Loop – linking every major rail line in Melbourne, via Melbourne Airport. Note that Suburban Rail Loop has a separate graduate program application process from the other Victoria’s Big Build Projects.

Delivering these massive projects takes multidisciplinary teams working collaboratively in a complex and creative environment. Does this sound like your ideal workplace?

About the Graduate Programs

Each year, we offer approximately 100 graduate roles across a wide range of disciplines.

Over a 2-year program, you'll undertake:

rotations in a range of business contexts (depending on your discipline and project team)
a structured learning and development program involving a range of professional and personal development workshops, site visits, project work, mentoring and experiential learning opportunities.
career planning to prepare you for the next step in your career.

During the application process you'll be asked to rank your project team preferences.

During the program, you'll develop your technical and professional skills, working alongside industry experts and learning from professionals who will be eager to help and guide you.

By joining one of our teams, you'll not only gain first-hand experience working on real projects, but you'll also be helping to make it easier for Victorians to get where they need to go quickly and safely.

We’re proud to be in the country’s top 10 most popular government employers, as recognised by Grad Connection and the Australian Financial Review. We were also ranked second in the Construction and Property services sector by the Australian Association of Graduate Employees.

Top graduate employers 2022 for the Australian Financial Review and the Australian Association of Graduate Employers

Who are we looking for?

We’re seeking graduates from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. To be eligible to apply, you must:

have completed your degree between January 2021 and January 2024
hold a bachelors or masters degree relevant to the role you're applying for
have full Australian working rights at time of application.

If you have completed a masters degree, you must have commenced your masters within 12 months of completion of your bachelors degree.

Unfortunately, we're unable to offer work sponsorship. If you cannot work legally in Australia, you are not eligible for these programs.

Graduate disciplines

Accounting/Finance

Degrees: Business, Commerce, Finance, Accounting
Projects offering this discipline: Major Road Projects Victoria, Rail Projects Victoria

You'll provide support to financial analysts, assisting with financial forecasting, reporting activities and management accounting functions. You'll also assist with the development of finance initiatives across the broad spectrum of areas to develop your industry knowledge. You'll also play a key role in the administration of the financial control environment and make recommendations on improving process and systems where possible.

Civil Engineering

Degree: Engineering (Civil)
Projects offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project, Major Road Projects Victoria, North East Link Program, Rail Projects Victoria, West Gate Tunnel Project

You'll be exposed to the design, development and delivery of upgrades to the road and rail networks and supporting structures, including bridges, tunnels, stations, earthworks and drainage. With various projects at different stages of the project life cycle, you may be exposed to activities such as reviewing designs, contractor works, program and design tracking, liaising with stakeholders and attending safety workshops.

Commercial/Procurement

Degrees: Business, Commerce, Finance, Economics, Law, Management, Supply Chain Management
Projects offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project, Major Road Projects Victoria, Rail Projects Victoria

You'll help manage the purchase of goods and services required to support the operation of your project. You'll learn about the relevant procurement guidelines and policies that Victorian Government agencies must abide by when spending the public dollar. You will build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and work with nearly every function to procure everything from the lollies handed out to travellers during community events, through to major professional advisory services.

Communications

Degrees: Communications, Digital Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Media, Public Relations, Production/Video, Bachelor of Film, Television and animation
Projects offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project, Major Road Projects Victoria, North East Link Program, Rail Projects Victoria , West Gate Tunnel Project

Working within a communications and stakeholder relations team, you'll have the opportunity to learn about developing and implementing strategies to ensure proactive management of stakeholders. This involves managing media relations and all channels of communications as well as community relations, including community consultation, public information materials and events. You'll build capabilities to draft high-quality collateral for the Victorian public as well as internal communications. You'll also learn how to effectively respond to media enquiries and draft content for the project website and social media. You'll learn how to manage stakeholder and community enquiries, as well as the logistics for public events, including information sessions, festivals and project presentations.

Electrical Engineering

Degree: Engineering (Electrical)
Projects offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project, Rail Projects Victoria

You'll have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the development, review and implementation of electrical systems on major rail infrastructure projects, including areas such as low voltage, high voltage, traction power, and communication and control systems. You'll work to identify project issues and priorities, while assisting with issue resolution and decision making. There will be opportunities to employ research and investigation skills, as well as the initiative to seek, identify and challenge technical electrical requirements. You'll also work within multidisciplinary teams and alongside industry experts and advisors to be exposed to industry best practice and set a foundation for your electrical engineering career.

Graphic Design

Degrees: Graphic Design, Design, Visual Communication
Projects offering this discipline: Rail Projects Victoria

You'll work within the project's in-house graphic design team to develop innovative and creative graphic design solutions and services for digital and printed communications. You'll gain hands-on experience with the document design and production process, from creative concept to finished artwork to delivered product and distribution strategies. Using a range of software including Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Premiere, you'll support the preparation of artwork for a wide range of projects.

Human Resources

Degrees: Human Resources, Business (HR), Data Science
Projects offering this discipline: Major Road Projects Victoria, North East Link Program, Rail Projects Victoria

You'll build practical capabilities in managing end-to-end recruitment, workplace relations, payroll advisory, workforce planning, HR projects (including getting involved in employment programs including the Graduate, Industry Based Learning (IBL), Vocation and Traineeship Programs) and business partnering. You'll also learn about how state and federal legislation, enterprise agreements and HR policies work to form the basis of HR advice and effective people management practices. Depending on your experience and Project Office allocation, this role may be required to support our HR Data and Analytics function to manage and analyse HR data.

Social Value and Inclusion

Degrees: All degrees welcome
Projects offering this discipline: Major Road Projects Victoria

You’ll be part of an initiative which supports the roads and civil construction industry to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce and supply chain to help build Victoria's roads. You’ll have the opportunity to be exposed to a range of social procurement, Aboriginal participation and inclusive employment initiatives. You’ll assist with the collation and analysis of project reports to ensure compliance with project requirements.

Information Systems/Technology

Degrees: Information Systems, Computer Science
Projects offering this discipline: Major Road Projects Victoria, North East Link Program, Rail Projects Victoria

You'll be exposed to and challenged by meeting the complex IT requirements involved in delivering Victoria's largest transport infrastructure projects. You'll have the opportunity to learn about key IT areas, including information management, systems analysis and project management.

Land and Property

Degrees: Law, Property Economics, Survey or similar
Projects offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project, North East Link Program

You’ll support the Land and Property team and project delivery teams in the identification, leasing and management of land and property matters for project purposes. You’ll assist with private, government and crown land matters. You’ll be exposed to all affected owner and third-party interests, as well as a variety of land and property tasks for site identification. You’ll also collaborate with stakeholder agencies, including the Department of Transport and Planning, on a variety of land matters and property issues relating to the project.

Land, Planning and Environment/Urban Design

Degrees: Environmental Science, Science (Environment), Rural Planning, Sustainability, Town Planning, Urban Design, Urban Planning, Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Ecology, Botany, Archaeology
Projects offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project, Major Road Projects Victoria, North East Link Program, Rail Projects Victoria

You'll undertake key environmental assessments and obtain planning, environmental and heritage approvals. You'll gain exposure to establishing and implementing environmental and sustainability frameworks and integrate environmental and sustainability requirements into the project. You'll also assist in the management of land and assembly processes, involving both internal and external stakeholder consultation, preparation and review of key documentation and dealing with legislative requirements. You’ll be exposed to the design, development and delivery of upgrades to the network and supporting structures, including precinct planning, public realm improvements, landscape design, architecture (such as bridges, tunnels and stations), active transport, earthworks and drainage.

Legal

Degrees: Law, Business (Law)
Projects offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project, North East Link Program, Rail Projects Victoria, Major Road Projects Victoria

You'll assist senior lawyers within the Commercial and Legal Team with researching, drafting and collating reports, briefs and responses to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. You'll also assist the team to ensure that legal documents are stored in accordance with statutory requirements and open to audit at any time. You'll also be required to build relationships and manage internal and external stakeholders.

Mechanical Engineering

Degrees: Engineering (Mechanical)
Project offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project, Rail Projects Victoria

You'll work across a variety of areas including design, construction and project management. With the opportunity to work both on and off site, you'll gain hands-on experience working with engineers on our large scale, high-impact projects.

Mechatronics/Systems Engineering

Degrees: Engineering (Mechatronics), Engineering (Adv Manufacturing)
Project offering this discipline: Rail Projects Victoria

You'll work alongside industry experts to review the design, systems engineering, testing, integration and assurance of the rail systems network. You'll be exposed to the development and delivery of project scope and technical requirements to meet operational, quality, cost, time, safety and environmental outcomes.

Program Improvement

Degrees: Engineering, Science, IT, Business, Commerce
Projects offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project

You'll contribute towards improvement and innovation projects including developing business cases, working closely with subject matter experts, coordinating resources and reporting outcomes. You'll work closely with internal Level Crossing Removal Project teams and Alliance partners to identify opportunities to leverage technology, promote data driven decision making and foster an environment that promotes knowledge sharing and continuous improvement. You'll support teams to implement change and adopt innovative approaches and identify suitable innovation projects which will solve problems, enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of delivery and/or improve business processes. This is a non-traditional engineering role and is focused more on improvement and innovation, connecting like-minded teams and influencing stakeholders.

Quantity Surveying/Project Management

Degrees: Project Management, Commerce (Project Management), Construction Management, Business (Project Management), Applied Science (Project Management)
Projects offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project

You'll be exposed to the planning, development and delivery of elements of major complex road and rail infrastructure through contributing to project activities, supporting the strategic direction and building effective and collaborative stakeholder relationships. With various projects at different stages of the project life cycle, you will get a well-rounded understanding of what goes into making our projects come to life in the most efficient and effective way.

Safety

Degrees: OH&S, Safety Management
Projects offering this discipline: Level Crossing Removal Project, Major Road Projects Victoria, North East Link Program, West Gate Tunnel Project

You'll develop capability in the promotion of a safe work culture and be involved with the coordination of all health and safety aspects of activities undertaken by project staff and contractors. You'll gain an understanding of safety systems development, implementation and auditing, relationship management and providing sound advice in accordance with legislative requirements, policies and procedures.

Signalling

Degrees: Electrical Engineering preferred, however Mechatronics Engineering will also be accepted.

Project offering this discipline: Rail Projects Victoria

You'll be exposed to the development, design and delivery of signalling works associated with Victoria’s Big Build program. With various signalling projects at different stages, you may be exposed to activities such as reviewing, installing or testing signalling design as well as liaising with stakeholders, contractors and attending safety workshops or coordination related works.

Sustainability

Degrees: Sustainability, Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Environmental), Materials Engineering
Project offering this discipline: Major Road Projects Victoria, North East Link Program, Level Crossing Removal Project

You’ll seek to identify and implement more sustainable design and construction practices across all activities. You will work at a program level, supporting a wide range of functions, including strategic program development, project/works package development, design and construction practices investigations, completions and lessons learned review and preparation. You will also provide Alliance Continual Improvement support and assist with registered training organisation stakeholder engagement and interface, program reporting, measurement and benefits realisation.

Salary and conditions

When you join the program, you'll be employed full time at a salary of $74,580 + superannuation (effective from December 2023 – as per VPS EA 2020).

Each year, you'll be entitled to 20 days of annual leave and 15 days of personal leave.

Your workplace will depend on your ‘home’ project; however, you'll generally be located in Melbourne CBD. For those who wish, there may be an opportunity to work in regional Victoria, depending on project requirements.

On completing the program, you'll be well-placed to apply for vacant positions within Victoria's Big Build or with our external partners.

How to apply

Applications for the 2024 Victoria’s Big Build Graduate Programs have now closed. Thanks to everyone who applied.

To apply, you'll need your:

CV
academic transcript (if you haven’t yet finished your degree or if you are waiting to graduate, please upload your unofficial academic transcript to date)
proof of working rights (for example, your passport)
order of project preference (if multiple projects are recruiting for your discipline).

Address your application to ‘Victoria’s Big Build Graduate Recruitment Team’.

Explore our projects

Find out more about the graduate experience on each project team:

Level Crossing Removal Project
Major Road Projects Victoria
North East Link Program
Rail Projects Victoria (Melbourne Airport Rail, Metro Tunnel, Regional Rail Revival)
West Gate Tunnel Project
Suburban Rail Loop – Note that Suburban Rail Loop has a separate graduate program application process from the other Victoria’s Big Build Projects. Click through to read more and apply.

For further questions about the Victoria’s Big Build Graduate Programs, email gradprogram@bigbuild.vic.gov.au.