Director, Client Innovation, Australia (GISI Ignite)
About GISI Ignite and Palladium:
GISI is a global, employee-owned family of companies focused on construction, infrastructure, earth and environment, and global development. GISI Ignite is GISI's newly launched centralized technology and innovation team, built to strengthen how our operating companies deliver projects and provide expert guidance on AI, data, and digital solutions. We develop scalable platforms, drive workflow modernization, and help operating companies apply cyber-physical solutions that strengthen the performance, resilience, and safety of major capital programs.
Palladium, a GISI company, works to design, develop and deliver positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of people around the globe; broaden access to health, water, power, and infrastructure; build enduring, sustainable, and transformative institutions and market systems to address global challenges; and conserve the natural world. We operate in over 90 countries and have a workforce of 2,000 talented, motivated, and diverse staff around the world. This role is hired through Palladium, the operational platform for Ignite.
This Opportunity:
The Director, Client Innovation, GISI Ignite will establish, lead, and grow Ignite’s presence in the Australian region. This senior leadership role owns regional relationships, shapes the regional operating model, and drives growth of Ignite’s technology and innovation services. The role sits at the intersection of the region’s growth strategy, technology-enabled innovation, and delivery orchestration, ensuring that innovative ideas translate into measurable business and development outcomes. This role serves as a trusted advisor to senior business stakeholders, helping them identify high-impact opportunities for digital transformation, data-driven decision-making, and new operating models.
Location:
This is a full-time, hybrid position based out of GISI’s Brisbane office, with potential client travel. To be considered for this position, you must have valid work rights in the country where the role is based as visa sponsorship is not available for this role.
GISI Ignite believes in a hybrid working schedule, 3 days in the office and 2 days from home.
Reporting Lines:
- The Director reports to the Lead, GISI Ignite
Initially, this position will not include direct supervisory duties; however, these responsibilities may be introduced as the business evolves over time
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Primary Roles and Responsibilities:
Regional Leadership & Strategy
- Act as Ignite’s senior representative for Australia, owning relationships with regional GISI and operating company leadership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to APAC leadership on enterprise technology and innovation strategy, anchored on business efficiency, expansion and growth
- Identify and report region-specific strategic needs and demand signals, shaping repeatable innovation offerings and assets that can be scaled across projects and regions
- Provide regional insight to global Ignite leadership to inform roadmap development, investment priorities, and repeatable offerings
Internal Delivery & Operating Model
- Serve as regional engagement lead for priority initiatives, accountable for clarity of scope, value, stakeholders, and delivery governance
- Lead Ignite operational efficiency initiatives focused on data strategy, use and governance, aligned with overall AI enablement strategies
- Integrate Australia initiatives into Ignite’s Coordination Center processes, including intake, prioritization, resourcing, and performance tracking
- Leverage Ignite’s global consulting pool, technology partners, and delivery standards rather than duplicating regional capabilities
Proactively identify and mitigate risks related to change adoption, leadership alignment, or operational readiness
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Operations & Team Building
- Provide analysis on regional resourcing needs
- Build and manage a regional Ignite team over time based on regional demand and growth goals
- Balance regional priorities with global Ignite priorities and development
- Ensure compliance with GISI, GCG, Ignite and OPCO governance standards
Monitor regional performance, including utilization, quality, and growth indicators (as applicable)
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Client & Market Engagement
- As requested, partner with growth, sales, and account leaders to support business development, proposal development, and client pursuits, serving as a trusted advisor on digital, AI, and data strategy
Integrate the region into Ignite’s digital delivery model and other external offerings in junction with other OPCO service offerings
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Essential Criteria:
- Bachelor’s degree in business, technology, engineering, or related field; Master’s preferred
- 12+ years of experience in technology-enabled transformation, digital strategy, or innovation consulting, with a strong emphasis on enterprise strategies
- Experience or strong working knowledge in data engineering, data governance, data strategy, and secure data platform design, including the establishment of reliable data foundations that support scalable application development, analytics, automation, and AI use cases
- Familiarity with Australian government data security, privacy, compliance, data sovereignty, and responsible AI governance requirements is highly desirable
- Demonstrated success shaping ambiguous business demand into structured initiatives that progress from concept through pilot to scaled adoption
- Experience operating effectively within global or centralized delivery models, balancing regional needs with enterprise standards, governance, and shared delivery capacity
- Proven ability to influence senior client and executive level internal stakeholders without direct authority, including navigating federated or matrixed organizations
- Strong understanding of change management, adoption, and value realization, with evidence of embedding solutions into day‑to‑day operations
- Commercial acumen with experience supporting growth and pursuits (opportunity shaping, solution positioning, executive storytelling), without sole ownership of a regional P&L
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technology concepts into clear business outcomes and investment narratives
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Desired Criteria:
- Experience in sectors relevant to GISI: infrastructure, construction, architecture, engineering, environment, or international development
- Familiarity with AI, data platforms, workflow automation, or innovation programs
- Experience working with globally distributed teams across different cultures and functions
Experience working across APAC markets, with cultural fluency and comfort operating across time zones
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Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early as the position may close once a suitable candidate is found. Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.
Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at [email protected] and we will be in touch to discuss.
Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as all the actions taken by Palladium to protect our people, communities where we work and our clients from harm, including Sexual Exploitation, Abuse or Sexual Harassment; Child Abuse in any form; Trafficking for sexual exploitation of adults or children and any form of Trafficking of children. We have zero tolerance for all forms of child abuse as well as sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and zero-tolerance for inaction to prevent, protect against, respond to and report harm. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process. Our Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding and Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Guidelines have additional details.
