Cadet Hydraulic Designer (Buildings)

This could be the career pathway you never considered, or always wondered about.

We’re working with an award-winning hydraulic consultancy to offer a rare opportunity for a trade-qualified plumber to step off the tools and build a long-term white-collar career in hydraulic design.

This is a genuine transition into the professional services world, where your practical trade knowledge becomes your biggest advantage.
While your earnings may look different initially compared to being fully on the tools, the long-term benefits speak for themselves:

• A stable, office-based career you can continue well into your later years without the physical toll of site work
• The chance to influence design solutions at the front end of major commercial projects
• The ability to use your real-world installation experience to add value to how buildings are designed and delivered

If you’ve got the smarts and the foresight to know that doing the same physical work for decades may not keep you challenged, this could be your opportunity to build a professional career on top of your trade foundation.

About the Opportunity Our client is a privately owned, highly regarded hydraulic consulting business with offices across South East Queensland. They have built their reputation on strong technical delivery, practical thinking and investing in their people.

A large portion of the leadership team and senior staff originally came from trade backgrounds, so they understand exactly what it takes to make the transition off the tools.

You will join as a cadet hydraulic designer and be involved in learning the design process across major and minor commercial projects such as:

• Hospitals
• Aged care facilities
• Universities
• Multi-residential developments
• Local government and community projects

You’ll be trained in industry-leading design software and work closely alongside experienced designers and mentors. Opportunities like this, where you learn directly from people who’ve made the same move themselves, are rare.

To Be Successful You Should Bring

• A trade plumbing qualification
• Commercial project experience
• A genuine interest in moving into a long-term office-based career
• Strong work ethic and willingness to learn
• A mindset that looks beyond the tools and wants to grow professionally
• Be based in Brisbane/Gold Coast or open to relocating with a formulated plan and timeline

We are open to applications from across Australia, provided you have full Australian work rights and an equivalent trade qualification and a geniune plan for relocation to Brisbane or the Gold Coast.

What You’ll Get

• Structured mentorship and hands-on training from experienced designers
• Exposure to diverse and interesting commercial projects
• Brisbane or Gold Coast office-based locations available
• A supportive, down-to-earth team environment
• Modern office setting and family-friendly culture
• A business genuinely invested in your long-term development and success
• A company leading the way in BIM/Revit technology, with a dedicated internal R&D function focused on innovation and automation
• Competitive starting salary of circa $80k + super
• Medium to long-term career progression into a Design Manager role, involving client liaison, attending design meetings as the hydraulic lead, mentoring junior staff, and contributing to project planning and key technical decisions

If you’ve ever thought there might be more for you than staying on the tools long-term, this could be the opportunity that changes the direction of your career.

How to apply

In the first instance, please send a copy of your CV along with a brief email or cover letter outlining why this opportunity appeals to you and why you feel you would be well suited to a role like this. mahlah@recruitr.com.au or place your application through the link.