Defect Manager

About Us:RATP Dev Western Sydney Airport (RDWSA) is a subsidiary of the RATP Group, a global leader in high-capacity urban rail and the world’s third largest public transport operator.

Our 25,000 people design, operate, maintain and modernise urban and interurban transportation networks. We serve more than 100 cities in 17 countries, delivering tailored mobility solutions that address each community’s unique environmental, social, and economic challenges.

We build, deliver and commit for the best of public transport – every day, everywhere, for everybody – to make it the natural choice for cities and passengers.

As an Operator & Maintainer to the Australian Federal and NSW governments, Parklife Metro is leading a transformative metro project connecting St Marys to Bradfield, linking with the new Western Sydney Airport.

The Parklife Metro (PLM) consortium, made up of Plenary, RATP Dev, Siemens, and Webuild, is delivering the Stations, Systems, Trains and Operations & Maintenance (SSTOM) package of works for the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport (SM-WSA) project.

RDWSA will proudly operate and maintain 6 new stations, 12 metro trains, core rail systems, and a state-of-the-art stabling and maintenance facility at Orchard Hills on the Western Sydney Airport metro line for 15 years after the line has become operational.

About The Role:Reporting directly to the O&M Readiness Director, you will operate at the critical intersection of technical engineering, operational readiness, and contract management. You will lead the Defect Elimination Working Group (DEWG) to ensure all physical and digital defects—across both Foundation Infrastructure Works (FIW) and SSTOM packages—are systematically identified, risk-assessed, technically substantiated, and formally resolved before asset handover and throughout the Defects Correction Period (DCP).

Prior to Trial Operations (Readiness & Pre-Handover)

- Establish, govern, and enforce the O&M Defect Management Plan and standard operating procedures across all RDWSA teams, D&C partners, and subcontractors.
- Manage and maintain the centralised Master Defect Register within IBM Maximo, ensuring precise data integrity, asset hierarchy mapping, and unique tracking.
- Lead the technical compilation of comprehensive, "spec-referenced" evidence packages (including drawings, photos, and condition reports) to contractually substantiate defects.
- Manage and plan joint pre-handover inspections with the D&C partners, Sydney Metro, and the Independent Certifier (IC) to capture outstanding works prior to practical completion.
- Collaborate with the Commercial/Claims team to draft highly detailed technical inputs for Contract and Defect Notices, ensuring compliance with strict contractual timeframes.
- Table, escalate, and resolve technical defect bottlenecks at weekly Defect Working Group forums.

During Trial Operations and Steady-State Operations

- Lead the technical evaluation and risk-based triage of all logged defects utilising our 6-pillar Judgment of Significance (JOS) Matrix (Safety, Operations/KPIs, Procedures, Cost, Lifecycle, and Reputation).
- Manage the project's 4-Level Response Framework to strategically allocate engineering resources where they are needed most.
- Quantify the impact of defects on asset reliability (MTBF), maintainability, and operational availability (MTTR) before accepting any "leave-as-is" or temporary repair proposals.
- Review proposed rectification methodologies and design modifications (mods) from the D&C contractor to verify operational and maintenance suitability.
- Supervise post-rectification inspections, review quality assurance documentation, and witness test events to formally confirm defect closure.
- Draft technical assurance packages to support the Independent Certifier (IC) in making binding determinations on disputed items.
- Integrate defect data with the Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System (FRACAS) to target systemic design or material failures.