BrightSide Consultants, in association with Moving2Australia and our fantastic teams in Ireland and the UK, spent 12 summer weeks in Ireland and the UK. What did we learn?
We met some seriously talented international construction, engineering and mission critical professionals ready to relocate to Australia in 2026/27.
After 12 summer weeks on the ground across Ireland and the UK, we are delighted to be back in Australia, and we have come home with a strong pipeline of international talent ready to relocate.
Our International Recruitment Campaign took us through site visits, industry events and one-on-one meetings with construction and engineering professionals who are actively planning their move to Australia. We have met these people, understood what they are looking for and mapped out the visa pathway for each of them.
One week back, and our clients have already started to engage and interview the pipeline of candidates we represent from the campaign.
If you are planning your Q2 and Q3 2027 workforce, now is the time to talk to us about who is available.
Who We Have Been Meeting
Over the 12 weeks we connected with experienced professionals across Ireland, the UK, mainland Europe and the United States. Some are Australians completing a stint on major projects overseas and ready to come home. Others are international candidates making the move for the first time, many of them with family, and others again have previous Australian experience and are looking to return down under.
We are seeing the strongest availability across Mission Critical and Hyperscale Data Centre projects, Building Construction, Civil Engineering, Renewable Energy and Mining Infrastructure, in the following disciplines:
- Project Directors, Senior Project Managers and Project Managers
- Construction Managers and Contracts Managers
- Senior Site Managers, Site Managers and Site Engineers
- Senior Quantity Surveyors, Quantity Surveyors and Commercial Managers
- Estimators and Bid Professionals
- Civil Engineers, Design Managers and Services Managers
- MEP Professionals, Electrical and Mechanical Leads
- Planners, Schedulers and BIM Managers
- Quality Managers, Health and Safety Leads and Advisors
Most bring five to fifteen years with Tier 1 contractors, with project experience across hyperscale data centres, commercial build, civil and transport infrastructure, water, renewable energy and rail.
Roles We Are Recruiting For Now
Demand across our client base continues to be strong, and the roles coming up over the next two quarters sit in five areas:
Mission Critical and Data Centres. We are recruiting Commercial and QS professionals, Project Managers, Site Managers, MEP Leads, CSA Engineers and Commissioning professionals for hyperscale campuses in Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands and the Nordics.
Social and Major Infrastructure, Queensland. The Brisbane 2032 program and the pipeline of work around it continues to drive demand for Project Managers, Site Managers, Contract Administrators and Quantity Surveyors.
Civil and Transport Infrastructure. Road, bridge, rail and tunnelling projects across Australia, where international major project experience transfers directly.
Renewable Energy and Water. Civil, mechanical and electrical professionals, along with commercial staff, for projects across Australia.
Commercial Build and Fit-Out. Site Managers, Project Managers and Contract Administrators across Australia.
If your upcoming roles sit in any of these areas, we would welcome the chance to talk them through with you before our candidates are placed elsewhere.
Why We Go To Talent
Going to Talent is at the heart of how we work. Rather than posting a role and waiting, we travel to the markets where the talent is, talk to candidates and take the time to understand what would make them move their career and their family to the other side of the world.
It takes longer. It also means that when a shortlist reaches you, every candidate on it has been qualified, referenced and visa checked, and is genuinely committed to the move. Our background is in engineering, with 15 years of international project management behind the business across Australia, the UAE, Hong Kong, Ireland, the UK and the United States, so the technical screening is done before you see a single resume.
What Hiring An International Candidate Involves
The two questions we are asked most often by employers are how long it takes and how much work it creates for them.
Visa pathway. Many candidates come through employer sponsorship under the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). Others hold or qualify for a skilled independent or state nominated visa (subclass 189 or 190), which means no sponsorship obligation for you at all.
Timeline. From shortlist to a start on site is typically one to three months, and faster again where a candidate already holds working rights.
Your involvement. Scoping the role and interviewing. Our sister company Moving2Australia assists with visa coordination, relocation logistics, arrival and settling in, which is the part that makes the difference between a hire who stays and one who does not.
How We Work With Employers
- Briefing and role scoping
- Targeted international sourcing from our live candidate pool
- A shortlist of pre-qualified and visa checked professionals
- Interview coordination, remote or in person
- Full candidate management from offer through to arrival
- Ongoing post-placement support for both you and your new team member
Meet With Us
If you would like to see the candidates available for your projects, or plan an international search for roles you are struggling to fill locally, we would be glad to hear from you.
Submit your workforce requirements by emailing gearoid@brightsideconsultants.com.au or book a time to speak with us.
We look forward to helping you build your team for 2027 and beyond.
BrightSide Consultants ANZ Team