The Role

This is a leadership role for an experienced acoustician who is ready to broaden their impact.

You will combine technical delivery, team leadership, and business development - leading complex, high profile projects as a Project Principal, acting as a trusted advisor to clients, and playing a key role in growing our acoustics presence across Australia and the wider APAC region.

While you will remain hands-on, you will be strategic with responsibility for commercial outcomes, developing people, and shaping the future of the business.

What You’ll Do

Lead meaningful projects

You’ll act as Project Principal on key commissions, setting direction and maintaining close relationships with clients and collaborators.

Lead acoustic strategies for theatres, performance venues, cultural buildings and complex projects

Guide early design conversations — translating creative ambition into technical clarity

Oversee delivery across all stages, from concept through to completion

Stay connected to the work — reviewing, advising, and shaping outcomes

Build and support a team

You’ll play an active role in growing and supporting our acoustics team.

Line manage and mentor consultants and senior consultants globally

Support development through feedback, coaching, and opportunity

Help shape a team culture that is collaborative, curious, and generous

Work closely with global colleagues across our studios

Grow the work

We value thoughtful, relationship-led business development.

Build strong, long-term client relationships

Lead proposals, interviews, and conversations that win meaningful work

Spot opportunities — across culture, civic projects, and beyond

Contribute to the wider Charcoalblue story in Australia and APAC

Take ownership

This role comes with commercial and operational responsibility.

Oversee project performance — scope, fees, and delivery

Support planning, resourcing, and regional growth

Contribute to shaping how the business operates locally

Champion quality and craft

We take pride in the quality of our work.

Lead by example in technical excellence

Support quality assurance across projects

Contribute to tools, ideas, and research that improve how we work

About You

You are an experienced consultant ready to step into a broader leadership role.

You bring

A degree in acoustics (or equivalent)

Strong technical capability across: room acoustics (ideally performance spaces), building acoustics and sound insulation, environmental noise and vibration

Experience leading projects and working directly with clients

Confidence guiding teams and supporting others’ development

Curiosity, clarity of thought, and a collaborative approach

You likely also have

Experience working on theatres, performance venues, or cultural buildings

Interest or background in performing arts or technical production

Experience contributing to business development and winning work

Familiarity with tools such as Odeon, Rhino, INSUL, SoundPLAN

Why Join Us

Work on projects that shape cultural life — in Australia and globally

Be part of a connected, multidisciplinary team

Help grow a practice with ambition and purpose

Balance hands-on work with leadership and influence

Contribute to a culture that values ideas, people, and craft

Employment Details

This role is being offered as a permanent, full-time role.

Our standard full-time working week is 40 hours, flexible between 8am and 8pm Monday-Friday, plus an hour per day (unpaid) for lunch, with an understanding that flexible working hours will apply to meet our clients’ needs and to accommodate the company’s global time zones. Charcoalblue does not provide for the payment of overtime. The nature of the job and the Partnership’s business could occasionally entail some work outside normal working hours.

There is a three-month probationary period for permanent roles.

We are currently working in a hybrid working model, meaning you will work from your home, or other place of your choosing, with regular working hours at our Melbourne Studio. Additionally, some site visits and project meetings may be in person, as required.

We will provide you with the necessary IT hardware and software to enable you to carry out your role successfully in line with your duties.

Please note, the successful applicant must be based in Australia to effectively meet the current needs of our work and local team, and you should be able and willing to travel to external meetings and our Melbourne studio regularly as required, with notice.

Annual Leave Entitlement

Team members have no ‘cap’ on the number of days they wish to take in any one year. This means you can plan holiday or vacation time or request time when you need it, without the worry of running out of leave days. 'Take-What-You-Need' (TWYN) leave requests must follow policy guidelines and team members are encouraged to use a minimum of 20 days of annual leave minimum per annum (prorated in the first year), plus statutory Bank Holidays.

Charcoalblue traditionally closes its studios between Christmas and New Year’s Day, resulting in an additional 4-5 discretionary paid vacation days each year.

Employee Benefits

To support you in successful hybrid/distributed working, you will receive a laptop and any other associated IT peripherals required for the role upon you joining Charcoalblue.

Following successful completion of your three-month probationary period, you will be eligible to participate in our company benefits package, including:

Charcoalblue’s annual bonus scheme, subject to the Company’s performance year on year.
An allocation of live event tickets per month, offered to encourage you to immerse yourself in the live events industry as far as possible.
A contribution to your home internet and home utilities to enable you to work from home effectively in line with our distributed working model.
A monthly contribution to your privately managed Life Insurance cover, in line with our company policy.
Upon successful completion of your second year, you will be eligible to receive a monthly contribution to your privately managed Health Insurance cover, in line with our company policy.

Other benefits are accumulative as you progress with the company.

Start Date

As soon as possible

Salary

The salary range for this role is $145,000 - $165,000 per annum for a 40-hour week.

Please state your salary expectations in your application in line with your experience.

Charcoalblue intends to offer the selected candidate base pay within this range, dependent on job-related, non-discriminatory factors such as experience. Base pay is one part of the total rewards that Charcoalblue provides to compensate and recognize employees for their work. Charcoalblue provides a robust benefits package to help support you physically, financially, and emotionally through the big milestones and in your everyday life. Please visit our website’s careers page for more details.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Overview

We are committed to becoming an increasingly inclusive organization. We continuously work to eliminate unfair and discriminatory practices within the company while encouraging full and equal contributions from our diverse community.

Our mission is to foster an inclusive ethos by creating a welcoming work environment across our global practice. We provide recruitment opportunities that are open to all and encourage applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds to ensure our global team reflects the clients we collaborate with and the communities we serve.

If you require this application in a different format or need support during the application process, please contact Natalia Abril at natalia.abril@charcoalblue.com or via telephone at +61 (03) 9417 6524. If you have any questions about accessibility or how the role may accommodate your personal circumstances, please reach out.

Charcoalblue strives to provide an environment free from discrimination and is committed to ensuring that all clients and customers can access the services and products we offer, across our three regions. We believe that all individuals – employees and clients alike – are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity.

Associate Director - Acoustics

Lead acoustics at Charcoalblue: steer high-profile projects, mentor teams, win work across APAC, and shape culture with hands-on craft and strategic impact.