Australia’s project services market has shifted. Since 2023, cost-cutting and tighter budgets have delayed or cancelled many large programs, with organisations opting to redirect resources back into business-as-usual activities. The result for the market is a surge of experienced professionals now competing for fewer opportunities.  

Launch Recruitment Melbourne’s Project Services specialist, Steph Hodak , explains: “There are a lot of senior project services candidates in the market right now, but not enough senior project services roles. Hiring managers are looking for people who can show they’ve delivered strong benefits, not just run large programs.”  

The transformation programs that were previously in abundance have slowed, but regulatory and resilience projects are still moving ahead. In fact, their importance has grown. Cybersecurity and operational risk work has steadily increased since high-profile breaches, and with APRA’s CPS 230 standard now in effect, organisations are putting even more focus on compliance and resilience.  

For project services candidates, this means the most active opportunities are in compliance, risk, and resilience. Candidates who can show impact in these types of programs are more likely to attract attention from hiring managers.  

The slowdown in hiring of senior project services roles stems from a shift in organisational priorities. With budgets under pressure, investment that once supported enterprise-wide transformation is being redirected to mandatory initiatives.  

“Organisations are now moving attention to regulatory change, operational resilience, and cyber uplift rather than broad transformation,” shares Steph.  

Naturally, it’s regulated industries like superannuation, banking, insurance, and utilities with the greatest program needs in compliance and resilience. The introduction of APRA’s CPS 230 on 1 July 2025 has amplified this shift, requiring entities to strengthen operational risk management, continuity, and oversight of third-party providers. At the same time, APRA’s CPS 234 on information security has required organisations to keep strengthening their cybersecurity controls, a priority heightened by major breaches such as Medibank .  

The public and private sectors are experiencing the shift differently. In government, transformation projects have slowed while departments focus on cost-out measures and system consolidation. In the private sector, companies are concentrating on risk mitigation, business continuity and resilience (BC&R), and measurable benefits realisation.  

These different pressures have left employers with more candidates to choose from and a sharper focus on the skills that matter most in today’s projects. Namely, resilience, compliance, and demonstrable outcomes.  

With more experienced project services candidates on the market, hiring managers are more selective about who they bring forward.  

Steph says this comes through in conversations she has every week: “Hiring managers want candidates who can prove they’ve delivered benefits in difficult conditions. That might mean steering a team through a crisis, embedding regulatory change, or showing how resilience planning actually protected the business.”   

This sharper lens reflects the current priorities. Compliance-driven projects need leaders who can navigate complex regulations, manage multiple stakeholders, and keep delivery on track under scrutiny. Cyber resilience programs demand candidates who can explain not just the technical controls in place, but the organisational impact of those controls.  

Unfortunately, with more candidates than jobs, pay expectations have flattened , particularly for contractors , giving employers more choice. That extra leverage is changing how they run interviews. Managers are drilling deeper into case studies, asking for specific outcomes, and testing whether candidates can connect project activity to measurable organisational benefits.

For many senior project services professionals, this is the first time in years they’ve faced such a competitive market. Steph says she often speaks with candidates who are surprised by how long searches are taking: “There’s a much bigger pool of senior people in the market right now, which makes it harder for individuals to stand out in the way they used to.”  

So it’s back to some CV and interviewing optimisations. In practice, this means being specific about the value delivered and being more mindful that the competition is tough. Interviewers will be looking to dig deep.  

Senior project services professionals should:  

• Highlight regulatory and resilience experience — detail any involvement in CPS 230 or CPS 234 programs, or similar governance and compliance initiatives.  

• Quantify outcomes — instead of writing “led a program of work,” spell out benefits realised: reduced downtime, faster recovery times, improved compliance scores, or cost savings achieved.  

• Demonstrate adaptability — include examples of steering projects through sudden changes, restructures, or budget cuts.  

• Translate technical detail into business impact — employers want to see how cyber or resilience projects protected operations, not just the frameworks put in place.  

Steph says this sharper focus means senior candidates need to revisit how they present themselves, “CVs that lean too heavily on the size of programs don’t cut through anymore. What employers want is proof that you can deliver under pressure and make a tangible difference to the organisation.”  

The past few years have been tough for the project services market. Transformation programs that once drove demand have somewhat slowed, while compliance, resilience, and cybersecurity initiatives have moved to the forefront. For candidates, the result is a more competitive market where employers have greater choice and sharper expectations.  

Success now depends on showing more than technical delivery. Employers want to see evidence of resilience under pressure, measurable benefits, and the ability to translate complex programs into business outcomes. As Steph puts it, the candidates who stand out are “those who can prove their impact, not just their involvement.”  

For senior project services professionals, that means reassessing how experience is presented, whether it’s on paper, in interviews, or in conversations with hiring managers.   

If you’d like to discuss how these trends affect your career, reach out to Steph Hodak or connect with the team at Launch.