McConnell Dowell

Creative construction.

Simply put, creativity is the use of original ideas and imagination to create something special. Sixty years ago, New Zealand engineers Malcom McConnell and Jim Dowell did just that by harnessing their combined creativity to establish McConnell Dowell, a construction company with a pioneering spirit and a willingness to tackle even the most challenging projects.  

The pair quickly grew the company, expanding into Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Decades on, McConnell Dowell continues to have a reputation for approaching challenging, risky projects with creativity and imagination, ensuring the best possible result for its clients and the community.  

With a new managing director, McConnell Dowell is looking to the future and its sights are set firmly on taking the business to the next level through innovation and digital transformation. 

Iconic projects that improve lives 

McConnell Dowell’s name is on many iconic landmarks, including the city-changing Waterview Connection in Auckland - a six-year project requiring an 800,000m3 tunnel evacuation with five kilometres of motorway and two three-lane tunnels. This project has dramatically improved the city’s traffic flows, making a measurable difference to the lives of Aucklanders.  

McConnell Dowell differentiates itself by the complex, award-winning projects it delivers and its focus on community and social outcomes.  

Sara Paris, the company’s General Manager - Human Resources explains, “Our core purpose is to use creative construction to benefit the communities we operate in. We stand by this purpose in everything we do. We genuinely care about what we’re doing and our clients benefit from that”. 

An authentic, caring culture 

With a global team of 3500, McConnell Dowell genuinely and authentically cares about its people.  

It has a strong focus on the whole person, not just the person at work. A 24-month health, wellbeing and engagement programme is evidence of this. Sara says the programme makes sure that people are enjoying work. “We spend more time here than we do at home, so it’s really important to us that our people are happy.”   

This caring extends to personal and career growth - McConnell Dowell invests heavily in growing its people, offering a suite of development and mentoring programmes that support further learning and engineering accreditation. 

Opportunities for construction experts right now 

McConnell Dowell’s 300-strong Auckland team represents over 25 different nationalities, and it’s looking to add to that. With high-profile and challenging projects on offer, including work on  Auckland’s City Rail Link and the Wynyard Edge Alliance – the stage for Auckland’s hosting of the America’s Cup in 2021, the company is looking for tunnelling specialists, civil engineers, quantity surveyors, site managers and project managers to join the team.  

McConnell Dowell ensures shifting your life and career to Auckland is a stress-free and positive experience. With a dedicated recruitment manager who has recently made the smart move from the United Kingdom to Auckland herself, you’ll be well supported through the application and relocation process by someone who has first-hand experience.  

Sara says, “We give you all of the options; what the schooling is like, what the price of food is, what the housing options are, we pick you up from the airport and make sure you’re settled into your accommodation. We help your loved ones to settle in too – that’s really important.”   

McConnell Dowell is poised and ready for the next stage of its journey, making now the perfect time to bring your creativity, innovation and construction experience to the Auckland team. Visit the job board to discover the opportunities on offer. 
 

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