Meet Justin Batterbee
What led you to a career at Duratec?
“I started with Duratec as a Supervisor at what was then our Karratha blast and paint facility, overseeing yard operations, supporting safe and efficient delivery, and mentoring junior trainees. I then progressed to Yard Manager, at the same facility for two years with a focus on safety, quality, operational efficiency and workforce development.
From there, I moved into a Project Manager role, working for Yara during a challenging period of skilled labour shortages across the North West. Despite this, the project was completed without incident and received strong feedback from the client and contractors.
I later became Coastal Operations Manager, overseeing multiple sites and client relationships across different locations. After two years, I progressed into my current role as Area Manager, where I continue to build my leadership capability while delivering strong outcomes for clients and the business.”
How does your role safeguard and extend asset and infrastructure?
“As an Area Manager, I’m now focused on delivering our full spectrum of services for end-to-end asset remediation and protection. I help safeguard and extend asset life by identifying defects early and delivering targeted remediation works. By maintaining strong quality control and compliance, I help reduce deterioration, prevent unplanned failures and improve asset durability. This supports longer service life, lower lifecycle costs and greater operational reliability for our clients.”
What’s your biggest professional achievement and why?
“My biggest professional achievement has been delivering the Yara turnaround as Project Manager. The project was challenging due to skilled labour shortages across the North West, with several major projects running at the same time. Despite this, I planned, resourced and led the team to complete the works safely, without incident and to a high standard. The positive feedback from the client and contractors reinforced the strength of our delivery. This achievement stands out because it showed my ability to lead under pressure, adapt to difficult conditions and deliver strong safety and performance outcomes.”
What do you enjoy most about working at Duratec?
“What I enjoy most about working at Duratec is the culture, strong leadership and close-knit team in the North West. There is a real sense of trust and accountability across the business, supported by leaders who provide clear direction while empowering people to take ownership of their roles. That balance has been important to my growth. The North West crew is also highly supportive, with everyone willing to share knowledge, help each other and step up when needed. This collaboration makes the work more rewarding and helps us consistently deliver strong outcomes for clients.”
What have you learned during your time at Duratec / what has inspired you?
“During my time at Duratec, I’ve learned the value of strong leadership, accountability and ongoing development. The business encourages people to take ownership, support each other and keep improving, which has had a strong influence on my growth. Working with a close-knit team in the North West has reinforced the importance of trust and teamwork, and continues to motivate me to develop as a leader while contributing to the success of our projects and people.”
What advice would you give to someone starting out in their career?
“Always be willing to listen to those around you. Some of the best ideas come from collaboration, and your peers often bring different perspectives and experiences that you can learn from. By actively engaging with your team and being open to feedback, you’ll develop stronger problem-solving skills and make better decisions. This approach not only accelerates your own learning but also builds trust, strengthens relationships, and contributes to a more positive and productive work environment. “
