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April 29, 2026
Balancing project management resources for capital and infrastructure projects is a challenge for many organisations, especially in the food and beverage manufacturing industries. Project load fluctuates year to year, making it difficult to maintain the right team size and expertise for effective project delivery. This is where a project delivery partner offering secondment can make all the difference.
The Challenge of Project Management Resourcing
Under-resourcing can leave project engineers overloaded, causing delays in delivering your capital plan. At the same time, optimism bias often leads to unrealistic timelines, with project scoping and approval typically taking longer than anticipated. On the other hand, over-resourcing drives up costs and may reduce productivity, as staff are often underutilised between projects, a classic case of Parkinson’s Law. To navigate these challenges, organisations need a flexible solution that allows them to right-size their project management team as project needs evolve.
Why Secondment is the Smart Choice
Many food and beverage manufacturers use temporary staff to bridge the gap between core teams and required project management resources. However, contractors can be inconsistent and lack host company support. Secondment provides a better solution:
- Access highly skilled project managers and engineers with deep industry experience in project management for manufacturing and food & beverage.
- Seconded staff remain employed by the project delivery partner, reducing your employment liability and HR overhead.
- Flexible arrangements: ramp up or down as project load changes, including part-time secondments.
- Benefit from the support, tools, and processes of a reputable project management services provider.
How Secondment Works
A secondee is temporarily transferred to your organisation for a defined period, ranging from a few months to several years. They bring with them valuable expertise in industrial design, contractor management, project management planning, infrastructure integration, and regulation compliance. They quickly adapt to your technical specifications and in-house processes, ensuring seamless project delivery from day one. Flexible arrangements, including part-time secondments and staff sharing between clients, allow you to match resources to fluctuating capex spend. When the project concludes, the secondee simply returns to their host employer, eliminating the need for awkward contract terminations.
Secondment in Action at TEG Projects
The proof is in the projects. At BRANZ NZ’s groundbreaking new Fire Lab, TEG Project Manager Andy Stockley embedded with the team for two years to manage the design and installation of specialist fire testing equipment, including a 10MW smoke hood and seismic furnace upgrades that were first-of-their-kind in New Zealand. By integrating directly into the BRANZ team, Andy brought the technical depth and on-the-ground continuity needed to turn genuinely complex, innovative concepts into buildable realities.
That same model drove results for a large manufacturing client across four North Island sites. With Rhys Knauf seconded , TEG delivered a multi-year ammonia safety upgrade programme, covering Ammonia detection systems, Engine Room ventilation improvements, and Shunt Trip installations, without disrupting live refrigeration operations. Solutions were tailored to each site’s existing infrastructure, every installation was completed safely and compliantly, and the projects provideda consistent, standardised Ammonia safety approach across all locations.
Two very different projects. The same principle: the right person, embedded in the right place, for exactly as long as you need them.
Benefits of Seconded Project Managers
Bringing in seconded project managers provides a host of strategic and operational advantages for your organisation. By engaging with a seconded PM you can:
- Maintain lean project resources and reduce long-term operating costs
- Make project resourcing a variable cost that matches your infrastructure projects
- Improve project budget, schedule, and safety performance
- Access best-in-class industrial project management at competitive rates
- Reduce recruitment, training, and onboarding costs
- Capitalise project management costs
- Utilise proven project management tools or your own
- Ensure regulation compliance and efficient contractor management
If your organisation needs a flexible, high-quality solution for project management in the food & beverage manufacturing industry, consider secondment from a trusted project delivery partner. Optimise your project outcomes, stay lean, and ensure your infrastructure projects are delivered on time and budget.
Ready to take the next step? Partner with us for project management services that deliver results. Get in touch today to discuss how secondment can help your business thrive.
FAQs
When should a business consider project management secondment services?
Businesses should consider project management secondment services when internal teams are stretched or when specialist expertise is required for capital or infrastructure projects. Secondment is particularly useful during periods of increased capital expenditure, plant upgrades, or new facility builds, allowing organisations to access experienced project managers without permanently increasing headcount.
What is the difference between hiring a contractor and a seconded project manager?
While both options provide temporary project support, a seconded project manager is typically employed by a project delivery partner and benefits from the tools, processes, and technical support of that organisation. This often results in more consistent project delivery, better governance, and access to additional expertise compared with hiring an independent contractor.
How long does a project management secondment typically last?
Secondments can range from a few months to several years, depending on the scope and complexity of the project. Many organisations use secondments to support major capital works, infrastructure upgrades, or periods of high project demand, with flexible arrangements that allow resources to scale up or down as needed.
