Nikki Critch, Operations Manager, Project Services at RSGx
Nikki has spent more than 16 years working across Australia’s energy and resources sector, building experience that spans people leadership, operational delivery and large‑scale project environments. She is currently Operations Manager, Project Services at RSGx, which has recently joined Energy Club WA as a Club Partner.
Nikki has been part of the Energy Club WA community for five years and values the opportunity the Club provides to connect with peers across the industry, alongside staying informed on key sector developments.
After completing her Commerce degree, Nikki started her career in Human Resources and quickly progressed through senior leadership roles, culminating in Talent Acquisition Director where she led regional teams across the Asia Pacific. Her career has taken her around the world supporting major domestic and international energy and resources projects, shaping workforce strategy, building graduate programs, and strengthening global proposals and operations through market intelligence and strategic resource alignment, particularly in commissioning and operations and maintenance scopes.
That background provided the foundation for her transition into operations. Today, Nikki leads RSGx’s Project Services function across WAWA and the Northern Territory, supporting work from business development through to mobilisation, delivery and project close out.
RSGx is a multidisciplinary engineering and construction partner delivering mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and controls and HV testing services across the full asset lifecycle. The business combines engineering and advisory expertise with hands-on execution capability, covering construction, commissioning and completions, shutdowns, maintenance and operations, and is trusted on some of Australia's most technically demanding energy and resources projects. Nikki's role focuses on ensuring clients can access the right capability at the right time, whether through embedded specialists, targeted project services, or fully integrated teams delivering from concept through to handover and beyond.
“Starting in talent and evolving into operations, with exposure across APAC, North America, and beyond, has given me a rare dual perspective,” Nikki said.
“I understand both the human side of project delivery and the commercial rigour required to execute at scale, anywhere in the world.”
She’s currently supporting a broad portfolio of work across oil and gas, including Pluto, Waitsia, Ceres and the Karratha Gas Plant, alongside projects in other
sectors across WAWA and the NT.
Nikki also highlights commissioning involvement in a project aimed at decarbonising iron production through hydrogen‑based processes.
Noting the pace and diversity of work across the sector, Nikki says: “It's a genuinely exciting time to be in the sector, with so much activity across LNG, new energy
and sustaining capital work.”
Nikki points to her involvement in ExxonMobil’s Western Canada Major Projects, supplying thousands of the world’s top commissioning specialists and trades, as a key career experience. The scale, complexity, multiple project sites and long‑term nature of the work provided an environment that shaped her approach to leadership and delivery.
One life experience that stands out as a defining achievement came during a major forest fire emergency, when Nikki was responsible for the welfare of more than
1,000 workers across multiple locations.
“My focus was simple,” said Nikki. “Make sure every single person was accounted for, was safe, and got home to their families. Thankfully, every one of them did.”
It was an effort that later saw her nominated for Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 award.
Nikki draws motivation from working closely with teams, supporting people to grow in their roles, solving complex challenges, and being part of something bigger
than a single project.
“Working at RSGx, where we're genuinely contributing to Australia's energy transition and the infrastructure shaping the future, gives the day-to-day work a
real sense of purpose.”
She also places strong importance on balance and perspective, shaped by family life and the broader purpose of contributing to Australia’s evolving energy infrastructure.
Outside of work, Nikki enjoys playing water polo, following the Fremantle Dockers, travelling, and spending time with her husband Chad, their two‑year‑old daughter Addison, and their two dogs, Riggs and Revel.
As RSGx begins its involvement as a Club Partner, Nikki is particularly looking forward to the conversations and the opportunity to connect across the Energy Club WA community, noting that while RSGx has serious depth across mechanical and electrical services, commissioning, shutdowns and project delivery, capability only matters when it is matched to the right challenge.