Principal Planner

About the role
In this role, you will assess major and priority projects in the City of Greater Geelong, and leverage your expertise to represent and provide innovate planning approaches to the City as well as lead and mentor other junior members. Working with a dedicated team providing an efficient and effective advisory service to the public and other key stakeholders.  As a senior member of the team, you will assess priority projects within the City of Greater Geelong and provide coaching and mentoring to junior members.

Work type:  Permanent full time
Classification: Band 7 $100,064-$110,990 pa plus super)

Key responsibilities include:

• Investigate and evaluate development applications (including major development and growth area applications) within a team environment to determine compliance with relevant legislation and ensure balanced decisions are made within prescribed time frames.
• Assist with the co-ordination of input from various government departments and the general public to meet deadlines as set.
• Prepare correspondence in relation to Council decisions and enquiries from the public.
• Establish positive communications with clients and the general public and educate and promote the need for adherence to the various statutes, legislation, local laws and policies.
• Promote the City of Greater Geelong’s policy of Excellence in Customer Service.  Identify, implement and review strategies to improve service quality.
• Reinforce existing and establish new networks both within and outside the industry in order to further the City of Greater Geelong’s business interests and identify best practice management techniques and technologies.

About you
To be successful in this role, you will have a tertiary qualification in town planning or urban studies (or related field) and extensive experience in a local government town planning office.

Essential:

• Theoretical and practical knowledge and ability to interpret town-planning legislation and practices.
• Thorough understanding of the operation of local government, the Victorian planning system and the legal process generally within Victoria.
• Highly developed analytical, investigative and communication skills.
• Proven experience in mentoring staff.
• Ability to negotiate and resolve conflict.
• Proven ability to meet timeframes in a pressured environment.

If this sounds like the role for you, then click apply now! 

Child Safety Responsibilities  
We are committed to being a child-safe organisation and have zero-tolerance for child abuse. We have specific policies, procedures, and mandatory training in place to support employees, volunteers, and contractors to achieve and adhere to these commitments. Please read our Child Safe Standards Management Policy. 

Diversity and Inclusion 
At the City we want a workforce that reflects the community we live in. We welcome and embrace everyone, all people with their own unique experiences, and support and encourage all our employees to do their best work, have equal access to opportunities and a just working environment. For this reason, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from First Nations people, people with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, from the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disability and people of all genders, ages and diverse experience. 

If this sounds like the role for you, then click apply now! 

Create our future together at the City of Greater Geelong
At the City of Greater Geelong, we are committed to working together for a thriving community. We do this by delivering over 130 services to our rapidly growing population and working hard to protect and improve what it is that makes Greater Geelong on Wadawurrung Country such a great place to live, work and study.  

We’re going through an exciting period of change that will help us serve our community better. From digital modernisation to the contemporary, sustainable office we've built in Central Geelong, now more than ever is a great time to join our team at the City of Greater Geelong.

Our Community is made up of diverse people from all walks of life, and it’s important to us that our workforce represents and celebrates this strength.

We encourage great people from all backgrounds to join us. We encourage authenticity, because inclusion makes us stronger. 

If you’re excited about working together to create a Clever and Creative Greater Geelong, and joining a workplace where all people can thrive, then hit apply – we’d love to meet you!

We particularly welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with diverse culture and linguistic backgrounds and people with disability.

A career with us
Central Geelong-based City employees are now based in our new Civic Precinct, Wurriki Nyal. Meaning ‘speak and talk together’ in local Wadawurrung language.  Wurriki Nyal sets the benchmark for what a sustainable, inclusive and culturally safe workplace can be, including industry leading sustainability standards, a flexible and people-focused design, safe and inclusive spaces and public realm.

We’re committed to supporting better accessibility for our customers and our people.  We encourage you to talk to us about any adjustments or additional support you may require during the recruitment process, as well as how this role can be flexible for you. 

We offer:

• salary sacrificing and novated lease options
• cultural and ceremonial leave
• study leave
• paid parental leave (16 weeks primary and six weeks secondary) and superannuation payments on all 52 weeks primary parental leave
• IVF, surrogate and miscarriage bereavement leave
• training and career development opportunities
• a healthy and safe environment
• our employee wellbeing program
• corporate membership rates at Swim Sport and Leisure facilities
• unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning 

Applications and Enquiries
Click the Position Description link to view more information about this position.

(Position Description Word Version)

(Position Description PDF Version)

Applications close Monday 29 April at 11:55pm.

Enquiries:  Rory O’Loghlen| Team Leader Statutory Planning | 5272 4755 | *********@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

Click the Apply button to submit your application or find out more about this opportunity. If we can assist you with any reasonable adjustments in order to submit your application for this role, please contact the Talent Acquisition team via email at *******@geelongcity.vic.gov.au noting your preferred method of communication and contact details and a member of the team will be in touch.

We collect demographic data to help us learn who our advertisements are reaching and how we can reach an even more diverse audience.  We are committed to building a more diverse team. Your responses to our demographic questions are strictly confidential and will not be individually shared.