Principal Planner

**Job Number**:
498506

**Division**:
Planning

**Employment Status**:
Permanent

**Categories**:
Development Planning & Services, Planning

**Term**:Permanent Full Time
**Location**:Caboolture
**Award/Level**:Qld Local Government Industry Award (Stream A) - Level 8 of the Moreton Bay Regional Council EBA4 Certified Agreement
**Remuneration**:$114,246 + Super (up to 12%) + 9-day fortnight + leave loading

If you’re an environmental planner with the ambition and drive to help Australia’s third largest Council get the balance right between growth and environmental protection - then this job is the challenge you’re been looking for.

Our challenge is to protect and enhance our lifestyle, while sensitively planning for this anticipated growth. Our Council has set a new aspirational vision for how we want our region to look and feel 20 years from now - Our Moreton Bay. Amazing Places. Natural Spaces. This vision is underpinned by goals to support biodiversity due to its importance to our communities and for ensuring a healthy environment and sustainable lifestyle.

The Environment and Sustainability Policy and Planning Department sits within the Planning Directorate and takes a lead role in developing the strategic environmental and sustainability policies, projects and plans to deliver healthy environments and sustainable outcomes. A major piece of work currently underway is the development of an Environment and Sustainability Strategy that will inform a transition for the Council, community, and residents to a more sustainable future.

The Department is focused on meeting legislative requirements, community aspirations and Council’s priorities. Its functions are across three branches including Sustainability Planning, Natural Hazards Planning and Biodiversity Planning. Right now, we are looking for a **_Principal Planner - Biodiversity (Planning)_** to join the team.

**About the role**:
The **_Principal Planner - Biodiversity (Planning)_** will be our technical expert and provide leadership in the delivery of integrated environmental and biodiversity planning outcomes across the region. This includes leading the delivery of projects, strategies and policies. This position is envisaged to have a key role in ensuring that the future growth and development in the region adequately supports Council’s biodiversity goals and outcomes, including leading biodiversity planning input into a range of growth area, neighbourhood and region wide planning projects, strategies and policies.

The Principal Planner - Biodiversity (Planning) will foster professional and effective relationships, working collaboratively with key stakeholders (internally and externally) to ensure projects and services are achieved and to deliver safe, practical and sustainable outcomes.

In addition, you’ll:

- provide expert advice in biodiversity policy and planning matters in accordance with legislative, policy and business requirements
- lead the delivery of highly complex biodiversity planning initiatives and specialist project teams (including external consultants) to achieve strategic and business outcomes
- work with the Coordinator - Biodiversity Planning and as part of the Biodiversity Planning Branch leadership team, take a leadership role in the development and implementation of the work program and team capability to drive a high performance, continuous improvement and customer focused culture, including mentoring project team members.

**About You**:
We are looking for demonstrated substantial experience within environmental, biodiversity and/or strategic planning fields, including relevant qualifications within those fields or similar and current c class drivers’ licence.

The Principal Planner - Biodiversity (Planning) will also have strong leadership skills and experience in leading teams delivering a highly complex technical and strategic work program, the ability to effectively work with a range of officers from across Council and be able to demonstrate advanced project management skills to deliver great outcomes. We are seeking someone who has excellent communication skills both written and verbal.

As a people person, you will possess outstanding collaboration skills and demonstrated experience with stakeholder engagement and consultation, as well as being confident to negotiate practical and sustainable outcomes.

You will also have:

- the ability to lead professionals and project teams in response to changes in direction in uncertain or emergent circumstances and in a rapidly changing policy environment
- substantial experience in the delivery of highly complex biodiversity plans, projects, policies and strategies
- the ability to drive high-performance outcomes in time-critical environments with competing stakeholder interests
- experience working within a government and political context on environmental planning, projects and policies is highly desirable.
- _You will hold the degree qualification necessary