Principal Land Access

**Principal Land Access & Approvals Advisor**:

- Location: Perth Office - CBD, WA, AU
- 23 Dec 2024

**Principal Land Access & Approvals Advisor**

This position is responsible for developing and embedding the Land Access strategy, including land acquisition and approvals (e.g., private landholders, MRWA, PTA, ARC Infrastructure, gas pipelines, DBCA, and Local Governments) to support Western Power’s operations, including the transmission expansion program.

The role requires extensive experience in complex land access negotiations and approvals, delivering best practices in landowner and stakeholder engagement, and establishing strategic partnerships with key stakeholders (e.g., DBCA, Aboriginal Corporations, MRWA).

It also involves cross-functional collaboration with HR, Commercial, Community & Stakeholder, and Safety, Health & Environment teams to align project-specific activities with Western Power’s Social Performance framework.

**Your Role in Action**
- Accountable for developing the strategic approach (including governance documentation such as land acquisition reports) to transmission land access in supporting of the decarbonisation program.
- Act as the escalation path for the Social Performance & Approvals team to secure access to private property, negotiating highly complex compensation and easements etc. in order to support transmission asset positioning and land access solutions for Western Power.
- Accountable for developing, reviewing, and continuously improving options analysis framework through engagement with internal and external stakeholders and then gain approvals for changes to the framework.
- Provide strategic leadership to Joint Planning Teams for major network projects, which includes outlining opportunities, constraints, and likely landowner approval requirements in relation to land access.
- Understand Western Power’s legal and regulatory obligations related to land access and technical standards regarding substation, tower, transmission line designs and stand-alone power systems to ensure advice to internal and external stakeholders is consistent with Western Power’s legal obligations and technical capabilities.
- Provide input into line route / site selection processes and into multi-criteria decision-making assessments for Western Power’s transmission expansion program.
- Drive the management cadence of monitoring, reporting and audits of the land access assessment process through all phases of the investment governance project cycle.

**What Makes You a Great Fit**
- Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Environmental Management, or related discipline.
- Significant and accumulative experience in statutory planning and approval strategies, risks, and opportunities in mining, construction and or infrastructure sector.
- Comprehensive, broad, and extensive technical experience in statutory (government) approvals with a demonstrated ability to strategically plan and obtain approval outcomes.
- Extensive experience in engagement with landholders, stakeholders, and community.
- Advanced negotiation and relationship skills and the ability to communicate at all levels of the organisation including C Suite.
- Proactive, tenacious, and strong influencer with excellent communication and presentation skills including demonstrated ability to consult, guide and influence decision makers using appropriate authority.
- Advanced business acumen, analytical and problem-solving skills and exposure to risk management and governance processes.
- Demonstrated management of consultants, including project delivery, budgeting, and reporting.
- Highly developed analytical skills required to be applied to complex organisational challenges and opportunities.

By joining Western Power, you will contribute to powering a cleaner energy future. We are dedicated to fostering career development and promoting a healthy work-life balance, empowering you to drive innovation as we develop a network that will serve the Western Australian community for generations. You will also benefit from a range of perks and opportunities, including:

- Over 50% of our employment opportunities are driven by career progression.
- Flexible work arrangements to support working hours and working from home arrangements.
- Access to salary packaging, social club activities, and discounted health insurance and gym membership.
- An award-winning employee recognition and benefits programme.
- An innovative team culture that’s enabling the transition to renewable energy and decarbonisation.
- In addition to standard leave, enjoy three wellness leave days each year.
- Access to end-of-trip facilities at our Perth office and South Metro Depot, perfect for cyclists.
- On-site café available for convenient meals and refreshments throughout the day.

**Applications** **close on (Monday 6 January 2025)