Senior Manager City Strategy

At Wollongong City Council, we continuously strive to create an Extraordinary Wollongong. We focus on the delivery of exceptional services, infrastructure and facilities for our community.

Wollongong is a great place to work, live and play Together, our responsibility is to create an inclusive community where everyone is welcome, valued and belongs. Our strength is the diversity of our people.

We lead with courage, openness and curiosity and believe our employees are the key to our success. Learn more about us here.

The Opportunity

This is a unique opportunity to lead the City Strategy Division, shaping the future of Wollongong through innovative urban and environmental planning. As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, you'll provide strategic advice to Councillors and Executive Management, manage a $4.5 million operating budget, and lead transformational initiatives including climate change policy, urban release planning, and sustainable growth strategies.

Salary: Circa $250,000 per annum with the option of a motor vehicle equalisation allowance OR a lease for private use of a motor vehicle (salary package will be assessed based on skills, experience and qualifications).

About you

You're an energetic and visionary leader with a passion for shaping sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready communities. You bring a strategic mindset and a collaborative approach to leading transformational planning initiatives that deliver high-quality, on-time and on-budget outcomes for Council.

You'll be able to translate strategic direction into operational goals, build a shared sense of purpose, clarify priorities, and inspire your team to achieve. Your leadership will foster a high-performance, customer-focused culture aligned with Council's values and strategic objectives.

You'll use your curiosity and experience to lead complex urban and environmental planning programs, optimise organisational outcomes, and drive sustained cultural change. You welcome new challenges, proactively tackle emerging issues with confidence, and encourage diverse perspectives to inform policy and strategy development.

You will be a high achiever with the ability to:

• Drive leading practice in the development and delivery of strategic planning initiatives that support the growth and sustainability of our city.
• Provide strategic and operational advice to Council and Executive Management.
• Work collaboratively as an active and dynamic member of the Senior Leadership Team focused on enhancing organisational outcomes.
• Develop external networks and represent Council as a regional leader.
• Lead a high-performance, customer and team-focused culture that is aligned to the values of the organisation.
• Apply sound management of financial and budgetary compliance and governance responsibilities.
• Champion and drive organisational change and reform aligned to our organisational purpose.

Why you'll love working at Wollongong City CouncilAt Wollongong City Council, you'll step into a senior leadership role within one of the largest and most forward-thinking local governments in NSW. You'll gain access to the scale, complexity, and resources of a major city - without sacrificing the lifestyle advantages of a coastal region. *What sets us apart?* We offer real authority to lead - paired with the autonomy to shape high-impact strategies, drive innovation, and influence city-wide outcomes. You'll have the opportunity to lead significant infrastructure and community projects that directly impact the lives of around 220,000 residents.

You'll also benefit from:

* Executive-level support to deliver on bold initiatives

* Strategic leadership opportunities across multidisciplinary teams

* Access to regional and national networks, industry forums, and sector-leading peers

* A progressive, values-driven culture that supports transformation

* Outstanding lifestyle balance-combining professional challenge with the wellbeing, recreation, and connectivity of coastal living

Join us to lead with purpose and impact-where your leadership shapes a better city, and your career thrives in a collaborative and future-focused environment.

Applications close 11:59pm Sunday, 31 August 2025.

For more information, click on 'Apply' to be redirected to Wollongong City Council's job vacancy page.

We invite everyone to apply no matter your identity-you'll be welcome. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), people with disability and veterans.

Wollongong Council adheres to the principles of a child safe organisation and is committed to the care and protection of all children and young people in the community.

Applicants are required to undergo a rigorous employment screening process which will include Reference, Identity and Medical History Checks, and may also include a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and Working with Children Check. Employment is subject to clearance of all these checks.