About the role
In this role, you will lead the Design Services Unit within the Capital Delivery department to deliver high-quality outcomes that align with Council’s priorities. You’ll drive innovation, continuous improvement and quality service delivery while ensuring compliance with relevant standards. As a registered engineer with strong technical and leadership skills, you’ll broaden the team’s impact, provide trusted technical advice, and oversee quality assurance. 

Work type: Permanent Full-time. Part-time will be considered.
Classification: SPL $148,599 pa plus super

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop a clear, inspiring vision for the team's future and formulate goals to achieve it.
• Manage and coach a team of professionals and develop their capabilities ensuring that they feel valued, have the necessary resources and support to succeed and develop in their roles.
• Competently manage all aspects of the Unit’s business planning and operational requirements, including ensuring sufficient resources and provisions to allow timely completion of quality civil design and surveying services to internal customers.
• Lead a customer first and best practices approach to address challenges in delivering services to the City’s customers and community. 
• Engage and build strategic networks and partnerships with key stakeholders internally and throughout the industry to drive collaboration.
• Provide subject matter advice to the organisation to support the development and review of policies, technical standards and guidelines ensuring compliance with applicable legislation and industry best-practice.
• Provide expert technical oversight and direction to the Unit, including guidance, advice, review and approval of designs and address technical challenges by supporting the Unit to balance risk and innovation to arrive at recommendations and solutions.

About you
To be successful in this role, you will have a tertiary engineering qualification with strong knowledge of civil design principles and experience in delivering civil design services for a range of settings, be a certified registered professional engineer, and demonstrate proven leadership experience.

Essential Experience:

• Demonstrated people management skills to support, influence and foster a productive team culture.  
• Accomplished negotiation, writing, presentation and public speaking skills to influence stakeholders and achieve support for department outcomes.
• Well-developed problem solving and stakeholder management skills with the ability to build cooperation and partnerships.
• Proven track of leading teams through change ensuring strong stakeholder engagement throughout the process. 
• Demonstrated skills in business planning and management, budget development, financial and resource management, and complex reporting in accordance with strategic goals and KPIs.
• Demonstrated project management experience with the ability to lead small to medium sized projects to quality outputs, within tight deadlines and budget. 
• Experience in civil design practices and standards and ability to review and approve the unit’s infrastructure designs.
• Current Working with Children Check (employee).
• Current Victorian Drivers Licence.
• Preferred candidates will be required to undergo a National Police Check as part of the recruitment process (funded by the City).

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.  

We are the City
From parks to offices, childcare centres to works depots, leisure facilities to the Wool Museum and waterfront, our team plays a vital role in shaping our vibrant and growing community. Our community counts on us to get the essentials right while looking for ways to go beyond. By listening, collaborating, and focusing on sustainability, we strive to do the basics brilliantly and create a lasting impact. If you’re ready to be part of something bigger, join us in shaping the future of Geelong.

We support accessibility and encourage discussions about any adjustments or support you may need during the recruitment process.

Applications and Enquiries

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

Enquiries: Fiona Chapman | Talent Acquisition Partner | fchapman@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

We anticipate the interview process to commence w/c 12 January 2026.

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 careers@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.

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