About the role

Geelong’s parks, gardens, waterways and natural landscapes are central to the city’s identity and liveability. This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the City of Greater Geelong’s most visible and valued portfolios — shaping how our open spaces are cared for, experienced and enhanced for generations to come.

As Manager Parks and Natural Assets, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across a diverse and high‑profile portfolio that includes parks and reserves, streetscapes, tree management, the Geelong Botanic Gardens, coastal and marine environments, waterways, and our iconic waterfront and recreation precincts.

Operating as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will lead a large, passionate multidisciplinary workforce, influence city‑wide priorities, and play a pivotal role in delivering safe, sustainable and community‑centred open space outcomes across the municipality.

Work type: Fixed‑term, full‑time (5‑year contract)
Classification: SPL2 – $193,060 + Super

What you will lead and deliver.

In this senior leadership role, you will:

• Set a clear strategic direction for parks and natural assets, aligning planning, operational efficiency and budgets to organisational priorities.
• Oversee the maintenance, renewal and enhancement of a broad asset base, including parks, sportsgrounds, playgrounds, natural environments and major open‑space destinations such as the Geelong Waterfront and Geelong Botanic Gardens.
• Build a high‑performance, inclusive and accountable culture across a dedicated leadership team and large operational workforce.
• Drive continuous improvement by strengthening systems, processes and data insights to lift service quality, efficiency and customer outcomes.
• Provide authoritative advice to Council, the Executive Management Team and senior leaders on open space management, natural environment strategy and major asset planning.
• Ensure strong governance, compliance and risk management across all service areas.
• Build trusted relationships with internal and external partners and represent the City in industry and professional networks.
• Lead the development and implementation of key strategies and policies, including the Urban Forest Strategy, Public Tree Management Policy, Plan for Nature and future planning for the Geelong Botanic Gardens.
• You are an experienced, values‑driven leader who thrives in complex, community‑facing environments. You bring strong strategic judgement, operational credibility and the confidence to influence at executive and Council levels. You are known for building capable teams, leading change, optimising processes, and delivering outcomes that balance environmental stewardship, community expectations and organisational priorities.

You will bring:

• Senior leadership experience in large and complex organisations.
• Tertiary qualifications in business management, horticulture, environmental science or a relevant discipline, and/or extensive relevant experience.
• Proven capability in business planning, budgeting and resource management.
• Experience managing complex service delivery models, including contractors and volunteers.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, negotiation and communication skills.
• Experience leading teams through organisational or service‑delivery change.
• Sound project management capability delivering outcomes within scope, time and budget.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, standards and regulatory frameworks in a public‑sector context.
• 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: Sonia Cheema | Coordinator, Talent Acquisition | Sonia.Cheema@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 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.