Who we are

In Melbourne, water is essential to our way of life.

As caretakers for Melbourne’s water cycle, we care for water, life, and land throughout Melbourne: both its people and its biodiversity.

Each time you drink from the tap, flush a toilet, run through a backyard sprinkler, or kayak down the Yarra we’re there. Primed and ready, quietly delivering some of the world’s cleanest water for over five million residents and wildlife that call Melbourne home, just as we have for over 130 years.

If you value making it count, diving in with curiosity, and doing what’s right, you're in the right place.

About the Role

Reporting to the Manager Strategic Waterways Planning this is a pivotal role within the Service Futures group. As the Principal Waterway Planning you will be responsible for leading long-term adaptive planning for waterway systems across the Port Phillip and Westernport region.

The role ensures that plans take a long-term and integrated catchment perspective that can be translated into the business to enable effective and efficient delivery of agreed service outcomes and drive performance.

The role will drive the collaborative development of goals, consideration of possible futures, identification of threats and high-level management activities, assessment of feasibility and costs, prioritisation, and preparation of robust recommendations. Key accountabilities include:

• Lead the preparation and implementation of Melbourne Water’s Waterways Adaptive Plans
• Oversee the Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, and Improvement framework for the Healthy Waterways Strategy (HWS) and its delivery.
• Lead collaborative annual reporting for the HWS with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaboratively pilot innovative waterway approaches and lead waterway investigations to support adaptive planning.
• Ensure waterway planning considers relevant emerging policy directions and science and technological development.
• Provide advice on waterway environmental, social, and economic values and associated risks and opportunities.
• Maintain strong oversight of the waterways portfolio deliverables and timing and provide strategic guidance to project teams in a complex and changing working environment.
• Provide input to Pricing Submissions, Corporate and Business Planning related to Waterways.

For more information, please refer to the attached Role Mandate

About you:

• Tertiary qualification in engineering, science, or a relevant field (and ideally with a post-graduate qualification or professional development qualifications).
• Extensive experience in strategy, planning, or policy management, including monitoring and evaluation alongside knowledge of waterway and integrated catchment planning.
• Strong understanding of current best practice in adaptive planning, waterway, integrated catchment, and water management.
• Demonstrated elevated level of financial and commercial acumen.
• Highly developed interpersonal and relationship building skills, together with high level verbal and written communication skills in sensitive or complex circumstances.
• Expert at strategic thinking and developing a clear way forward on complex issues.
  
  

Why join us:

At Melbourne Water, we care deeply about water and the life it sustains.

Our team is inspired by passion and purpose, with an unwavering commitment to safety. We are on a mission to protect every Melburnian’s way of life, one drop at a time.

We don’t just talk about flexible working - we live it. Our culture of purpose, safety, results, and learning flows through everything we do. We're dedicated to doing what's right, and this commitment extends to the meaningful work we do in a supportive and inclusive culture that encourages you to make the most of your talents.

Our long-standing commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging means that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQ+ individuals, people living with disability, mature age and young jobseekers from all cultures can apply with confidence knowing they are safe, affirmed, and celebrated.

If you’re curious, action-orientated, outcomes-focused, and enthusiastic about public resources, community, and the environment, we'd love to receive your application and learn if you could be a great fit.

How to Apply

Click the 'Apply Now' button below and complete our online application form.

Closing date: Monday 7th July 2025 at 11:55pm AEST