Be part of shaping the Gold Coast's future

The Gold Coast is inspired by lifestyle and driven by opportunity. We are the second largest Council in Australia.

We care about being the most flexible government organisation in Australia and we have a range of benefits to help you create the right balance:

9-day fortnight

Flexible work arrangements to suit your lifestyle, including hybrid/work from home options, flexible working hours and locations

Personal and professional development courses

Access to 350+ fitness facilities through Fitness Passport

4 free confidential counselling sessions a year for you or an immediate family member

1 free nutritionist and financial advice session per year

We pride ourselves on our shared mission of being a high-performing, customer-focused organisation which delivers value-for-money services to the community. We're committed to creating a diverse workplace and inclusive culture.

About the team:

The City Planning Branch is responsible for long term planning and policy development to manage growth and development of our city while protecting the qualities that make Gold Coast City a great place to live. The Strategic, Urban and Regional Planning team within the City Planning Branch plays a key role in formulating and delivering planning policy and maintaining effective and efficient planning instruments to manage growth and respond to the evolving needs of the community and stakeholders.

About your new role:

The Senior Strategic Planner plays a key role in contributing to the development of the new planning scheme. This is a significant City project which only occurs once every ten years. It will provide you with a rare opportunity to develop and enhance your plan-making skills within a supportive team environment.

Your key responsibilities include:

Policy development activities

Planning scheme drafting

Preparation and maintenance of the planning scheme

Collaboration and consultation with stakeholders across the organisation, state government agencies, industry and community groups, and the broader community

Providing high quality specialist advice to internal and external stakeholders

You will work on a broad range of deliverables across various policy areas, ensuring your days are varied and interesting. These may include work on growth management, urban design, managing constraints (flooding, bushfire, landslide) and protection of environmental values.

The role will suit someone who has development assessment or strategic planning experience and wishes to apply this knowledge to plan-making and the delivery of the new planning scheme.

We're looking for people who have:

A Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning or equivalent

Considerable experience as a town planner/urban planner

Development assessment or strategic planning experience

Technical skills applicable to the role

A high level of interpersonal, oral and written skills as well as effective time management

A high attention to detail, ability to analyse issues, problem solve and the ability to contribute to policy development

Experience in successfully applying project management principles to ensure program deliverables and deadlines are met

Analytical and critical thinking skills to develop innovative solutions

A positive mindset and passion for working in a dynamic environment where each day will provide new challenges.

How to apply:

Click 'Apply' to submit your online application. Upload your Resume with a Cover Letter (of no more than 2 pages) outlining how your skills, experience and personal attributes would allow you to achieve success in this role.

Documents need to be less than 2MB in size and PDF format is preferred. If you encounter technical issues when applying, please email [email protected]

Our selection process may include a one-way video interview via Criteria, a face-to-face or virtual interview via Microsoft Teams, reference checks via Xref and additional checks including police checks, employment history checks, qualification checks, pre-employment medical reviews and drug and alcohol testing.

Please note applications for all of our vacancies close at 10.30pm on the listed closing date.

The City of Gold Coast is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to promoting an inclusive and diverse workplace. We are committed to supporting an environment where all employees, regardless of their differences or similarities, feel valued, respected and supported. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons are encouraged to apply.