This is a leadership opportunity with purpose, scale and real community impact.
Hornsby Shire Council is seeking a people-focused senior leader to join its Executive Leadership Team as Director, Planning & Compliance. Reporting to the General Manager, this role offers real influence over land use planning, development and compliance outcomes across Hornsby Shire, supporting sustainable growth and liveability for the community.
At a time of significant growth and change, you will join an organisation with established, capable teams and strong internal expertise. This is an executive-level opportunity to lead work of genuine scale and impact within a values-driven, supportive and collaborative executive culture.
You will lead Council’s Planning & Compliance Division, with responsibility for Strategic Land Use Planning, Development Assessment and Regulatory Compliance. In this role, you will provide organisation-wide leadership, set clear strategic direction and lead a highly capable leadership team through a period of sustained growth and change. This is a leadership-first role that requires sound judgement, strong influence and a long-term view of planning, infrastructure and liveability.
You will be responsible for:
- Provide leadership for Council’s planning and compliance functions, shaping sustainable growth and development outcomes
- Lead Council’s responses to State Government planning reform, housing priorities and major residential growth
- Align land-use planning and infrastructure with population growth long-term liveability
- Build trusted relationships with Government, Councillors and the community while developing strong leadership capability and a collaborative culture.
You will bring:
- Senior experience leading complex, multidisciplinary planning or compliance functions
- Strategic land-use expertise with confidence in high-profile stakeholder environments
- A collaborative leadership style that builds trust and capability
Apply via the
Executive Vacancies | LGNSW portal where the Information Pack, Position Description, and Selection Criteria can be downloaded.
To learn more about Council, visit
Hornsby Shire Council.
For a confidential discussion please contact Claudia Nossa Cortes, LGMS Senior Consultant on 0405 540 554.
Applications close 5pm, Monday 23 February 2026.
