Senior Strategic Planner

Burwood Council • Part-time • Burwood, New South Wales, AU • 1w ago

Permanent part-time position (3 days per week)
Annual salary of $96,732.25 - $116,039.40 + 12% super (pro-rata for hours worked)
Supportive team environment and central Burwood Location.
Wonderful opportunity to be part of a progressive Local Council

About Us:

Recently voted by TimeOut Magazine as #1 Coolest Neighbourhood in Australia, Burwood is a diverse, creative, and connected community. Our community enjoys well designed public spaces, inclusive cultural events, intriguing laneways with impressive public art and an enviable restaurant and café scene.

At Burwood our people are our most important asset and central to achieving our exciting and ambitious Community Strategic Plan 2036.

Your Position:

The City Strategy Directorate shapes a better urban future by designing active, high‑quality and safe places for everyone. We create the long‑term roadmap for coordinated, sustainable growth and deliver effective urban management systems that strengthen the city’s resilience, liveability and economic vitality.

In this exciting role, you’ll contribute to city‑wide planning, design and policy work that supports sustainable growth and high‑quality urban outcomes. The role spans strategic planning, development frameworks and cross‑team collaboration.

Your responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

Supports senior planning leadership in delivering strategic planning, urban management and high‑quality policy outcomes across Council.
Provides expert advice on land‑use strategy, master planning, place making, urban design, heritage, sustainability, planning instruments and stakeholder engagement.
Shapes exceptional urban environments by guiding development applications and preparing strategies, masterplans and planning controls that enhance Burwood’s character and resilience.
Reviews planning proposals, rezoning requests and infrastructure needs, undertaking research and analysis to ensure sustainable, evidence‑based decisions.
Leads projects and manages consultants to deliver technical studies and planning work on time, on budget and to a high standard.
Produces clear, high‑quality reports for planning panels and Council, while offering excellent service and advice to internal and external stakeholders.
Builds strong collaborative networks across Council, government and community groups, representing Council at forums and court proceedings when required.

To be successful in this role you will have:

Brings strong expertise in strategic land‑use planning, policy development, sustainability initiatives, planning instruments, contributions plans and planning certificates.
Skilled in preparing and implementing LEP/DCP changes, managing complex projects and coordinating consultants to deliver high‑quality outcomes.
Possesses deep knowledge of the EP&A Act 1979, relevant legislation, policy frameworks and contemporary engagement practices.
Communicates with clarity and influence, producing high‑quality reports and engaging effectively with Councillors, community, panels and professional bodies.
Demonstrates strong leadership, mentoring capability, teamwork, problem‑solving, process improvement and excellent time‑management skills.
Represents Council professionally, upholds EEO, WHS and ethical standards, and embraces continuous learning and development.

Key Requirements:

Appropriate tertiary qualifications, at degree level in Town Planning and working experience as a Strategic Planner or equivalent
Current NSW Drivers Licence
NSW White Card / General Construction Induction card
Willingness to complete pre-employment screening which may include: a pre-employment medical examination (including drug & alcohol testing) and National Police check
Current NSW Class C Driver's License

Culture & Benefits:

Great work/life balance with flexible working hours
Fantastic team culture and supportive environment
Lots of variety as Burwood continues to grow and develop with lots of exciting changes in the pipeline
Participate in a range of Health and Well-Being initiatives, including access to flu vaccinations, Fitness Passport and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Ongoing training and development opportunities

Enquiries:

For further information about this role, please contact Helen Budd, Executive Strategic Planner (02) 9911 9887.

If you need assistance with your application, any adjustments to be made to the recruitment process or if you would like to discuss any accessibility requirements, please contact Lauren Allcott, People & Culture Advisor on (02) 9911 9938.

How to apply:

Please click on “Apply for this position” and follow the steps.

Applications are to include a CV and a cover letter outlining the skills they can bring to the role and how they would plan to take on the responsibilities of the position.

Closing date:

Sunday, 24 May 2026 at 11.59pm

At Burwood Council we celebrate diversity, value inclusion and welcome applicants from all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We are committed to creating an environment where every member of our team feels respected, supported and inspired to contribute their unique skills and talents for a better Burwood.

In serving our community, we are also proud to be a child safe organisation.