Principal Development Planner

Principal Development Planner

Band 7 Equivalent | Full‑Time | 38 hrs/week
Start: 16 March 2026 | End: 4 September 2026
Pay:$69.47 + super | Dress Code: Business Casual

Join a high‑performing Planning team in a rapidly growing municipality. This role is ideal for a senior planner with strong statutory planning experience, particularly in growth‑area environments, who can confidently manage complex applications and provide leadership within the team.

About the Role
In this temporary senior planning role, you will be responsible for the assessment and processing of complex planning permit applications, providing expert advice to stakeholders, and supporting continuous improvement across development planning services. You will also assist in mentoring junior planning staff and contribute to delivering high‑quality planning outcomes for the municipality.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess and manage complex planning permit applications using a project‑management approach.
• Provide technical advice on planning schemes, legislation, policy and processes.
• Deliver high‑quality customer service via phone, email and customer counter interactions.
• Build cooperative relationships with developers, consultants, government agencies and internal teams.
• Identify issues early and work collaboratively with applicants to achieve best‑practice outcomes.
• Represent the organisation at planning forums and VCAT as required.
• Mentor and guide junior planners to support skill development.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives within the team.

About You
You will succeed in this role if you bring:

• 5–10+ years Local Government statutory planning experience(mandatory).
• Growth‑area planning experience(highly preferred).
• Strong understanding of the Victorian Planning System, including PSPs, ResCode, VPPs and subdivision legislation.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex applications to meet statutory timeframes.
• High‑level communication, negotiation and stakeholder‑engagement skills.
• Experience mentoring or supporting junior planning staff.
• Computer proficiency and confidence using planning and document management systems.
• Ability to work on‑site at least 3 days per week, with flexibility to work from home up to 2 days.

Role Conditions

• Job Type: Temporary
• Hours: 38 per week
• Work Pattern: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–5:15pm

How to Apply
Planners with strong statutory experience in Local Government who are seeking a senior, hands‑on role are encouraged to apply.