- Full Time / 9 Day Fortnight / 36 Hours
- Salary: $121,839 to $137,304 plus Superannuation
- Position Brief - Program Manager Planning Scheme

The Program Manager is responsible for managing overall program delivery of the new Planning Scheme program including governance arrangements, financial management, secretariate services for reference and advisory groups, program reporting, risk management and scheduling and tracking program deliverables. The new Planning Scheme will allow the Gold Coast to accommodate 388,300 more residents, 161,700 new dwellings and 173,800 more jobs by 2046.The next six months of the program will see final policy decisions made, and the draft scheme prepared for Council endorsement ahead of city-wide consultation in 2027.

The Program Manager Planning Scheme will lead a small team of project officers, embedded employees, consultants and technical specialists in supporting the program workstreams with their deliverables. The team is also responsible for system management of isoplan where the City’s new Planning scheme is being created.

The Program Manager- Planning Scheme will work under broad direction from the Manager Planning Scheme with significant autonomy to ensure the program is operating efficiently and effectively and meeting all deliverables, engagement and reporting requirements.

What You'll Be Responsible For

- Program management of the current Planning Scheme program.
- Program governance arrangements including templates and processes to support the successful delivery if the program within a condensed timeframe.
- Lead a small team of project officers and an isoplan technical specialist to support the program workstreams with deliverables.
- Delivery and maintenance of the ePlan in IsoPlan.
- Managing secretariate services to support reference and advisory groups.
- Prioritising and managing workstream support provided by project officers.
- Managing program budget, risks, reporting and activity scheduling.
- Delivering presentations and advice to senior executives relating to project risks, resourcing, budget and progress.




- Influencing the effective and effective delivery of the program within timeframes and budget.
- Provide specialist advice and reports on complex Planning Scheme matters to Councillors for consideration at Committee meetings and/or Council meetings.
- Manage competing priorities of the team, with the ability to organise and prioritise work, to deliver expected outcomes in a timely manner.
- Drive high safety and wellbeing awareness and a culture of care and respect in the work environment.

We're Looking For People Who Have

- Qualifications in urban and regional planning or program management (or a related discipline) coupled with extensive experience in a similar role.
- Proven project management experience in a large program with a significant engagement component and reputational risk.
- Ability to review, recommend and establish improved governance arrangements within a short time period to maintain program momentum.
- Understanding of the legislated Planning Scheme process in Queensland.
- Exceptional interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, to consult, advocate, negotiate, influence, assert and resolve conflicts in a changing environment with various external stakeholders
- Experience managing a team that provides high-demand support services to program teams and managing and prioritising team workloads.
- Strong stakeholder management and relationship building skills including the ability to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders with differing priorities and views.
- Proven ability to analyse matters objectively from different perspectives, comprehend wider contexts, seek relevant information, investigate, draw sound inferences and identify workable solutions to deliver quality outcomes in a complex environment.





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. Benefits We care about being the most flexible government organisation in Australia. We have a range of perks 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. How To Apply To submit your application, please click apply now and complete the application form. You will be required to upload your resume and a cover letter (no more than two pages) outlining how your skills, experience and personal attributes will enable you to be successful in this role. Please note that you may also be asked to provide relevant qualifications, where applicable.

Contact Person Kirsty Wiik

Contact Email [email protected]

Closing Date 11:59pm AEDT Sunday 16th August 2026

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.

We’re committed to creating a diverse workplace and inclusive culture. We take pride in people who align with our high-performance principles. We believe that the diverse makeup of our workforce reflects the community we serve. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and identities, and encourage candidates to discuss any support or adjustments they may need throughout the recruitment process.

📌 Program Manager Planning Scheme - INTERNAL ONLY (Bundall)
🏢 City Of Gold Coast
📍 Bundall