Found Project Partners is a specialist property development delivery firm working across residential land subdivisions and other complex development projects throughout NSW.

We work alongside landowners and developers across the full development lifecycle – from opportunity identification, due diligence and feasibility through planning, approvals, design, delivery and construction.

As our project portfolio continues to grow, we're looking for a Development Manager or Senior Development Manager with a strong planning background to join our Lake Macquarie team.

The Opportunity

This role would suit either an experienced town planner looking to make the move into property development and development management, or an existing Development Manager / Senior Development Manager whose strengths lie in planning, approvals and development strategy.

You'll play a key role in navigating the planning and approvals pathway for our projects, while gaining broader exposure to the commercial, technical and delivery aspects of property development.

For a planner looking to transition into development management, we don't expect you to arrive knowing every aspect of project delivery. We're looking for someone with strong planning fundamentals, sound judgement and the ability to think beyond the planning system to the commercial and practical outcomes of a project.

What You'll Be Doing

Depending on your experience, your role will include:

- Developing and managing planning and approvals strategies for residential and mixed-use development projects

- Managing DAs, modifications, planning proposals/rezonings and other approval pathways

- Working with councils,



government agencies and other authorities to resolve complex planning issues

- Coordinating multidisciplinary consultant teams across planning, civil engineering, traffic, flooding, ecology, bushfire, heritage and other disciplines

- Reviewing planning controls, development constraints and opportunities to inform project strategy

- Contributing to site identification, due diligence and development feasibility

- Working with our team on project staging, infrastructure strategy, design development, cost and delivery

- Providing clear, commercially focused advice to clients

- Managing projects and workstreams through approvals and into detailed design and delivery

For more experienced candidates, the role will include greater responsibility for project leadership, client management, development strategy and mentoring.

Who We’re Looking For

You may currently be working in a planning consultancy, council, government agency, developer or development management business.

Ideally, you’ll bring:

- A qualification in town planning, urban and regional planning or a related discipline

- Robust knowledge of the NSW planning system

- Experience preparing, assessing or managing development applications and other planning approvals





- An ability to interpret planning controls and identify practical pathways through complex issues

- Strong written communication and stakeholder management skills

- Commercial curiosity and an interest in understanding the broader development process

- A practical, solutions-focused approach

Experience with residential subdivisions, planning proposals/rezonings, State agency approvals or complex infrastructure issues would be highly regarded.

Previous development management experience is not essential. If you’re a strong planner looking to broaden your career into development management, we’d particularly like to hear from you.

Why Found?

This isn’t a role where you’ll simply prepare another planning report and move onto the next application.

You'll have the opportunity to stay with projects beyond the approval, understand the commercial decisions behind them and see how planning, engineering, infrastructure, funding, construction and sales ultimately come together to deliver a development.

You’ll also benefit from:

- Exposure to the full development lifecycle

- Interesting and complex residential development projects

- Direct involvement with clients and senior decision-makers

- A small, experienced team where your contribution is visible

- Genuine responsibility and autonomy as your experience develops

- Flexible working arrangements

- A pathway to grow from planning into broader development management and project leadership

The role will be based from our Lake Macquarie office, with project-related travel as required.

#J-18808-Ljbffr

📌 Development Manager / Senior Development Manager – Planning (New South Wales)
🏢 Found Project Partners
📍 New South Wales