General Manager, Planning & Place

High Speed Rail Authority | SES Band 1 | Sydney or Newcastle

Direct property acquisition and place strategy for Australia's first high speed rail line.

- Senior leadership role directing land acquisition and precinct strategy for High Speed Rail.
- Lead complex, large-scale property acquisitions across the Newcastle to Sydney corridor.
- Integrate place-making and precinct planning into property and project decisions.

About the High Speed Rail Authority

The Australian Government is planning a future high speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast of Australia.

The High Speed Rail Authority (the Authority) is an independent corporate Commonwealth entity governed by an independent board, established to lead the development and delivery of high speed rail.

The Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail project will connect the two cities in around one hour on a dedicated high speed railway. From the Central Coast it will take around 30 minutes to get to Newcastle or to Sydney. With the project now in the Development Phase, the Authority is building the leadership team to develop and deliver this generational program.

High speed rail will contribute to key Australian Government priorities, including increased economic productivity, new housing options, and regional economic and tourism development zero.

The key duties of the position include:

About the role

The General Manager, Planning & Place directs the planning and delivery of strategic property and place initiatives that enable timely property acquisition and the creation of vibrant, connected precincts supporting a world-class high speed rail network.

The role oversees the development and application of expertise to plan, acquire and manage land and property interests, integrating placemaking and precinct considerations into project and property decisions to achieve long-term public and commercial outcomes. It provides leadership across the full property lifecycle, ensuring due diligence, engagement, protection and risk management processes are consistently applied to maintain momentum through the Development Phase and prepare for future delivery.

What you'll lead

- Lead the development and implementation of acquisition strategies that align with project milestones, financial parameters, legislative frameworks and stakeholder expectations.
- Oversee large-scale and complex property acquisitions, ensuring consistent application of expert advice, due diligence, valuation and governance processes across all work packages.
- Direct engagement with property owners and acquisition agencies to negotiate and secure timely settlements, resolve issues and maintain momentum across the acquisition pipeline.
- Monitor, evaluate and report on acquisition progress, identifying risks and recommending adjustments to support delivery timelines,



financial performance and governance standards.
- Manage the ongoing protection, management and divestment of land interests, ensuring consistency with government policy, program objectives and statutory obligations.
- Lead the integration of property, planning and place functions, ensuring project and acquisition decisions anticipate and enable future station, precinct and regional development opportunities.
- Collaborate with planning, design and stakeholder teams to embed place-making principles into design, commercial and property strategies around future stations.
- Identify and progress opportunities for early activation and value creation, including temporary or interim uses that strengthen community confidence and visibility of the program.
- Coordinate with planning agencies to align corridor planning, land-use, housing and infrastructure priorities with long-term precinct and regional outcomes.
- Champion best practice in urban design and place strategy, staying informed of domestic and international innovations for high speed rail precincts.

About you

We are seeking a senior property and infrastructure executive with the expertise to lead land acquisition and precinct outcomes on a nation-building program. Specifically, you bring:

- Proven experience leading complex property or infrastructure programs within government or major project environments.
- Demonstrated ability to manage significant budgets and financial reporting in line with accountability requirements.
- Strong understanding of property acquisition and precinct planning on major infrastructure projects.
- Expertise in land acquisition, valuation, due diligence and governance processes.
- Knowledge of planning, place-making and development principles supporting integrated property outcomes.
- The ability to interpret and apply relevant legislation and policy across jurisdictions.
- The confidence to engage government, industry and community stakeholders, including councils, agencies, First Nations groups and local businesses.

Eligibility

Eligibility

Employment with the Authority is subject to the conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999. To be eligible, you must:

- Be an Australian citizen & hold a degree or equivalent working experience.
- Hold or be able to obtain a Baseline security clearance & satisfy a National Police check (mandatory pre-employment screening).

Notes

RecruitAbility

The High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA)



is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce and supporting the employment of people with disability.

As a participating agency in the APS RecruitAbility Scheme, HSRA will progress applicants with disability to a further stage of the recruitment process where they choose to opt into RecruitAbility and demonstrate that they meet the minimum requirements of the role.

If you would like to participate in RecruitAbility, please indicate this when submitting your application.

HSRA is committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to ensure all candidates have an equitable opportunity to participate. Adjustments may include modifications to the recruitment process, accessible formats, specialist equipment, or other practical supports. If you require any adjustments, please include this information in your application or contact the nominated contact officer to discuss your needs.

For further information about the RecruitAbility Scheme, please visit the APS RecruitAbility Scheme Guide for Applicants.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Before preparing your application for the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA), please read APSC's Principles for candidate use of AI in recruitment.

These principles are designed to support the responsible use of AI throughout the recruitment process, while ensuring fairness, transparency and the integrity of merit-based selection. They provide explicit guidance on how AI may be used to assist with your application, as well as outlining the types of AI use that are not appropriate in APS recruitment processes.

Candidates are expected to comply with these principles and maintain the authenticity and integrity of their application at all stages of the recruitment process.

Next Steps

Applications close on Tuesday, 06 October 2026, at 11.59pm AEDT.

To apply, please submit your CV together with a suitability statement via this advertisement.

A full position description is available to download on www.robertwalters.com.au/hsra.html or via request to the details below.

Getting to know the High Speed Rail Authority

About High Speed Rail Authority The Australian Government is planning a future high speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast of Australia. The High Speed Rail Authority (the Authority), an independent corporate Commonwealth entity governed by an independent board, is leading the development and delivery of High Speed Rail. Line 1, connecting Newcastle to Sydney on a dedicated new railway using trains travelling up to 320km/h, is now in the Development Phase. High Speed Rail will contribute to a number of key Australian Government priorities, including increased economic productivity, new housing options, regional economic and tourism development and contributing to net zero. More information about the Authority and our work is available at: www.hsra.gov.au .

📌 General Manager, Planning & Place (Sydney)
🏢 High Speed Rail Authority
📍 Sydney