Lead Access and Approvals

APT MANAGEMENT SERVICES; Western Australia; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

APA is seeking an Access and Approvals Lead in Perth, WA, to drive planning, environmental, heritage and regulatory approvals for energy infrastructure projects. The role partners with project teams to shape approval pathways, manage risk and enable successful delivery.

You will work across a diverse project portfolio, balancing environmental, social and commercial considerations while coordinating external consultants and stakeholders to achieve objectives.

Qualifications

• Experience leading environmental, planning, heritage or approvals activities for major infrastructure, energy, resources or development projects.
• Strong understanding of regulatory approval frameworks and risk management principles.
• Experience negotiating with Traditional Owners, landholders and government agencies.
• Ability to influence project outcomes through stakeholder engagement and strategic thinking.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead approvals strategies for major infrastructure projects, identifying critical path activities and risks.
• Manage planning and environmental approvals, ensuring integration into project scope and risk frameworks.
• Lead engagement with government agencies and regulators to facilitate project outcomes.
• Identify and manage approvals and access-related risks during project development.
• Coordinate consultants and internal experts to deliver agreed scopes, timelines and budgets.

Skills

Environmental approvals

Regulatory frameworks

Stakeholder engagement

Risk management

Project development

Job description

The Opportunity

At APA, our purpose is to secure Australia's energy future. We're not doing it alone. We're doing it with our customers and communities as Australia's energy infrastructure partner, a role our unique experience and expertise positions us to play.

We now have an exciting opportunity available for an Access and Approvals Lead to join us in our Access, Approvals and Geospatial Solutions team in Perth, WA on a permanent full-time basis.

Reporting to the Planning and Environment Manager, you will play a key role in leading the delivery of planning, environmental, heritage and regulatory approvals, as well as Traditional Owner negotiations, to support the successful development and delivery of APA's energy infrastructure projects.

This is a highly influential role where you'll partner with project, commercial and delivery teams from early project development through to execution, helping shape approval pathways, manage risk and create certainty around project outcomes. You'll work across a diverse portfolio of projects and play an important role in balancing environmental, social and commercial considerations to enable project success.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead approvals strategies and pathways for major infrastructure projects, identifying critical path activities, risks and opportunities to support successful project delivery.
• Manage planning and environmental approvals, ensuring approval requirements are effectively integrated into project scope, schedule, cost and risk frameworks.
• Lead engagement and negotiations with government agencies, regulators and other key stakeholders to facilitate project outcomes.
• Identify and manage approvals and access-related risks during project development, supporting strategic growth opportunities and business development initiatives.
• Procure, lead and manage specialist consultants and internal subject matter experts, ensuring delivery of agreed scopes, timelines, budgets and performance outcomes.
• Establish and maintain robust governance, compliance and assurance processes to ensure all approvals activities meet statutory obligations, internal standards and approval commitments.

Your Background

• Demonstrated experience leading environmental, planning, heritage or approvals activities for major infrastructure, energy, resources or development projects.
• Strong understanding of regulatory approval frameworks, project development processes and risk management principles.
• Experience working with, and ideally negotiating alongside, Traditional Owners, landholders, government agencies and other external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to influence project outcomes through effective stakeholder engagement, strategic thinking and sound judgement.
• Experience managing external consultants and coordinating multidisciplinary workstreams to achieve project objectives.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance environmental, social and stakeholder considerations with project schedule, cost and delivery requirements.

About the Team

Access, Approvals and Geospatial Solutions is committed to building strong relationships, securing land access and project approvals and fostering positive community outcomes across all stages of project development.

We support the delivery of energy infrastructure projects across Australia by providing expert services across gas transmission and storage, gas powered generation, and power development, - enabling APA to be world class in energy solutions.

This is an exciting time, implementing APA's portfolio growth and asset transformation, and we need people who are courageous, nimble, and ready to make an impact enabling APA to be world class in energy solutions.

Working at APA

At APA, we're committed to fostering a safe and inclusive workplace where you can achieve your best.

We offer targeted career development programs designed to accelerate your career, competitive remuneration, employee benefits, flexible working arrangements, and wellbeing initiatives are all part of what we'll offer you. Our inclusive parental leave policy offers 18 weeks of leave, including superannuation, to support parents at work and in life.

We employ around 2,000 people across Australia and are committed to building a high‑performing, customer‑focused organisation where everyone feels safe, valued, and trusted to perform at their best.

We are APA

At APA, we're taking on one of Australia's greatest challenges: the energy transition. We're not doing it alone. We're doing it as Australia's energy infrastructure partner, a role our unique experience and expertise positions us to play.

We proudly own, operate and manage a diverse $20 billion portfolio of assets which deliver essential services to communities and customers across Australia. And we own more than 15,000 kilometres of gas pipelines which deliver energy to households and businesses across every corner of Australia.

As the partner of choice in delivering infrastructure so