Manager Planning Services

Director, Head Of Government; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Lane Cove Council in Sydney’s Lower North Shore is seeking a Manager Planning Services to lead planning strategy and development assessment, shaping its Local Environmental Plan, Development Control Plans and Local Strategic Planning Statement. The role drives housing and employment land strategies, structure and master plans, and oversees major precinct planning projects.

Reporting to the Director Planning and Sustainability, you will lead the preparation and review work, manage major projects,

Qualifications

• Hold a degree in town planning, urban planning or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high‑performing planning teams.
• Strong judgement on difficult planning matters and change management.
• Experience presenting to Councillors and Executive Leadership Teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership of Council’s planning functions, including development assessment and strategic planning teams.
• Lead the preparation and review of the Local Environmental Plan, Development Control Plans and Local Strategic Planning Statement.
• Manage major strategic and precinct planning projects and ensure timely, compliant development assessments.
• Represent Council in negotiations, appeals and hearings and maintain productive relationships with stakeholders.

Job description

Manager Planning Services
Lane Cove is Australia’s most liveable community, named so in the 2025 Australian Liveability Census: a Lower North Shore community of close to 43,000 people, around ten kilometres from the CBD, with distinctive village neighbourhoods, a strong sense of community and a natural environment its residents value highly. Protecting that character while accommodating growth is one of the defining challenges for the area, and planning sits at the centre of it.

The Manager Planning Services leads that work. This is an opportunity for an accomplished planning leader who can hold strategy and statutory rigour in the same hand: shaping the long-term planning framework for Lane Cove while ensuring development assessment is timely, compliant and trusted by the community.

The Role
Reporting to the Director Planning and Sustainability, the Manager Planning Services provides strategic and operational leadership of Council’s planning functions, leading the development assessment and strategic planning teams. You will lead the preparation and review of Council’s Local Environmental Plan, Development Control Plans and Local Strategic Planning Statement, its housing and employment land strategies, and structure and master plans, and manage major strategic and precinct planning projects. On the statutory side, you will ensure the timely and compliant assessment of development applications, implement planning reforms as legislation changes, provide expert advice on complex matters, oversee planning panels and represent Council in negotiations, appeals and hearings.

The role carries accountability for the business unit budget, service standards and performance reporting, and for productive relationships with Councillors, State Government agencies, developers, consultants, community groups and residents, including leading consultation on planning strategies and presenting reports and recommendations to Council and its Committees.

About You
You hold a degree in town planning, urban planning or a related discipline and bring a track record of leading and developing a high-performing planning team. You have experience planning complex urban environments, sound judgement on difficult planning matters, and the capability to drive continuous improvement, including through technology and better process. Your written work is of a high standard and you communicate with authority across professional, industry, government and community audiences. NSW local government experience, experience presenting to Councillors and Executive Leadership Teams, and postgraduate study in planning, urban design or public administration are desirable. A current NSW Class C driver licence is required.

Just as important is how you lead. You motivate multi-disciplinary teams, set high standards of performance and safety, lead cultural change with care, and remain composed and flexible through periods of demanding workload and tight timeframes.

Why This Role
Lane Cove offers a rare combination: a council of a scale where a manager’s influence is direct and visible, an engaged community that cares deeply about its places, and a leadership team that prizes collaboration, integrity, professionalism and a willingness to have a go. For a planning leader who wants to shape how one of Australia’s most liveable communities grows over the coming decade, this is a defining appointment. An attractive remuneration package will be negotiated with the successful candidate.

Recruitment Timeline Closing Date: Midnight, Thursday 22 October 2026.