Principal Environmental Planner

Mott MacDonald; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Agile working environment

Employee ownership model

Discretionary bonuses

Professional development

Annual health checks

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is recruiting a Principal Environmental Planner for our Melbourne office. You will provide strategic leadership, manage complex environmental assessments and approvals, and strengthen client relationships across Victoria and Australia’s infrastructure sectors.

Join a diverse team delivering major energy and transport projects, guiding governance, risk, scope and commercial outcomes while mentoring colleagues and influencing project direction.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Urban or Town Planning, environmental planning, or a related discipline.
• Substantial experience leading planning approvals and environmental assessment processes within Victoria, ideally for major infrastructure projects.
• Authoritative knowledge of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, Victoria Planning Provisions, planning schemes and development assessment processes.
• A strong record of providing strategic advice, exercising sound professional judgement and influencing senior clients, regulators and project stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Act as a technical authority on the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and Victoria Planning Provisions, leading planning strategies, approvals pathways, permit applications and due diligence for complex projects.
• Lead the planning and approvals components of major environmental assessments, including EES and EPBC processes, impact assessments and technical reporting.
• Provide strategic advice to senior clients, government authorities and project leaders, influencing decisions and securing successful project outcomes.
• Own and grow key client relationships, identify market opportunities and contribute to the strategic direction of the environmental planning practice.
• Lead major proposals and bid submissions, shaping compelling solutions, scope, delivery approach and commercial inputs.
• Direct multidisciplinary project teams, providing governance, quality assurance and oversight of programme, risk and deliverables.
• Mentor and develop planners and emerging leaders, building technical depth, confidence and succession capability across the team.
• Represent Mott MacDonald externally through industry engagement and maintain a strong view of emerging policy, regulatory and market developments.

Skills

Planning approvals

Environmental planning

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Client relations

Mentoring

Education

Urban planning degree

Environmental planning qualification

Job description

Brilliant people trusted to do brilliant things

Mott MacDonald is a vibrant and forward-thinking engineering, management, and development consultancy. Working together as a global team we plan, design, deliver and maintain the transport, energy, water, buildings, defence and wider infrastructure that is integral to people’s daily lives. We value excellence in every dimension of our business and continuously seek opportunities to improve what we do and how we do it.

We employ brilliant people who combine their diverse skills and experiences to achieve brilliant things. Whether you want to specialise or broaden your experience, you'll be supported by global specialists eager to share their expertise. With numerous opportunities to learn and grow, the possibilities are as diverse as our people. Working as a connected global team, we deliver impactful projects that shape the future.

Your Opportunity

Due to strong growth and an exciting pipeline of projects, Mott MacDonald's Water, Environment and Society team has an exciting opportunity for a Principal Environmental Planner in our Melbourne office.

You will join a diverse and passionate team with a proven track record delivering some of the largest and most complex energy and transport projects in Victoria and across Australia. As a Principal, you will provide strategic and technical leadership, strengthen key client relationships, lead complex approvals pathways, and help grow our environmental planning capability across the defence, water and broader infrastructure sectors. In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Act as a technical authority on the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and Victoria Planning Provisions, leading planning strategies, approvals pathways, permit applications and due diligence for complex projects.
• Lead the planning and approvals components of major environmental assessments, including EES and EPBC processes, impact assessments and technical reporting.
• Provide strategic advice to senior clients, government authorities and project leaders, influencing decisions and securing successful project outcomes.
• Own and grow key client relationships, identify market opportunities and contribute to the strategic direction of the environmental planning practice.
• Lead major proposals and bid submissions, shaping compelling solutions, scope, delivery approach and commercial inputs.
• Direct multidisciplinary project teams, providing governance, quality assurance and oversight of programme, risk and deliverables.
• Mentor and develop planners and emerging leaders, building technical depth, confidence and succession capability across the team.
• Represent Mott MacDonald externally through industry engagement and maintain a strong view of emerging policy, regulatory and market developments.

About You

• Tertiary qualifications in Urban or Town Planning, environmental planning, or a related discipline.
• Substantial experience leading planning approvals and environmental assessment processes within Victoria, ideally for major infrastructure projects.
• Authoritative knowledge of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, Victoria Planning Provisions, planning schemes and development assessment processes.
• A strong record of providing strategic advice, exercising sound professional judgement and influencing senior clients, regulators and project stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex projects and multidisciplinary teams, including oversight of quality, risk, programme and commercial outcomes.
• Established client relationships and proven contribution to business development, opportunity shaping, proposals and work winning.
• Experience mentoring practitioners and building team capability, with the confidence to provide technical leadership across the business.

Culture & Benefits

Mott MacDonald celebrates diversity and inclusion, offering a supportive work environment that values work-life balance, diversity, inclusion, and equity. We welcome diverse applicants, including First Nations People, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people of all genders, neurodiversity, cultural backgrounds, age groups, and those with intersectional identities.

Our benefits package is designed to enhance your experience:

• Agile working environment, supporting our people to work flexibly
• The employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business through our Discretionary Group and Personal Performance Bonuses for eligible employees.
• Employee resource groups including the Inclusive Network for Women, Corporate Social Responsibility and more
• Annual Health Checks and ongoing professional development

You’ve got this!