Programme Manager - Landfills

Cleanaway; Wakefield Regional Council; Hybrid; AUD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading waste management company is seeking a Programme Manager – Landfills to oversee the planning and delivery of landfill lifecycle projects. Candidates should have extensive experience in landfill or waste management and significant programme management skills. This role requires strong leadership and stakeholder management capabilities. The successful candidate will ensure projects are delivered on time and to strict compliance standards, while fostering a safety-oriented culture. Competitive salary and development opportunities available.

Benefits

Attractive salary package

Career development opportunities

Paid parental leave

Employee share plan offer

Discounts on private health insurance

Company discounts

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of experience in landfill or waste infrastructure.
• Experience leading multi-project programmes with reporting staff.
• Strong understanding of landfill lifecycle and environmental considerations.
• Proven capability in cost, schedule, and performance management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee planning and delivery of landfill lifecycle projects.
• Manage programme-level oversight and ensure compliance with standards.
• Lead and coordinate project teams for successful delivery.
• Implement governance and reporting structures for project oversight.

Skills

Programme management

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Risk management

Commercial awareness

Education

Degree in Engineering or related discipline

Job description

About Us

Join us at Cleanaway and contribute to making a sustainable future possible, together. We transform waste into resources and renewable energy. When you start to think of waste as a resource, it opens a world of possibilities.

As a high growth, ASX listed organisation with over 10,000 employees, our goal is to be recognised by our customers as the most innovative and sustainable waste management company with industry leading HSE performance. We are Australia’s largest company in this sector, providing essential services to millions of customers and communities nationally.

The Opportunity

As Programme Manager – Landfills, you will play a senior leadership role overseeing the planning, governance and delivery of a portfolio of landfill lifecycle projects with significant travel across South Australia and Western Australia. We are open to the successful candidate being based in either WA or SA.

Supported by the Head of Engineering & Technical, and specialised technical teams. This role is accountable for ensuring a programme of works delivered by Project Managers and Project Engineers is executed on time, on budget and to agreed safety, quality and compliance standards.

You will provide programme-level oversight across capital works; whilst Project Managers lead day-to-day project execution, you own the integrated programme plan, performance, risk management and delivery assurance. You will work closely with the PMO, Technical, Environmental and Stakeholder teams to ensure consistent delivery, strong governance and whole-of-life asset outcomes.

This role does not involve day-to-day landfill operations. It is focused on orchestrating complex, multi-disciplinary programmes of work that balance safety, environmental performance, commercial outcomes and community expectations.

What you will be doing

Programme Planning & Delivery

• Establish and maintain the integrated programme plan, including scope, schedule, cost, risks and inter-project dependencies.
• Ensure all projects within the programme are delivered on time, on budget and in accordance with approved scopes and standards.
• Lead programme scheduling, milestone tracking and critical path management, proactively addressing slippage and constraints.
• Manage programme-level risk, issue and change control, with clear escalation and resolution pathways.

Governance, Reporting & Assurance

• Provide end-to-end programme governance and delivery assurance, aligned to Cleanaway’s project management and stage-gate frameworks.
• Partner with the PMO to embed standardised controls across cost management, forecasting, reporting and performance tracking.
• Consolidate project-level information into clear, executive-ready programme reporting across schedule, cost, risk, safety and compliance.
• Ensure structured handover of completed projects into operations, including readiness-for-service and close-out processes.

Leadership of Project Teams

• Lead and coordinate Project Managers and Project Engineers, setting clear expectations and holding teams accountable for delivery outcomes.
• Provide coaching, guidance and escalation support to maintain consistent project management discipline across the programme.
• Act as the senior escalation point for delivery risks, resource conflicts and cross-functional dependencies.

Integration with Technical, Environmental & Stakeholder Functions

• Work closely with Technical teams to ensure designs, scopes and methodologies align with national engineering standards and best practice.
• Partner with Environmental and Stakeholder teams to ensure approvals, licence conditions and stakeholder commitments are embedded into delivery plans and schedules.
• Coordinate interfaces across engineering, operations, HSEQ, commercial teams and external delivery partners to maintain programme momentum.

Whole-of-Life Asset & Commercial Outcomes

• Apply whole-of-life thinking to programme planning, balancing capital investment, operational efficiency, environmental risk and long-term closure obligations.
• Support investment prioritisation, sequencing and business case development to maximise asset value.
• Ensure the programme delivers intended business, operational and environmental benefits, not just project outputs.

Leadership & Culture

• Lead through influence in a matrixed environment, fostering collaboration, accountability and high performance.
• Champion Cleanaway’s safety culture, values and leadership model across all programmes of work.
• Build capability within project teams through clear standards, feedback and continuous improvement.

About you

You are a senior landfill, waste infrastructure or civil delivery professional with strong programme management capability and the credibility to operate confidently across executive, regulator and contractor environments. You combine technical understanding with commercial discipline and a structured, outcomes-focused leadership style.

You will bring

• Significant experience (typically 8–12+ years) in landfill, waste infrastructure, remediation or major capital programmes
• Proven experience leading multi-project, multi-year programmes, with Project Managers and engineers reporting to you
• Strong understanding of landfill lifecycle considerations including construction, airspace management, remediation, environmental controls and regulatory frameworks
• Demonstrated capability managing programme-level cost, schedule, risk and performance
• Ability to interpret and apply environmental licences, legislation, technical documentation and policy
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including experience working with regulators and senior internal leaders
• A degree in Engineering or a related discipline; project management or business qualifications highly regarded
• You are commercially astute, delivery-driven and motivated by building safe, compliant and sustainable landfill infrastructure that delivers long-term value

Why join Cleanaway

• Attractive salary package
• Career development opportunities
• Paid parental leave
• Great company benefits: Annual employee share plan offer, novated leasing, optional flu vaccinations, EAP access, discounts on private health insurance, company discounts + much more!

Our Process

Our recruitment process involves a number of checks including, but not limited to, criminal history, medicals, drug & alcohol testing, as well as verification of qualifications, licences and right-to-work status.

All internal applicants will receive a notification within 2 weeks of the closing date of this advertisement.

We are dedicated to improving employment outcomes and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We also welcome candidates of all ages, abilities, gender identities, experiences (including veterans), and cultural backgrounds.

If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us by emailing [e-mail].

Join us on our exciting journey towards a sustainable future.

Simply click the Apply button or visit https://www.cleanaway.com.au/about-us/careers and let's make a positive impact together.

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Applications close: 23 Jan 2026 Australia Daylight Time

Vacancy no: 523298

Work type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Inkerman SA Australia, Malaga WA Australia

Categories: Engineering, Scientific & Technical, Marketing

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