Senior Manager Waste Collection

Luminary; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Brisbane City Council is seeking a senior leader to take accountability for the Waste Collection function in Brisbane, driving safe, reliable and cost-efficient services across the city. The role oversees major contracts, supplier performance and continuous improvement, influencing service models and citywide outcomes.

You will engage with contractors, elected representatives and executives to deliver high-quality waste and recycling services while contributing to the long-term waste strategy

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading large operational portfolios.
• Strong contract management, negotiation and commercial capability.
• Proven ability to hold suppliers accountable while maintaining relationships.
• Ability to use service data to drive improvements and decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of safe, reliable waste collection and recycling services across Brisbane.
• Build productive supplier partnerships with clear accountability.
• Maximise value from major contracts through strong contract management.
• Use data and analytics to improve service performance and customer outcomes.
• Develop people, lead change and champion continuous service improvement.

Skills

Large-scale leadership

Contract management

Stakeholder engagement

Data-driven decisions

Job description

Lead One of Brisbane's Most Visible Essential Services

Every week, more than one million Brisbane residents rely on a waste collection service they expect to work seamlessly.

Behind that service sits one of Australia's largest municipal waste collection operations. As Brisbane continues to grow, this role offers the opportunity to shape its next chapter through service excellence, new technologies and future-focused approaches to waste collection.

Brisbane City Council is seeking an exceptional leader to take accountability for this critical service.

About Brisbane City Council

As Australia's largest local government, Brisbane City Council delivers services to more than one million residents across one of the nation's fastest-growing capital cities. Council manages assets exceeding $44 billion and operates with an annual budget of more than $4 billion, delivering the infrastructure, services and community outcomes that keep Brisbane moving and growing.

Brisbane is looking to the future. Alongside preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Council is shaping services for a growing city, with a focus on sustainability and the future management of waste and resources.

Within this context, Waste and Resource Recovery Services plays a critical role in protecting community amenity, supporting public confidence and ensuring Brisbane continues to operate as a clean, liveable and sustainable city.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Executive General Manager, Waste and Resource Recovery Services, the Senior Manager Waste Collection leads Brisbane's waste collection function and is accountable for the safe, reliable and cost-effective delivery of waste and recycling services across the city. The role oversees major collection contracts, supplier performance, customer outcomes, service reliability and continuous improvement across a significant portfolio.

This is a highly visible leadership role operating at the intersection of commercial management, public service delivery and stakeholder engagement. You will lead a service with substantial community impact, working closely with contractors, elected representatives, executive leaders and industry partners to ensure performance expectations are met while helping shape the future direction of waste collection services.

The role also offers the opportunity to contribute to the future of waste management across Brisbane and South East Queensland, bringing fresh thinking to service models and helping shape smarter, more sustainable solutions for a growing city.

• Lead the delivery of safe, reliable and customer-focused waste and recycling collection services across Brisbane.
• Build productive supplier partnerships that deliver strong performance and clear accountability.
• Maximise value from major collection contracts through effective commercial and contract management.
• Use operational data, technology and analytics to improve service performance, customer outcomes and value for money.
• Develop people and capability, lead change and champion continuous service improvement across the branch.
• Build strong relationships with elected representatives, senior executives, suppliers and internal stakeholders.
• Contribute to Council's long-term waste strategy and preparations for Brisbane 2032.
• Provide executive leadership during service disruptions, emergencies and critical operational events.

About You

You are a contemporary executive leader who combines commercial discipline, strategic thinking and strong people leadership. You may come from waste management, logistics, utility services, transport, infrastructure, asset-intensive services or another comparable operating environment where customer outcomes, service continuity and contractor performance are critical to success.

• Significant experience leading large-scale service delivery or operational portfolios.
• Strong contract management, negotiation and commercial management capability.
• Demonstrated ability to hold suppliers accountable while maintaining productive long-term relationships.
• Experience interpreting service, operational and customer data to inform decisions and drive improvement.
• Political and stakeholder awareness, with the ability to build trust and exercise sound judgement in a public-facing leadership role.
• A proven track record leading organisational, cultural and operational change.
• Strong executive communication and influencing skills.
• A genuine commitment to developing people, building capability and creating high-performing teams.

Most importantly, you will bring a commitment to public value, combining customer focus, commercial judgement and accountability to deliver outcomes for Brisbane's communities.

Why This Role

Few local government leadership opportunities provide this combination of scale, visibility and impact.

This role oversees an essential city service with direct influence on community experience, public confidence and operational performance. It offers the opportunity to lead significant contracts, shape future service models, contribute to major strategic decisions and help shape Brisbane's waste collection services for the future.

For an executive who enjoys building partnerships, developing people and shaping services that matter to the community, this is a rare opportunity to make a lasting contribution to one of Australia's most significant local government services.

Applications close: Midnight, Sunday 22nd November 2026

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