Senior Planner - Treatment Planning

Sydney Water; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration

Hybrid working

Professional development

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Sydney Water in Parramatta is seeking a Senior Planner to shape the performance of its WRRFs. You will apply wastewater process engineering expertise to assess plant capability, diagnose risks and define upgrade needs that support compliance and reliability.

With 7+ years in municipal wastewater, you will lead process capability assessments, define upgrade requirements, develop practical engineering solutions, and mentor junior planners while engaging stakeholders for investment outcomes.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Engineering, Science or related discipline.
• 7+ years in municipal wastewater treatment, process design, operations or infrastructure planning.
• Strong knowledge of municipal wastewater treatment processes and units.

Responsibilities

• Lead Process Capability Assessments using plant data to identify performance, risks and upgrade needs.
• Define process upgrade requirements and contribute to long-term adaptive plans for WRRFs.
• Develop process engineering solutions addressing constraints to meet growth and compliance drivers.
• Support improvements to process integration, resource recovery and overall plant performance.
• Mentor junior planners and share technical knowledge to uplift team capability.

Skills

Wastewater treatment

Process design

Mentor teammates

Stakeholder engagement

Scenario mapping

Clear communication

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Primavera P6

Job description

1 Smith St, Parramatta NSW 2150, Australia

• Support planning of wastewater treatment upgrades for essential water services.
• Apply process engineering expertise and mentor other team members to solve practical treatment challenges.
• Permanent role based in Parramatta, with flexible work options.

As a Senior Planner, you’ll support shaping the future performance of Sydney Water’s Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs). Working with multidisciplinary teams, you’ll apply wastewater process engineering expertise to assess plant capability, diagnose risks and define upgrade needs that support sustainable environmental compliance.

This hands‑on role suits a capable wastewater treatment professional who can turn plant performance, growth, regulatory and renewal challenges into clear process engineering solutions. You will assess current and future treatment capability, define constraints and support development of adaptive upgrade strategies that improve reliability, compliance and operational efficiency.

Municipal wastewater process design or operations experience is essential. Candidates with experience limited to scheduling tools, such as Primavera P6, will not meet the role criteria.

What you’ll do:

• Contribute to and lead Process Capability Assessments, using plant data to identify plant performance, risks, issues, constraints and identify upgrade needs.
• Define process upgrade requirements and contribute to the long-term adaptive plans for WRRFs in response to growth, regulatory, renewal, climate and operational drivers.
• Develop process engineering solutions that address identified performance and capacity constraints, to meet growth and compliance drivers, and improve treatment reliability.
• Support opportunities to improve process integration, resource recovery, treatment efficiency and whole‑of‑plant performance while optimising investment outcomes for customers.
• Mentor more junior planners and share technical knowledge to support team capability uplift.

What you’ll bring:

You’ll hold a tertiary qualification in Engineering, Science or a related discipline, ideally in Chemical, Mechanical, Civil or Environmental Engineering, along with:

• Over 7 years’ experience in municipal wastewater treatment, process design, operations or infrastructure planning.
• Sound technical expertise in municipal wastewater treatment processes and associated process units, including biosolids facilities and advanced treatment technologies.
• Ability to independently assess wastewater treatment plant performance, identify process constraints and issues, and develop practical upgrade recommendations.
• Demonstrated competence in scenario mapping and adaptive planning for wastewater treatment upgrades.
• Ability to clearly communicate technical findings from technical and engineering assessments into planning and business case recommendations.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build credibility.

Closing date: 11.59pm AEST on Sunday Sept 20th.

We support candidates throughout the application process and can make adjustments where needed. For more information, contact TA Partner [e-mail] .

Please see the job profile for the role’s full accountabilities.

• Competitive remuneration that recognises your skills and contribution.
• Hybrid working to support flexibility, collaboration and wellbeing.
• Professional development through leadership and capability programs.
• 24/7 wellbeing support for you and your family through our EAP portal.
• Discounted private health insurance and access to Fitness Passport.
• Family-friendly benefits, including up to 18 weeks’ fully paid parental leave and childcare allowance.
• Novated leasing options to support your financial goals.

As part of the application process, Sydney Water will be collecting your personal information to assess your suitability for the role. Your personal information may also be used to establish a Dayforce talent profile. Your personal information will be collected in accordance with Dayforce’s Terms and Privacy Policy and Sydney Water’s Privacy Collection Statement – recruitment. Please note as part of the application process, you will be asked to undergo background checks which include a criminal history check.

At Sydney Water, we are passionate about making a difference to the lives of our customers and communities. We have a proud heritage and progressive future providing world class drinking water and services that are vital to our customers’ quality of life and safeguarding Sydney’s future. We see the world is changing, so we are changing too.

Our vision is to create better lives through world‑class services, and we believe that starts with our people. Our people and their jobs are as diverse as the communities we serve. Our diverse skills, mindsets and backgrounds work together on exciting and challenging projects that make a difference and help ensure Sydney remains one of the most iconic and liveable cities in the world.

We welcome and encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTQIA+, people with disability, people with caring responsibilities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and veterans.

1 Smith St, Parramatta NSW 2150, Australia