Waterway Engineer

the original; Coffs Harbour City Council; On-site; AUD 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

12% superannuation

Full-time 35h/wk

Yarrila Place office

Flexible work arrangements

Professional development

Coastal living

Additional benefits

Job summary

The City of Coffs Harbour is seeking a Waterway Engineer to join our Biodiversity, Coastal & Flooding team on the Coffs Coast. You will develop and deliver floodplain management and Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) initiatives that help protect our community, environment and infrastructure.

Working closely with planners, engineers and stakeholders, you will provide specialist technical advice, assess development proposals and contribute to strategic projects that support sustainable growth of

Qualifications

• Degree qualifications in Floodplain Management, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in floodplain management, stormwater management, Water Sensitive Urban Design or related fields.
• Current Class C Driver Licence.
• Experience working within NSW planning, environmental or local government frameworks.
• Experience assessing or providing advice on development applications.
• Knowledge of NSW planning legislation, including development assessment processes.
• Experience using industry software such as MUSIC, TUFLOW, WaterRIDE or similar.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and technical reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop floodplain management studies, strategies, policies and technical guidelines.
• Assess development applications and provide specialist advice on flooding and WSUD outcomes.
• Manage and support the delivery of strategic and operational projects.
• Maintain and utilise flood data and mapping systems.
• Prepare reports and recommendations for management, Council and stakeholders.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to achieve sustainable planning and environmental outcomes.
• Engage with the community and stakeholders on projects and technical matters.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Current Class C Driver Licence

Tools

MUSIC

TUFLOW

WaterRIDE

Job description

Waterway Engineer

Coffs Harbour, Australia
Reference: 6927152

• Shape the future of flood resilience in one of NSW's most beautiful regions
• Lead and collaborate on innovative flood and water-sensitive urban design strategies that make a real community impact and protect our natural waterways.
• Join a forward-thinking council driving environmental sustainability and smart city planning

About the role

Do you want to help shape the future of flood resilience, sustainable development and waterway management on the Coffs Coast?

We are seeking a Waterway Engineer to join our Biodiversity, Coastal & Flooding team. This important role contributes to the development, implementation and delivery of floodplain management and Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) initiatives that help protect our community, environment and infrastructure.

Working closely with planners, engineers, environmental professionals and key stakeholders, you will provide specialist technical advice, assess development proposals and contribute to strategic projects that support the sustainable growth of the City.

What you'll be doing

• Developing and implementing floodplain management studies, strategies, policies and technical guidelines.
• Assessing development applications and providing specialist advice on flooding and Water Sensitive Urban Design outcomes.
• Managing and supporting the delivery of strategic and operational projects.
• Maintaining and utilising flood data and mapping systems.
• Preparing reports and recommendations for management, Council and other stakeholders.
• Collaborating across multidisciplinary teams to achieve sustainable planning and environmental outcomes.
• Engaging with the community and stakeholders on projects and technical matters.

Please refer to the Position Description for a more detailed understanding of the role.

About you

You are a driven and capable engineering professional who enjoys solving complex challenges and working collaboratively to deliver practical outcomes.

You will have:

Essential

• Degree qualifications in Floodplain Management, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in floodplain management, stormwater management, Water Sensitive Urban Design or related fields.
• Current Class C Driver Licence

Highly Regarded

• Experience working within NSW planning, environmental or local government frameworks.
• Experience assessing or providing advice on development applications.
• Knowledge of NSW planning legislation, including development assessment processes.
• Experience using industry software such as MUSIC, TUFLOW, WaterRIDE or similar.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and technical reporting skills.

What's on offer?

This is an opportunity to work on meaningful projects that influence how our growing region manages flood risk, protects waterways and delivers sustainable development outcomes.

In return, you'll enjoy:

• Competitive Salary (from $90,386 p/a) depending on your capabilities and experience + 12% superannuation
• Permanent Full Time (35 hours per week)
• A collaborative and supportive team environment.
• Brand new office location at Yarrila Place!
• Flex time, flexible work arrangements and generous leave entitlements!
• Opportunities for professional development and ongoing learning.
• The chance to live and work in one of Australia's most desirable coastal regions.
• Numerous benefits as outlined here!

Interested?

We're particularly interested in hearing from candidates with experience applying Australian, and preferably NSW, planning and environmental frameworks in either local government or consulting environments.

Applicants must have unrestricted Australian work rights and be able to attend our Coffs Harbour workplace as required

About us

The City of Coffs Harbour strives to ensure the community and visitors can enjoy and grow the City's opportunities. We empower our people to innovate and work collaboratively with accountability and respect at the core of our approach. This is an excellent opportunity to be a part of a dynamic organisation and a thriving community in one of NSW's most beautiful regions. Check out the benefits of living on the Coffs Coast

Hear from our General Manager, Murray "Muz" Wood, on why a career at the City may be right for you!

Want to chat?

Please reach out to Paul Bennett, Team Leader Biodiversity Coastal and Flooding on [e-mail] or via phone [phone] to discuss the role in more detail.

If you have any queries around or require specific assistance or adjustments with any aspect of the application/recruitment process, please reach out to our Talent Acquisition Team via email at [e-mail]

The City of Coffs Harbour is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and respectful workplace based on the principles of employment equity and diversity. We actively encourage applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran or disability status.

Applications Close: 13 Sep 2026