Parramatta City Council Hiring for Team Leader Design Excellence Job at Parramatta Full Time

• Coordinate work programs aligned with Councils strategic priorities
• Generous Leave entitlements and Health & Wellbeing programs

The City of Parramatta is going through unprecedented change and transformation as it becomes Sydney’s Central City. The intensity of growth and investment in City of Parramatta means that Council, their partners, and community have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the City’s future and ensure it is culturally, socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable.

The City Planning and Design Directorate is leading the planning and design for the development of our City for a near doubling of our population over the next 20 years. This involves work on exciting projects across the Council area as we plan for growth in the right locations supported by the necessary infrastructure. We are working on projects in Camellia/Rosehill, Epping, Wentworth Point, Westmead and many other areas as well as our exciting and growing Parramatta CBD where we are based.

We are a passionate group of professionals who want to make a difference. This is your opportunity to join our team and help us tackle often complex challenges to deliver high quality planning and design outcomes for the benefit of our community.

About the role
This is a key team leadership role responsible for managing a small team of skilled professionals to coordinate a work program to meet deadlines and set priorities aligned with Council’s strategic priorities, specifically in the sphere of Design Excellence

You will be responsible for managing and coordinating Council’s role in design excellence competitions and contributing design expertise to and coordination of the Design Excellence Advisory Panel (DEAP).

As a design specialist, you will provide expert architectural and technical urban design guidance to optimise design outcomes in relation to significant development proposals and projects within the City in accordance with the NSW State Government’s ‘Director Generals Design Excellence Guidelines 2011’ and the ‘Draft Government Architect’s Design Excellence Guidelines 2018’.

You will have exceptional communication skills, a comprehensive understanding of the NSW planning framework and an energy for teamwork and positive collaboration.

On a daily basis you will:

• Schedule reviews of Design Competition Briefs, support the programming and coordination of Design Competitions, coordinate and support Council’s Design Jury representatives, stakeholder liaison and engagement
• Oversee and manage specialised, independent strategic design guidance to DEAP to ensure alignment with Council’s strategic priorities
• Promote an awareness of the importance of design integrity in the built environment and high-quality architecture outcomes to support the making of great places and sustainable urban environments
• Provide independent, high-level strategic and specialised advice on architecture and urban design priorities and opportunities to achieve the Council’s vision and strategic outcomes and where requested on specific projects or initiatives to improve design outcomes for individual projects and broader initiatives
• Lead efforts across the organisation in the planning and reporting of design excellence and manage and contribute to complex, diverse, sensitive projects and multi-disciplinary teams
• Work with the Design Juries and other Business Units to manage Design Excellence and Design Competitions in the City of Parramatta as required; and manage Design Competition consultant and specialist fees
• Manage the research and analysis of urban design, architectural and design competition processes with synergies to land use and transport planning, economic development, environmental and social trends to improve outcomes.

About You
The successful candidate should have previous experience in urban design within a complex urban environment. Pivotal to this position is the ability to influence, communicate effectively and build strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders. Therefore, the successful individual will need to have exceptional interpersonal skills in leadership, coordination, negotiation, teamwork, and problem solving. It would be preferred but not essential for applicants to have:

• Degree qualifications in urban design, architecture, planning and public domain (including software/ hand drawing capability)
• Demonstrated success in working with or for the public sector
• Demonstrated experience in managing Design Excellence through advice, policy and guidelines and liaison with developers and stakeholders, through written and drawn medium.

What’s on offer
We are offering an attractive total remuneration from $133,711.99 to $147,272.65 (Includes salary + super).

In addition City of Parramatta also offer excellent employee benefits which include:

• A range of flexible work arrangements including hybrid WFH arrangements
• 14 weeks paid parental leave
• Access to Long Service Leave after 5 years
• Central Parramatta location (Public transport at our door, discounted parking)
• Significant leave benefits (up to 12 days flexi-time, 3 additional leave days at Christmas, 15 days sick/personal leave, 2 days health and wellbeing leave per year)
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Health and Wellbeing programs (Fitness Passport, Flu Shots, Skin Cancer Checks)
• And much, much more!

Want to know more?
Further information regarding the requirements of this role can be found in the attached Position Description. Alternatively for a confidential discussion please contact Kelly Van Der Zanden on (02) 9806 5521 or email [email protected]

How to apply
Candidates MUST apply online by clicking ‘begin’ below. Applications close 9pm, Friday 10 June 2022 and will not be accepted through any other medium.

The successful candidate is required to be vaccinated (at least 2 doses of a TGA approved COVID-19 vaccine) in accordance with Council’s vaccination policy. Candidates may submit a medical contraindication for Council’s consideration.

The City of Parramatta supports a Drug and Alcohol-free working environment and employees may be subject to random testing as a result.


City of Parramatta Council embraces diversity, and we encourage all applicants; including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, gender diverse, LGBTIQ, veterans and culturally diverse communities to join Council. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process and supportive workplace.

Please note you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident or have unlimited working rights in Australia to apply for this position.

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