Manager Parks and Natural Assets at City of Greater Geelong

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Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

14 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

16 Mar, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Strategic Leadership, Operational Leadership, Asset Management, Budgeting, Workforce Management, Continuous Improvement, Stakeholder Engagement, Negotiation, Governance, Risk Management, Policy Development, Change Management, Project Management, Horticulture, Environmental Science, Business Planning

Industry

Government Administration

Description

About the role Geelong’s parks, gardens, waterways and natural landscapes are central to the city’s identity and liveability. This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the City of Greater Geelong’s most visible and valued portfolios, shaping how our open spaces are cared for, experienced and enhanced for generations to come. As Manager Parks and Natural Assets, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across a diverse and high‑profile portfolio that includes parks and reserves, streetscapes, tree management, the Geelong Botanic Gardens, coastal and marine environments, waterways, and our iconic waterfront and recreation precincts. Operating as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will lead a large, passionate multidisciplinary workforce, influence city‑wide priorities, and play a pivotal role in delivering safe, sustainable and community‑centred open space outcomes across the municipality. In this senior leadership role, you will: * Set a clear strategic direction for parks and natural assets, aligning planning, operational efficiency and budgets to organisational priorities. * Oversee the maintenance, renewal and enhancement of a broad asset base, including parks, sportsgrounds, playgrounds, natural environments and major open‑space destinations such as the Geelong Waterfront and Geelong Botanic Gardens. * Build a high‑performance, inclusive and accountable culture across a dedicated leadership team and large operational workforce. * Drive continuous improvement by strengthening systems, processes and data insights to lift service quality, efficiency and customer outcomes. * Provide authoritative advice to Council, the Executive Management Team and senior leaders on open space management, natural environment strategy and major asset planning. * Ensure strong governance, compliance and risk management across all service areas. * Build trusted relationships with internal and external partners and represent the City in industry and professional networks. * Lead the development and implementation of key strategies and policies, including the Urban Forest Strategy, Public Tree Management Policy, Plan for Nature and future planning for the Geelong Botanic Gardens. About you You are an experienced, values‑driven leader who thrives in complex, community‑facing environments. You bring strong strategic judgement, operational credibility and the confidence to influence at executive and Council levels. You are known for building capable teams, leading change, optimising processes, and delivering outcomes that balance environmental stewardship, community expectations and organisational priorities. You will bring: * Senior leadership experience in large and complex organisations. * Tertiary qualifications in business management, horticulture, environmental science or a relevant discipline, and/or extensive relevant experience. * Proven capability in business planning, budgeting and resource management. * Experience managing complex service delivery models, including contractors and volunteers. * Strong stakeholder engagement, negotiation and communication skills. * Experience leading teams through organisational or service‑delivery change. * Sound project management capability delivering outcomes within scope, time and budget. * Knowledge of relevant legislation, standards and regulatory frameworks in a public‑sector context. If this sounds like the role for you, then click apply now! A career with us We’d love for you to continue your career with the City and set the benchmark for a sustainable, inclusive and culturally safe workplace. With a range of benefits, flexible working options, learning and development opportunities, support services and the opportunity to give back to the community, the City has so much to offer! Click https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/employment/article/item/8d1155a0d84344d.aspx [https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/employment/article/item/8d1155a0d84344d.aspx] to view all the benefits to you working at the City. We support accessibility and encourage discussions about any adjustments or support you may need during the recruitment process. Applications and Enquiries Click the Position Description link to view more information about this position. Enquiries: Sonia Cheema | Coordinator, Talent Acquisition | Sonia.Cheema@geelongcity.vic.gov.au [XXXX@geelongcity.vic.gov.au] Click the Apply button to submit your application or find out more about this opportunity. If we can assist you with any reasonable adjustments in order to submit your application for this role, please contact the Talent Acquisition team via email at careers@geelongcity.vic.gov.au [careers@geelongcity.vic.gov.au] noting your preferred method of communication and contact details and a member of the team will be in touch. We collect demographic data to help us learn who our advertisements are reaching and how we can reach an even more diverse audience. We are committed to building a more diverse team. Your responses to our demographic questions are strictly confidential and will not be individually shared.

Responsibilities

The Manager Parks and Natural Assets will provide strategic and operational leadership across a diverse portfolio including parks, gardens, waterways, and coastal environments, while influencing city-wide priorities to deliver safe, sustainable, and community-centered open space outcomes. Key duties involve setting strategic direction, overseeing maintenance and enhancement of assets, building a high-performance culture, and providing authoritative advice to Council and senior leaders.