Principal Strategic Planner

About Kingston

The City of Kingston is a vibrant and diverse municipality located in Melbourne’s south-east, approximately 20km from the CBD. Stretching from the bayside to key industrial and commercial precincts, Kingston is a place of opportunity, transformation, and innovation. We are committed to creating inclusive, connected, and sustainable communities. Our dedicated and collaborative teams work across a range of disciplines including planning, infrastructure, environment, and community development to deliver meaningful outcomes that support the wellbeing of our growing population.

About the Role

We are seeking a capable and forward-thinking Principal Strategic Planner to lead complex projects and contribute to the long-term vision for Kingston’s urban environment. Reporting to the Team Leader Strategic Planning, this role plays a central part in the development and implementation of key strategies — including the Employment Land Use Strategy and activity centre planning for key precincts such as Mentone. You will be responsible for progressing strategic planning projects through to implementation, managing planning scheme amendments, and facilitating internal collaboration across departments including engineering, infrastructure, and community planning.
The role involves balancing longer-term strategic thinking with practical delivery. A key part of the position is ensuring that adopted strategies are translated into planning scheme amendments, including coordinating input from other internal specialists and stakeholders. You will often be the connector between policy and implementation — identifying what needs to change in the planning framework and guiding it through a formal process. There will also be opportunities to support advocacy work and represent Council’s interests in regionally significant planning discussions and externally led projects.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for an experienced strategic planner who can take ownership of complex projects and deliver high-quality planning outcomes. You will bring a strong understanding of planning legislation, processes, and implementation pathways, ideally with experience leading planning scheme amendments. The ability to interpret and respond to evolving state policy, work with multiple stakeholders, and connect strategic thinking with real-world delivery is key to success in this role. You will also be someone who values collaboration, operates with integrity, and understands the broader impacts of planning work across an organisation.

Kingston’s Strategic Planning team is small but passionate, and values the sharing of knowledge, ideas, and support- especially during peak project periods. We are seeking someone who can work independently but knows when to collaborate, is adaptable to change, and has a strong sense of self-awareness in a multidisciplinary environment.

Application Process

For a confidential discussion, Marcel Lafontaine at Public Sector People on 0423 668 753 or via email at marcel@publicsectorpeople.com.au. To apply, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter addressing your experience and interest in the role. Applications will close on September 26th 2025.

Kingston City Council is an equal opportunity employer, committed to reconciliation and being a child safe organisation.

We are dedicated to attracting, retaining, and developing people of all genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages.

Applications are encouraged from all sectors of the community, and we strongly encourage applications from the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community. We support adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, as well as during employment.