Senior Urban Designer

Blacktown City is a growing and thriving city, located halfway between Sydney City and the Blue Mountains. With 450,000 residents, we are the largest and most diverse city in NSW, spread across 54 suburbs. Blacktown City is vibrant, dynamic and multicultural, home to a large First Nations community and people from more than 180 different birthplaces and languages.

With $26.43 billion regional economy, Blacktown City is also home to 34,000 businesses. Working at Blacktown City Council provides widespread, exciting professional opportunities. Our Council is leading the transformation of Blacktown City and Western Sydney. We are implementing a vision for a modern city, full of opportunity for our residents and businesses.

Our Council is led by highly skilled and experienced professionals, working with talented and passionate teams across a diverse range of business units. We are delivering high quality, customer-focused services, experiences, and facilities, and leading a program of strategic planning, activity and investment.

Blacktown City Council strives to be an inclusive workplace for all people. We welcome applications from all ages and genders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, the LGBTIQ+ community, veterans and people with disabilities.

About the opportunity

We are seeking a Senior Urban Designer to contribute to the development of master plans and policy development on a permanent, full-time basis.

Why you will love this role:

• Work on strategic projects shaping housing, centres, transport and environment outcomes
• Collaborate with internal teams and state agencies on significant planning and urban renewal initiatives
• Enjoy flexibility, career development and a collaborative culture.

What you will be doing:

• Prepare and review planning strategies, policies and environmental planning instruments
• Contribute to Council’s submissions on State Government initiatives
• Undertake research and analysis to support strategic planning priorities
• Provide professional advice to internal and external stakeholders on urban planning matters.

Join a forward-thinking team in delivering real change for one of Sydney’s most dynamic regions! 

Qualifications and experience

Essential:

• Degree qualifications in urban design (or urbanism), architecture or a relevant or related field
• Solid work experience in urban design, architecture, heritage or a related field
• Demonstrated experience preparing written documents and professional reports that communicate sometimes complex concepts in plain English to a diverse audience
• Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary urban design, heritage issues and discourse supported by critical analysis and evaluation skills that support research activities, report writing, decision making and other operational and strategic outcomes
• Demonstrated experience in preparing deliverable, built form controls, guidelines and other urban design-related policies
• Demonstrated information technology, data analysis, research, analytical and other problem-solving skills to generate innovative solutions to sometimes conflicting objectives
• Demonstrated oral communication skills with the ability to liaise with all levels of internal and external customers
• Demonstrated negotiation and dispute resolution skills with the ability to proactively engage with all internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated experience in managing complex projects relating to the urban environment, on time and within budget
• Demonstrated knowledge of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, Local Government Act 1993 and other relevant legislation, regulations, state planning policies and instruments
• Demonstrated graphic communication skills, including but not limited to proficiency in Giraffe, Sketchup, AutoCAD, ArcGIS and/or equivalent, Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office
• Experience or demonstrated skills in all stages of place-making, urban renewal and built-form design, with exposure to infrastructure improvement projects
• Current class C driver’s licence.

Desirable: 

• Experience or interest in one or more of the following: urban renewal; place-making; public policy; heritage management; sustainable design; active transport and innovative street design
• Ability to utilise GIS to gather spatial data and working understanding of current data sets available to inform decision making
• Experience with community engagement
• Understanding of Land and Environment Court procedures
• Experience in the development of new planning strategies
• Experience working in Local Government and/or State Government.

Remuneration and benefits

The salary and conditions of employment are in accordance with Blacktown City Council’s Enterprise Agreement.

• Entry level for this position starts at $117,108.93 per annum
• 35-hour working week 
• Leaseback vehicle
• Opportunity to participate in Council's flextime arrangement
• Employee benefits such as leave entitlements (where applicable), 12% employer contribution payable to your nominated superannuation fund, Fitness Passport, gym membership discounts, and social clubs.

Our commitment to safety

Blacktown City Council is committed to safety. We have introduced alcohol and other drug testing at the pre-employment phase, and via a series of random and cause testing.

We are a child safe organisation that supports and promotes the safety, wellbeing and empowerment of children.

Position description 

Click here to view or download the position description.

  Apply now using our fast and easy-to-use online application process:

1. Have your resume and any other relevant documentation ready to attach. 
2. Have a personal email address ready to use and complete your application without 'logging out' of the system.
3. Review the questions and decide on your responses before commencing your application.
   
   Best of luck.

Closing date:           Friday 10 April 2026, 11.59 pm    

Contact officer:       Jaime Hogan on 9839 6229

Internal ref:              BCC2088