Coordinator Strategic Planning and Community Development

Are you a visionary leader with a passion for creating lasting change?   This is the role for you!

Bring your people leadership, experience & passion for the community to our Northern Grampians Shire Council team. Make an impact on community and industry. 

About Northern Grampians Shire Council

Northern Grampians Shire Council has a diverse employment base, across 14 worksites in the Grampians Region of Victoria. We offer flexible work arrangements, providing access to relevant training and professional development opportunities with a variety of employee benefits. We promote innovation, responsiveness, respectfulness and continuous improvement as our core values. Being a smaller organisation, we can provide you with opportunities to act in leadership roles, transition between teams and participate in a range of collaborative projects with other team members or the wider community. We provide a supportive and flexible environment that values the balance between work and our employees' personal lives. 

Why join us?

In addition to the picturesque landscapes at our backdoor, there are many other benefits to working for our innovative and vibrant Northern Grampians Shire Council. These include:

• Fortnightly RDO: Enjoy a well-deserved break and rejuvenate. 
• Great Team Environment:  A safe, respectful and supportive environment to enable you to thrive.  You will work with like-minded, passionate individuals who love what they do.
• Professional Growth: We nurture talent and provide opportunities to flourish.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: To support your work life balance.
• Salary Packaging Options: Including remote area housing allowances and novated lease vehicles
• Access to Paid Leave: including purchased leave, paid parental leave, gender affirmation leave and to respond to family violence matters
• Employee Assistance Program: Your well-being matters - we've got you covered.
• Biodiversity: Explore our Council region's varied flora and fauna

The Role

This position oversees a multi-disciplined team of professionals delivering projects and initiatives to uplift our community’s economic wellbeing, and quality of life.  Work lead by the coordinator is underpinned by Northern Grampians Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan 2021-31 and the current and future Council Plan and Health and Wellbeing Plan. The Coordinator is expected to lead and support the team to deliver on strategic outcomes relating to health and wellbeing, liveability, community planning and development and the built and natural environment.

Responsibilities Include

• Effectively support and mentor a multi-disciplined team including Community Development, Strategic Planner and Placemaking Officers to deliver key initiatives, including supervision of budgets, reporting, project management and planning across the team.
• Adopting a project management and deliberative engagement approach to design, deliver, and monitor a portfolio including social and community, placemaking and strategic land use projects and programs.
• Support the Manager Strategic Planning and Prosperity and Director of Strategy, Prosperity and Engagement in the development and delivery of key strategic documents such as the Council Plan and Health and Wellbeing Plan.
• Communicate and engage effectively to build and maintain productive relationships and partnerships, with a wide range of external and internal stakeholders.
• Review, analyse and maintain awareness of relevant Regional, State and Commonwealth policies and plans which impact on Council and the Northern Grampians Community.
• Perform, as directed, other duties that are within the limits of the incumbents’ skill, competence, and training.

Qualifications and experience

• Experience in Community Planning and Development practices and approaches and familiarity in evaluating and measuring outcomes from related projects and programs.
• Substantial experience in designing and delivering deliberative engagement with a wide range of community and stakeholders
• Tertiary qualifications in Land use Planning (open space, strategic or similar), Recreation, Community Development
• Substantial experience in project management, specifically in the delivery of strategies, specialist investigations, Master Plans, Planning Policies, detailed design, and program development.

Selection criteria

1. Tertiary qualifications and/or relevant experience in Social and Community Planning, Land use Planning (open space, strategic or similar), and substantial experience in project management.
2. Demonstrated ability to supervise a team to achieve priorities and manage competing deadlines.
3. Demonstrated ability to undertake research and report writing through critically evaluating information and thinking strategically.
4. Demonstrated ability to design and manage projects to achieve results, including through the effective management of stakeholders, financial, physical and human resources.
5. Advanced interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to consult, negotiate and liaise effectively with a diverse range of people through strong oral and written communication skills including in report writing and presentations.  In particular it is essential that there is a proven track record in plan drafting.
6. Demonstrated knowledge and experience in deliberative stakeholder engagement, including in the preparation of engagement plans, delivery of engagement activities including facilitation