Brisbane City Council

is now recruiting for

Senior Manager, Resources Recovery

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Applications close midnight, XXXX 2026

About the Role

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Brisbane City Council is by population the largest local government in Australia, with total assets over $44 billion and an annual budget of over $4.1 billion. Our responsibility is to provide leadership for the people of Brisbane and to manage our resources to create a vibrant, successful and liveable city for the future. We work in partnership with a variety of governments, peak bodies, industries and community organisations to build a better Brisbane.

Corporate Values

Getting things done - Adapting to meet changing needs and priorities

Value for money - Looking for opportunities to contribute to the growth of the city.
Passion for Brisbane - Delivering value to Brisbane, its residents and customers.
Respect for people - Embracing diversity and communicating openly and honestly.
Responsive customer service - Adding value to every customer interaction
Working together - Looking for opportunities to collaborate and connect to deliver a better Brisbane.
Courage to make a difference - Committed to continuous improvement and a city and workplace free of discrimination, harassment and offensive behaviour.

Making a Difference

Brisbane City Council’s people deliver services and projects that contribute to making Brisbane a great place to live and do business. We are passionate about delivering:

active and healthy and creative communities
driving a strong economy
sustaining a clean and green environment
a city of cultural vibrancy
developing our New World City
creating an enduring legacy of liveability for future generations.

More information can be found here.

Vision

Brisbane Vision 2031 is Brisbane City Council’s long-term community plan for the city. It guides the work that Council does and provides a focused set of goals to work towards.

Council's eight programs guide the implementation of our Corporate Plan to achieve the Brisbane Vision 2031. Council and the community are working together to ensure the important things about Brisbane are retained for future generations and we all make the right choices to achieve the future we want. Council is also transforming to be a leaner, innovative and high performing organisation that strives to deliver exceptional customer service and value for money for rate payers.

Overview

About the Role

Senior Manager, Resources Recovery

Download Position Description

Waste and Resource Recovery Services is a commercially focused branch within the Environment, Parks and Sustainability Services Group with the core objective of providing an efficient and effective waste management and resource recovery service to Brisbane’s residents and commercial customers . The Branch has a complex and public profile and manages some of the largest waste management contracts in the Southern Hemisphere which provide more than 43 million bin services per annum to households in the Brisbane Local Government area and processes over 1.2 million customer transactions per annum through its Resource Recovery Centres.

Lead the Resource Recovery section of the Branch to deliver commercially competitive, risk‑managed waste management services for Brisbane. The role directs major contracts and alliance partnerships, governs multimillion‑dollar operating and capital programs, and is accountable for financial returns, customer outcomes and compliance across Council’s waste infrastructure.

You shape market strategy (pricing, commodity trading, gate fees), negotiate complex commercial agreements, and exercise delegated decision‑making authority to protect Council’s financial and legal interests. The role influences city‑wide sustainability policy and industry practice and has substantial latitude to act within Council frameworks.

To be successful in this role, you will be driving and championing a continuous improvement and service excellence agenda, working collaboratively to deliver value to our city.

Specifically, executives will model, lead and deliver initiatives which further:

collaboration, innovation and high performance to deliver exceptional customer services to the people of Brisbane
an organisation which directs resources to organisational priorities, including frontline delivery
systems and technology which support our business and our customer focus direction
simplified processes to deliver effective value for money services
performance excellence and a values-based culture in line with Council’s Leadership Blueprint.

Key Accountabilities

Commercial leadership – Set pricing strategies, revenue models and cost optimisation plans for resource recovery operations to deliver earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and ROI targets, safeguarding Council’s financial position.
Contract governance – Negotiate, award, and manage major service and supply contracts (including alliance partnerships), embedding KPIs, SLAs, rise‑and‑fall, and commodity trading mechanisms to maximise commercial outcomes.
Freedom to act – Exercise delegated procurement and contract signatory authority to approve expenditures and variations within defined limits, ensuring rapid, accountable decisions in high‑risk settings.
Market and stakeholder influence – Lead engagement with industry, regulators and government to shape policy, secure approvals and partnerships, and protect Council’s interests in competitive markets.
Program and portfolio performance – Direct an integrated portfolio of projects and services, prioritising investments and resources to achieve Program objectives, budget targets and customer outcomes.
Asset stewardship – Optimise utilisation and lifecycle performance of landfills, transfer stations, resource recovery centres and Treasure Troves, ensuring capacity, compliance and social licence.
Risk and compliance – Maintain robust governance, safety and environmental risk frameworks; ensure compliance with legislation, licences and Council policies; and manage audit and assurance.
Financial management – Own operating and capital budgets, forecasts and business cases; implement performance reporting (dashboards) and corrective actions to meet targets.
People, culture and capability – Build a high‑performing, inclusive team; set clear accountabilities; develop capability and succession to deliver strategic outcomes.
Customer service excellence and innovation – Drive measurable improvements in customer satisfaction, turnaround times and diversion rates through continuous improvement and innovation.
Emergency and continuity leadership – Lead waste service continuity and disaster response for the resource recovery portfolio, ensuring resilient operations and rapid recovery
Expert advisory – Provide high-level professional and technical advice to senior executives and stakeholders on waste avoidance, recycling, and resource recovery advancements.

Key Selection Criteria

Within the context of the responsibilities described previously, the ideal applicant will be someone who has:

- Demonstrated success delivering commercial outcomes (EBIT, ROI, cost‑to‑serve improvements) in large‑scale waste/resource recovery operations.
- Proven expertise negotiating and governing complex contracts and alliance partnerships, including commodity trading, risk allocation, performance incentives and dispute resolution.
- Strong governance, risk and compliance leadership in high‑risk, high‑accountability settings.
- Oversee extensive asset portfolios confidently, ensuring optimal utilisation and compliance across landfills, transfer stations, recycling facilities, and associated infrastructure.
- Drive high-level stakeholder engagement, using exceptional negotiation and relationship building skills to achieve efficient outcomes for customers and Council in a complex regulatory environment.
- Communicate with exceptional clarity, preparing and presenting high-quality reports, board papers, and strategic briefings that inform decision-making and support Council’s sustainability objectives.
Demonstrated capability, knowledge, experience and achievements in:
- Leading organisational performance to deliver coordinated, responsive, and customer-focused outcomes.
- Inclusive and people-focused leadership style in line with Council’s Leadership Blueprint, with demonstrated success in building high-performing, values-led teams and positive workplace cultures.
- Maintaining and developing relationships across organisational boundaries to drive consistent and seamless delivery and the direction of resources to corporate priorities
- Communication, stakeholder engagement and relationship management, with the ability to collaborate and influence across government, industry and community.
- Managing complex and contentious issues with high sensitivity and competing stakeholder interests
- Leading thinking about initiatives to create public value.
Demonstrated capability, knowledge, experience and achievements in:
- Financial and risk management with experience overseeing operational budgets, regulatory compliance and governance in high risk, high accountability settings.
- Developing an engaged, productive, and customer-focused workforce.
- Delivering systems and processes which deliver value to the organisation and to the customer.
- Planning the resourcing of services with appropriate risk management to meet demand within budget.
- Building new collaborative models with suppliers and program partners to improve public value.
- Demonstrating a focus on shared outcomes, negotiating budget and resources across the organisation, and submitting joint budget proposals.
Demonstrated ability to undertake broad executive leadership beyond the specific requirements of the position, across the organisation, including the ability to:
- Collaborate and share accountability across organisational boundaries
- Participate in strategic decision making; represent Brisbane City Council to the community, other levels of Government and to industry.
- Own and champion corporate values, strategies, policy, and directions, particularly: Council values and behaviours, Code of Conduct, workplace justice, diversity and inclusion, Zero Harm and flexible work arrangements.
- Understand governance frameworks, statutory and regulatory compliance, including legislation relevant to local government operations particularly the City of Brisbane Act 2010 and associated regulations, Council Ordinances and Local Laws
- Champion the strategic corporate management agendas on issues such as customer service, service delivery, change management and people management, and integrate these principles into the operation of the business.
- During disaster events, be available to perform the role of Incident Controller within the Local Disaster Coordination Centre to provide leadership and implement strategic directions from the Local Disaster Management Group.

Essential at recruitment requirements:

Due to the requirements of this role criminal history and business history checks will be undertaken on preferred applicants. A criminal history does not necessarily preclude an applicant from appointment.

Desirable role-specific requirements:

At least five years of experience in a senior management role.
The ideal candidate will have tertiary qualifications in Business, Management, Commerce or a related discipline or equivalent.

How to Apply

Brisbane City Council are committed to inclusive and diverse practices, including recruitment and selection which ensures people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, women, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have equal opportunity to apply and participate.

Candidates who represent diverse backgrounds are encouraged to submit an application.

To be considered, please provide the following information in your online application, for the assessment of your suitability:

A short (no more than two pages) statement focusing on how you align with the core accountabilities outlined in the role statement below.
Your current CV highlighting your relevant experience, qualifications, and achievements.

If you need assistance with your application please reach out to us.

Apply Now

Applications close midnight, XXXX 2026