Brisbane City Council

is now recruiting for

Manager Civil Projects

Applications close midnight, Tuesday the 25th of August 2026

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About Brisbane
City Council

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.

About the Role

Manager Civil Projects

Download Position Description

The primary purpose of this position is to lead and manage Civil Projects, a key delivery unit within the Construction Branch, accountable for the governance and delivery of assigned civil works packages and projects through a hybrid model of a large internal workforce and the procurement and management of contractors for significant civil works.

Operating within Construction Branch, which delivers consistent whole-of-life infrastructure outcomes, the position provides executive leadership across project controls, assurance, commercial management and workforce performance to deliver safe, high-quality, value-for money outcomes. While not accountable for long-term portfolio planning, the role partners closely with Asset Owners and Asset Managers to provide delivery-led insights on constructability, risk, sequencing, market conditions and internal capacity to inform long-term planning and prioritisation.

The role leads a business improvement agenda to uplift Quality Management and embed industry-aligned HSEQ systems and governance across the project lifecycle (including contractors), strengthening compliance, risk management and customer outcomes. Through expert advice, strong stakeholder engagement and effective resource and contract management, the role supports Council’s commitment to Brisbane Best Value and delivers sustainable infrastructure solutions that benefit residents and ratepayers.

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Key Accountabilities

For more information on key accountabilities of the role, please see the Position Description above.

Partner with Asset Owners and Asset Managers to inform long-term planning and
investment decisions by providing delivery-led advice on constructability, risk, staging,
market conditions, internal capacity and best-practice delivery approaches, and translate
endorsed programs into an executable delivery pipeline.
Direct end-to-end program and project delivery to achieve safe, timely and on-budget
outcomes across high-cost, high-risk and high-profile civil works, leveraging a large internal
delivery workforce and contracted delivery partners.
Establish and maintain fit-for-purpose delivery governance, project controls and assurance
(including stage gates, schedule/cost/risk/change control, reporting and independent
reviews) to support delivery confidence and transparent decision-making.
Partner with the Manager, Civil Operations to jointly plan and manage civil delivery capacity
across Construction Branch, ensuring delivery pipelines are aligned to internal workforce
capability and market conditions. Enable the efficient transfer of suitably scoped early
works, ancillary works and delivery packages between Projects and Operations to optimise
resource utilisation, manage delivery risk, and achieve value‑for‑money, timely and
sustainable program outcomes.
Maintain shared visibility of delivery pipelines, workforce and plant capacity, and proactively
resolve resourcing trade‑offs collaboratively in the best interests of Council’s overall civil
works program.
Embed a Zero Harm and best-practice HSEQ culture by driving leadership, compliance
and continuous improvement in health and safety, environment and quality across all
worksites and delivery partners.

What Success Looks Like

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

Demonstrated capability, knowledge, experience and achievements in:
- Demonstrate substantial leadership capability in managing large operational organisations delivering complex civil infrastructure services and projects across a diverse portfolio. • Exhibit advanced stakeholder engagement skills with proven experience operating in dynamic government environments and effectively collaborating with elected representatives, agencies, and community stakeholders.
- Apply high-level project management expertise with a demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate, and deliver high-cost, high-risk programs with a strategic focus and strong governance. • Show exceptional financial and commercial acumen in managing multi-million-dollar budgets, optimising resources, and ensuring value-for-money outcomes across civil infrastructure programs.
- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of legislative and policy frameworks relating to Workplace Health and Safety, environmental compliance, and Equal Employment Opportunity within a large operational workforce.
- Leverage strong technical and engineering proficiency to provide authoritative advice on civil infrastructure design, construction, and maintenance, ensuring safe and sustainable solutions.
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.
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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:

Possession of a tertiary qualification in a suitable professional discipline relevant to the position is desirable.

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, Tuesday the 25th of August 2026