Title:  Executive Director, State Planning Services & Heritage

About Us 

The Department of Transport and Planning oversees key planning, transport and land use policy decisions across the State. A life-cycle approach to planning, building, connecting and sustaining communities means our people can come together to; improve services, deliver sustainable projects, focus on customer engagement, streamline regulatory approval pathways, facilitate community consultation and better realise local economic opportunities for more liveable communities across Victoria. 

We create thriving places and connected communities. We bring together transport, planning, land use, precinct and policy functions in a single department to deliver the best outcomes for Victorians. Together with our portfolio agencies, we are responsible for planning, building, operating and maintaining Victoria’s transport, planning and land services for use by all. We foster a safe, inclusive and constructive place to work.

About the Group

Planning and Land Services delivers responsive, customer focussed, high quality planning, land administration and property services that support thriving places and connected communities. 

About this position

The Executive Director, State Planning Services and Heritage provides strategic and high-level leadership within the Department’s planning portfolio. The role oversees the Metropolitan Planning, Regional Planning Services and Heritage Victoria areas and reports to the Deputy Secretary, Planning and Land Services.

The role is responsible for ensuring local government planners, senior officers, regional planning teams and ministerial service functions are supported at Executive level to deliver quality and timely statutory planning processes and outcomes.

The Executive Director provides authoritative strategic and operational advice, leads engagement with senior internal and external stakeholders, and drives collaboration across government, the private sector and the community to integrate and coordinate planning, heritage policy, regulation and service delivery. The role also contributes to whole-of-government and organisational reform initiatives, promotes continuous improvement, and ensures effective stewardship of people, resources and budgets aligned with departmental values and governance frameworks.

As a senior leader, the role champions a diverse, safe and inclusive culture, strengthens capability and engagement across teams, and contributes to cohesive executive leadership within the Department to deliver better outcomes for Victorians.

Position Outcomes

• Oversee and support responsive and targeted leadership to enable quality and timely statutory planning outcomes for local government and regional planning functions.
• Lead the performance of people by strengthening capability and engagement, and champion a diverse, safe and inclusive culture aligned with departmental values
• Provide high-quality, authoritative strategic and operational advice to senior leadership to support portfolio objectives and respond to emerging and complex issues.
• Lead effective engagement and collaborative partnerships across government, the private sector and the community to integrate and coordinate planning and heritage policy, regulation and service delivery.
• Lead organisational and government reforms, ensure effective resource management, comply with governance frameworks, and deliver fit-for-purpose workforce and budget outcomes.

To provide greater insight into the role the position description can be found here

Qualifications and role specific requirements 

• Mandatory tertiary qualification in urban planning or a related discipline.
• Experienced senior leader with a proven record of success working in a large, complex organisation, including leading change and improvement initiatives.
• Demonstrated political acumen, with a strong understanding of government processes and levers, and the ability to facilitate initiatives and outcomes at a whole-of-government level
• Strong track record of stakeholder engagement, consultation and communications to ensure internal and external stakeholder interests are represented and incorporated into reform initiatives.
• Demonstrated record of achievement in driving and leading responsive and high-quality statutory planning processes and outcomes.
• Expertise in leading a statutory planning function with a strategic focus, and experience with heritage matters, including developing organisational capability in this area (desirable). 

Pre-employment checks and employment conditions  

All new appointments to the department will be subject to a National Criminal Records Check, Misconduct Screening, and a Qualification Check where there is a requirement for a mandatory qualification. Information provided to the Department of Transport and Planning will be treated in the strictest confidence consistent with the requirements of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. 

Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid work permit or visa necessary for the nature of the position. 

Recipients of Victorian Public Service (VPS) voluntary departure packages should note that re-employment restrictions apply. 

Non-VPS applicants will be subject to a probation period of six months. 

How to apply 

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Applications close at 11.59pm on Friday 06 February 2026.

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