Title:  Senior Urban Designer

About us
 

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

The Planning and Land Services group in the Department of Transport and Planning brings together land, property, statutory planning, building and heritage capability to deliver whole of state services.

Group’s focus is to provide services in land administration, property information and facilitating the better use of government owned land. The Planning and Land Services group also:

• ensures secure and accurate registration services for property, land and water share transactions;
• provides specialist transport property services including planning, acquisition and management of land
and building assets; and • manages the state's planning, building and heritage systems to shape the places and communities of Victoria.

About the role

This is a Full TIME FIXED TERM position until 30/07/2027

This is a Senior Urban Designer role within the State Planning Assessment and Facilitation division which supports Ministerial statutory planning responsibilities including the Development Facilitation Program (DFP) and other areas of Government.

The Senior Urban Designer plays a crucial role in informing and supporting efficient decision-making by providing expert design advice on development inquiries, built form proposals and master plans. This role is essential in promoting high-quality built form outcomes across the State. The Senior Urban Designer offers timely, sound, and technically competent written and verbal urban design advice, facilitating early collaboration between proponents and key decision-makers to achieve best-practice design, planning, and development outcomes for the State.

The assessment function produces well-considered design advice to support the Minister for Planning's decision-making responsibilities. The Senior Urban Designer assists proponents and stakeholders in elevating design standards across the sector, bolstering the role of good design in Victoria.

The successful candidate will be expected to have extensive experience in urban design and the ability to oscillate between strategic thinking (macro) and design detail (micro).

We are seeking a highly skilled Urban Designer with demonstrated experience providing expert design advice in complex planning or development contexts, strong conceptual and technical design capability, and the ability to influence outcomes through clear, strategic communication and stakeholder engagement. The ideal candidate will be proactive, adaptable, and collaborative, with strong project management skills, integrity, and political acumen to deliver high-quality design outcomes aligned with broader planning and policy objectives. 

To access the Position Description, please click here

Position accountabilities

• Provide high-quality, technically robust written and verbal urban design advice to support statutory planning decisions under the Development Facilitation Program and other Ministerial responsibilities.
• Produce high-calibre urban design assessments and complementary visualisations to inform decision-making, demonstrating clear narratives and best-practice design standards.
• Provide design advice at various scales, including strategic, precinct, and detailed levels.• Demonstrate a sound understanding of the Victoria Planning Provisions (VPPs) to inform urban design advice and ensure recommendations are cognisant of strategic, statutory and other policy drivers.
• Contribute to internal review processes, including preparing briefing materials, attending design advisory panels and government architect reviews.
• Maintain key stakeholder relationships and partnerships within the department and with other government agencies to ensure the successful delivery of design advice.
• Facilitate and chair design workshops with proponent teams, other government agencies and internally within the department.
• Work flexibly and collaboratively across the practice to deliver departmental priorities and initiatives as required.
• Stay abreast of industry best practices, planning reforms and emerging design issues across metropolitan, regional, and interface areas.
 

Qualifications and experience

Mandatory
• A relevant tertiary qualification and significant experience in urban design and/or architecture.

Desirable
• Experience in assessing complex and/or strategically significant development proposals within metropolitan and regional environment contexts.• Effectively negotiates with clients/stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes.
• Critically evaluates problems from multiple perspectives and delivers effective solutions.
• A high degree of competence in using Adobe Suite.

ROLE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
• Driver’s License

Culture Value

We welcome applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds representing the community that we serve, including veterans, parents, carers, First Peoples, people with disability, multicultural, multifaith and LGBTIQA+ individuals.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and high-performance culture. Through shared actions and behaviours aligned with our strategy and direction, we empower our people to thrive and meaningfully contribute to the department’s goals.

What we offer

Working at the Department of Transport and Planning provides people with the opportunity to contribute to creating thriving places and connected communities for all Victorians.

For further details please refer to Careers at the Department of Transport and Planning.

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

Click the ‘Apply’ button to be redirected to our recruitment platform, where you may need to create an account to submit your application.

If have any issues, click here for Quick Reference Guide on how to apply.

Applications close at 11.59pm on Monday, the 10th of November 2025.

Please include both your resume and a cover letter. All applications must be submitted via the online portal, we’re unable to accept email or manual submissions.

For further information about the role, please contact Bart Gane, Manager Development Assessment via bart.gane@transport.vic.gov.au. 

Important Information:

If you require any adjustments to fully participate in the recruitment process, or need the advert or attachments in an accessible format (e.g., large print), please contact us by phone or email. We're here to support you.