Job Description

About Brisbane City Council

Brisbane is Australia's largest local government by population, managing assets of more than $44 billion and an annual budget exceeding $4.1 billion.

As Brisbane continues to grow and prepare for the opportunities and challenges beyond 2032, Brisbane City Council is undertaking a significant transformation to ensure it remains a high-performing, customer-focused organisation delivering long-term value for the community.

City Planning and Economic Development Services plays a critical role in shaping Brisbane's future. As part of this transformation, Council is establishing a new City Strategy and Policy Branch to serve as the organisation's centre of excellence for strategy, policy, research, analytics and long-term planning.

This is a rare opportunity to help define the future direction of one of Australia's most significant and influential cities.

About the Role

Reporting to the Group Executive, City Planning and Economic Development Services, the General Manager, City Strategy and Policy will lead a newly established branch responsible for shaping Council's long-term strategic direction and policy agenda.

You will work closely with Civic Cabinet Chairs, senior executives and key stakeholders to develop and deliver city-shaping strategies, policies and initiatives that support Brisbane's continued growth, liveability and prosperity.

Leading a multidisciplinary team spanning Strategy, Policy and Local Laws, and Research, Modelling and Analytics, you will establish and embed a robust, evidence-based approach to policy development and strategic planning across Council.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development and delivery of Brisbane's long-term strategic agenda, including Brisbane Vision and the Corporate Plan.
• Establishing Council's centre of excellence for strategy and policy.
• Driving the integration of research, data, analytics and evidence into decision-making.
• Providing strategic advice to senior leaders, Civic Cabinet and elected representatives.
• Leading the development of policies, local laws and city-wide initiatives aligned to Council priorities.
• Building organisational capability in strategy, policy and long-term planning.
• Fostering collaboration across Council, government agencies, industry and community stakeholders.
• Leading a high-performing team and contributing to Council-wide executive leadership.

This role will play a pivotal part in defining the "Plan for the City" beyond 2032 and ensuring Brisbane is well positioned for future growth and transformation.

About You

You are a strategic and influential executive with experience leading complex strategy, policy, planning or transformation functions within large and sophisticated organisations.

You bring a strong understanding of how policy, governance, stakeholder engagement and evidence-based decision making intersect to create meaningful public value.

You will demonstrate:

• Significant executive leadership experience in strategy, policy, planning, public administration or related disciplines.
• A track record of developing and implementing large-scale strategic initiatives and organisational change programs.
• Experience working within complex stakeholder environments, ideally involving government, elected representatives, regulators or public accountability.
• Strong political acumen and the ability to navigate competing priorities and interests.
• Exceptional communication, influence and relationship-building capability.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and building organisational capability.
• A commitment to collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Strong commercial, governance and risk management expertise.

Experience within state or local government, or other highly regulated and publicly accountable environments, will be highly regarded.

This is a career defining opportunity to help shape the future of Brisbane and leave a lasting legacy on one of Australia's fastest growing global cities.

For further information and to apply: www.luminarypartners.com.au/bcc

General inquiries to: luminary@luminarypartners.com.au

Confidential inquiries to:

Jane Ellis, Managing Partner, Luminary, on 0411 600 129

Kerry Larkin, Senior Associate, Luminary, on 0404 095 421

Applications close: Midnight, Sunday 12th July 2026

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