Your Opportunity
Are you passionate about leading a team committed to ensuring the health, safety and amenity of residents in the Southern Downs? This job could be for you!
In this role, you will be managing a team of Local Laws Officers in the main areas of animal management and biosecurity. You'll be responsible for leading and mentoring the team in ensuring legislative compliance, managing pound facilities and biosecurity infrastructure, and building relationships with the community and key stakeholders.
Term: Permanent, Full-time
Hours of Work: 72.5 hours per fortnight
Pay Level: $3,779.44 to $4,011.70 per fortnight (Level 6), plus 12% superannuation and 17.5% annual leave loading
In accordance with Council's Enterprise Agreement and the relevant Award. Pay rate dependant on relevant skills and experience.
Employment Base: Warwick or Stanthorpe, Queensland (will be negotiated with successful candidate)
Other Information: Commuter Use Vehicle
Psychometric Testing and a Practical Assessment are required
Applications Close: 11:59pm Tuesday, 3rd March 2026
About the Environmental Services Department
The Environmental Services Department falls within the Communities, Planning and Environmental Services directorate and plays a critical role in delivering on the liveability of our region. The Regulatory Services, Local Laws and Waste Management teams cover a diverse range of roles and responsibilities from ensuring food and public health safety, investigating environmental nuisance and pollution incidences, animal control, pest management, environmental sustainability programs and planning and building compliance.
Furthermore, the department delivers all aspects of waste operations including roadside collections, waste facilities, investigating waste minimisation and resource recovery opportunities and the strategic management of waste in Southern Downs.
What You Will Do
For full details of this position, please ensure you download the Position Description below.
The complete Key Responsibilities of this role can be found in the Position Description. These include (but are not limited to):
- Supervise, lead and support the Local Laws Officers to complete the required work of the team;
- Understand and interpret legislation relevant to the team's performance, including Council's Local Laws, the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008 and the Biosecurity Act 2014;
- Provide operational oversight and direction for compliance, investigation and enforcement activities; and
- Oversee the development of projects, contracts and key strategic documents to the team.
What You Will Need
To be considered for this role, you will need:
- The legal right to live and work in Australia
- REQUIRED LICENCES & QUALIFICATIONS
- A Class C (car) licence or greater; and
- A White Construction Card, or the ability to obtain one is a mandatory requirement
- Comprehensive knowledge of, and experience in, applying legislation, statutory regulations and guidelines relevant to Local Laws compliance, local government governance requirements, and investigations and enforcement, including procedural fairness and evidence-based decision-making
- Demonstrative effective leadership skills with a strong emphasis on people and performance management, including the ability to supervise staff, provide coaching and feedback, allocate and prioritise work, and maintain consistent service delivery across the team
- Demonstrated computer literacy, including competent use of Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.), and the ability to accurately use information systems for case management, recordkeeping, correspondence and reporting
- To be able to demonstrate your competence in relation to all of the Selection Criteria as detailed in the Position Description.
What We Offer
At Southern Downs Regional Council, we know that that our people are our strength. With this front of mind, we provide a wide range of benefits and a holistic approach to supporting our employees, including:
- Competitive wages, conditions and allowances
- Salary packaging and remote area benefits available, which can significantly increase tax savings and take-home pay
- Discounted corporate health insurance plans
- Improved work-life balance opportunities, such as a 9-day work fortnight and consideration of other flexible work options
- Generous leave provisions including Special Family Leave, Cultural Leave and 17.5% annual leave loading
- Access to a wide range of health and wellness initiatives, including free, skin checks, flu vaccinations and wellness medicals, and discounted gym memberships
- Employee Assistance Program for staff and their families (24/7 access). This service includes counselling, financial coaching, nutritional support and legal referrals, as well as access to specialised wellbeing support for LGBTIQA+ individuals, First Nations people, and individuals experiencing domestic and family violence through dedicated helpline
- Opportunities for on and off the job personal and professional development (study assistance available in accordance with policy)
To view comprehensive details of our employee value offering, please click HERE. (Note when viewing this job vacancy through SEEK.com - you will be able to access this link once by clicking on the "Apply" button, or by visiting the job advertisement on our website at www.https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/council/careers-at-council/current-job-vacancies)
Further Information
For further information about this role and working for Southern Downs Regional Council, please refer to the documents below:
(Note when viewing this job vacancy on SEEK.com - the links to information below will only be available once you click on the "Apply" button. Alternatively, you can access them via the job advertisement on our website at https://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/council/careers-at-council/current-job-vacancies).
If you have any additional enquiries in relation to this position, please contact Nicole Collett, Manager Environmental Services on 1300 697 372.
Apply Now!
At SDRC, we believe that diversity enriches our workplace, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes. We welcome applications from qualified people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, genders and abilities, who have applicable working rights in Australia.
To apply for this opportunity, you will be asked to complete an online application form and provide:
- A short-written response (maximum 1-2 pages, dot points acceptable) on how your experience, abilities, and knowledge match the full selection criteria of this role (as outlined in the Position Description); and
- Your current Resume.
When you are ready to begin your application, please click on the "Apply" button below to be taken to our online application portal. Please ensure you provide all of the information requested and that your application is lodged by the closing date (as shown above). Should you have any difficulty lodging your application online, please contact our People & Culture Team on ph. 1300 697 372 for assistance.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Southern Downs Regional Council – A Great Place to Work
What we do at SDRC is more than just a job to us. Whether it’s maintaining our clean water supply, keeping our parks and gardens beautiful, servicing our plant and vehicles, providing contemporary library services, responding to natural disasters or showcasing our region’s immense natural beauty and economic strength, every Council employee strives to make a real difference for our local community.
Few employers combine so many diverse disciplines (e.g. engineers, childcare workers, trades such as mechanics and plumbers, safety specialists, project managers, plant operators, finance experts, IT specialists and urban planners to name a few) in one organisation. At SDRC, we work together towards the same goal. By integrating a multi-disciplined workplace with collective ideas and skillsets, we provide unique opportunities for our people to develop and grow within their chosen career.
We are passionate about aligning business, community and government to achieve social, economic and environmental outcomes. We believe this is best realised when people are invested in the long-term outcomes of where they live and work. If this sounds like you too, then working in local government at SDRC may be right for you.
