Manager Water Services

Manager Water Services

Job No: VRN2627050

Location: Biloela

Location: Biloela, Queensland

Work Type: Full Time | 3-Year Maximum Term Contract

Classification: Contract Position

Remuneration: $160,000 per annum + Superannuation + Motor Vehicle + Professional Association Membership reimbursement

About the Role

The Manager Water Services is Council’s senior water and sewerage engineering authority. In this full-time contract position (maximum term of 3 years), you will provide strategic leadership and professional engineering oversight for water and sewerage operations, supporting governance, safety and customer outcomes. You will be accountable for regulatory compliance, water quality risk management, asset stewardship and capital program delivery, while ensuring operational excellence and the development of a capable, high-performing workforce. Reporting to the Director Council Services and leading a team of approximately seven staff, you will shape service performance, strengthen assurance practices, and provide clear technical leadership to internal and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

You will lead a broad portfolio spanning regulated service delivery, engineering oversight, risk management, long-term planning and workforce leadership.

Water & Sewerage Strategic Leadership

• Lead strategic planning and delivery of safe, reliable and financially sustainable water supply and sewerage services aligned to Council plans, asset management strategy and long-term financial planning.

• Drive continuous improvement and innovation to enhance service value, safety, resilience and customer experience.

Regulatory Compliance, Public Health and Environmental Outcomes

• Ensure compliance with the Water Supply (Safety and Reliability) Act, Drinking Water Quality Management Plan (DWQMP), Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG), ERA 63 licensing, recycled water obligations and relevant environmental authorities.

• Oversee incident management, statutory notifications, investigations and regulatory reporting.

• Maintain assurance systems, internal controls and audit readiness for all regulated activities.

Water Quality, Risk and Operational Resilience

• Own the water quality risk framework, including hazard identification, risk registers, monitoring programs and improvement plans.

• Ensure treatment processes and network operations protect public and environmental health.

• Lead risk assessments, root-cause investigations and corrective actions.

• Strengthen operational resilience, including process safety, cyber safety and SCADA/telemetry integrity.

Asset Management and Infrastructure Planning

• Lead strategic asset management for water and sewerage networks, treatment plants and supporting infrastructure.

• Ensure accurate asset data, condition assessments, renewal planning and long-term capital forecasting.

• Oversee inflow/infiltration reduction, demand/pressure management, biosolids and reuse programs.

• Make asset decisions that optimize whole-of-life value and long-term sustainability.

Capital Program Development and Delivery

• Develop and deliver a multi-year capital program including business cases, funding submissions, design, procurement, construction and commissioning.

• Ensure engineering designs meet WSAA Codes, industry standards and Council specifications.

• Oversee contract management, project governance, contractor performance and commissioning quality.

• Ensure capital delivery aligns with Council financial, risk and procurement frameworks.

Operational Excellence

• Ensure safe, efficient and compliant operation of treatment plants, networks, SCADA and telemetry systems.

• Maintain SOPs, maintenance programs, operational readiness and emergency response capability.

• Drive continuous improvement, innovation and operational resilience.

• Monitor and improve service performance, including CSS KPIs, interruptions, complaints and response times.

People Leadership, Capability and Culture

• Lead, mentor and develop a multidisciplinary team to strengthen capability, engagement and accountability.

• Reinforce a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with WHS obligations.

• Provide clear technical guidance and professional development pathways, including RPEQ supervision.

• Support workforce planning, recruitment, training and performance management.

Financial Management and Governance

• Prepare and manage OPEX and CAPEX budgets, ensuring financial stewardship and cost-effective service delivery.

• Ensure procurement integrity, contract compliance and alignment with Council’s financial policies.

• Optimize whole-of-life asset value and long-term financial sustainability.

• Lead 10–20 year OPEX/CAPEX forecasting incorporating asset lifecycle costing, risk and service-level trade-offs aligned with the Long-Term Financial Plan.

Stakeholder Engagement and Reporting

• Provide clear, timely advice to the Director, Executive Management Team, Council and regulators

• Represent Council in QWRAP, Qldwater and industry forums

• Prepare reports, grant applications, community communications and technical briefings, and attend meetings as required

• Build constructive relationships with internal stakeholders, regulators, consultants and the community.

Professional Engineering Responsibilities (RPEQ)

• Provide RPEQ‑level professional engineering oversight for all water and sewerage engineering activities

• Ensure engineering work is planned, delivered and reviewed in accordance with recognised engineering standards and the Professional Engineers Act

• Supervise, review and endorse engineering work performed by non‑RPEQ staff

• Foster competency development, sound engineering judgment and professional growth within the team.

 Other Requirements

• Contribute to the promotion of the image of the Council and the maximisation of good public relations

• Liaise with clients, other Council staff, the public, consultants, utility and government authorities in the performance of duties including providing and obtaining information

• Undertake routine administrative tasks as required by the position e.g. timesheets

• Assist senior staff to continuously improve work processes and develop new practices as required

• Participate in training, exercises and response to disaster management and recovery as required

• Undertake other relevant duties as directed, consistent with skills, competence and training.

Qualifications, Education and Licence Requirements

Compulsory

• Bachelor Degree in Engineering (Civil/Environmental) (or related)

• Registered Professional Engineer Queensland (RPEQ)

• Current Class C driver’s license

• Construction White Card.

Abilities, Skills and Knowledge Required

Compulsory

• Demonstrated broad senior leadership experience in municipal water and sewerage service delivery (treatment and network operations, compliance and asset/capital delivery)

• Knowledge of QLD water regulatory framework or similar (DWQMP, CSS, incident reporting), ADWG, and ERA 63 licensing

• Demonstrated contract management experience with projects of significant value ($1M to $5M)

• Excellent communication skills and report writing for a broad audience (technical and non-technical)

• Flexible, able to prioritise competing demands, work under pressure to meet deadlines and provide clear technical guidance to operational staff

• High level leadership and mentoring skills, with the skills to facilitate the transfer of information and technical knowledge

• Highly developed customer service, oral and written communication, and interpersonal skills

• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to EEO and WHS principles and practices.

Desirable

• Advanced leadership and motivation skills

• Postgraduate qualifications in an applicable field such as water/process engineering, hydraulic engineering, asset management or project management

• Experience with WSAA Codes/Industry Standards, SCADA/telemetry, data analytics, recycled water schemes

• Experience in development assessment processes for water supply and sewerage services, including determining and applying compliant and fit‑for‑purpose conditions

• Analytical and hydraulic network modelling skills, attention to detail and ability to produce necessary engineering calculations and reports

• Demonstrated experience in providing RPEQ‑level engineering oversight, including supervision of non‑RPEQ staff and endorsement of professional engineering work

• Demonstrated experience in mentoring engineers and technical personnel, fostering competency development, sound engineering judgment and professional growth.

Specific Conditions/Requirements

The employee acknowledges that this role requires them to hold and maintain a class ‘C’ manual driver’s licence and that the loss of licence may jeopardise employment with Council

The employee acknowledges that this role has been identified as working in an ‘at risk work location’ and/or is an ‘at risk worker’ and subsequently agrees to be protected by the relevant immunisations in accordance with Council’s Staff Immunisation Program and will participate in required health monitoring in accordance with the guidelines set out by council and relevant legislation and industry standards.