The Planning Administration team at the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage is responsible for conforming all land use planning applications lodged with the Western Australian Planning Commission and also provides front-line services to customers lodging planning applications. On an average year the team handles over 7,000 types of lodgements, including subdivision, development, structure plans and scheme amendments.

The position we are seeking to fill is the Manager of the team, which has two direct reports (Co-ordinators) and with approximately 25 team members overall. The successful candidate would be responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of planning administration functions, maintaining a high standard of administrative services and customer service and representing the team corporately.

This is a permanent, full-time position. This recruitment process may also be used to fill future similar permanent or fixed-term positions that may arise within the Department and across the WA public sector in the next 12 months from the initial date of appointment. 

Please Note: This is a future opportunity, with the successful candidate anticipated to commence in late November 2026.

To be successful for this position, you need to demonstrate: 

1. Experience in a complex administrative environment, with the ability to manage and prioritise workload.
2. Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving capabilities with experience in interpreting data, identifying trends and implementing process improvements to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of administrative principles and practice including ability to interpret legislation, policy, procedures and the ability to provide high level technical advice to internal and external stakeholders.
4. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to convey complex information clearly, influence decision making and build effective relationships across diverse teams and stakeholder groups.
5. Experience in human resource management, finance and other business processes.
6. Demonstrate the behaviours within the Public Sector’s leadership context as outlined below.

Core leadership behaviours are outlined in Leadership Expectations are applicable to this role and should be demonstrated in the context of Leading Others. The Leading Others context is about motivating and enabling others to deliver high quality work that contributes to the agency.

About us

Our Perth office is centrally located in the CBD, above the Perth Underground rail station and close to major transport links.  We also have a number of offices located in the regions. For more information on careers at DPLH, please visit Careers at the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage

We have a comprehensive  Applicant Information Pack to provide information about us, the values of the department and practical guidance on the process for you.

Benefits of Working at DPLH

DPLH offers a broad range of benefits including but not limited to:

• Access to flexible working arrangements including working from home or alternate work locations for enhanced work life balance.
• 12% superannuation, full employer contribution and salary packaging options
• Comprehensive learning and professional development opportunities.
• 4 weeks annual leave with 17.5% loading paid as additional pay every December
• 3 days additional public sector holidays each year
• Cultural leave for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff
• Leave for study, bereavement, foster caring and parenting
• Free access to a confidential employee assistance program (EAP) for you and your family, which includes psychology and counselling services.

How to apply: All applications are submitted online. Select ‘Apply for Job’, located at either top or bottom of the screen, and follow the instructions; you will need to provide:

• A comprehensive CV that outlines your skills, experience, and key achievements relevant to this role, including the details of two referees with at least one being your current or recent manager or supervisor; and
• A two to three (2-3) page covering letter, addressing requirements 1, 4 and 6 as outlined above in the essential requirements.

Further Information: 

If you would like to know more, please give a call on (08) 6551 9362 or email cath.meaghan@dplh.wa.gov.au to discuss the role in further detail. Please do not send your application to Cath Meaghan or seek their assistance with lodging your application. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants – For a confidential discussion about the recruitment process, please reach out to Jake Louthean or Barb Culbong from our Aboriginal Employment and Engagement team. You can contact Jake at 0428429486 or Barb at 0408 895 002 or alternatively email us at aboriginalemployment@dplh.wa.gov.au.

The Department is an equal opportunity employer and as a measure to achieve equality under sections 51, 66R and 66ZP of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, young people (24 years of age and under) and people with disability who meet the requirements of the position, may be prioritised for appointment.

Accessibility: If you have any communication or access needs that require adjustment to allow you to participate in this recruitment process, please contact our Recruitment team on (08) 6551 9419 or email recruitment@dplh.wa.gov.au.

We can also be contacted via the National Relay Service on the below numbers:
TTY/voice calls – 133 677
Speak and Listen – 1300 555 727 and SMS relay – 0423 677 767.

Special Requirements for this position:

The Department will conduct a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check for applicants successful to this recruitment process. 

To be eligible for a permanent appointment to the Western Australian public sector it is essential that you are an Australian citizen or have permanent residency status in Australia. To be eligible for a fixed term appointment you must have documentary evidence of your entitlement to live and work in Australia for the period of the contract.  

Please ensure you have saved your documents in MS Word (.docx files only) or PDF format and have allowed plenty of time to submit your application, as late, emailed and proforma applications will not be accepted. 

If you experience technical issues when submitting your application, contact ramshelpdesk@bigredsky.com, or please call (08) 6551 9419 for any other queries.

DPLH reserves the right to close this vacancy prior to the advertised closing date should circumstances around the vacancy change.

Closing Date – Friday, 31 July 2026 @ 4:00pm